Your Bio

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is a volunteer-based non-profit organization that works with individuals and local communities to conserve the clean water, unique plant and animal habitat, farmland, and scenic beauty of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. In the last three decades, the conservancy and its 1,500 members have protected almost 40,000 acres, including key sites adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and in the Highlands of Roan.

Be sure to take a look at our albums, sign our guestbook,read our blog, and watch our videos.

Visit our website: http://www.appalachian.org


Follow Us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sahc

Watch Us On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/sahcmedia

Galleries

Bee Branch Farm Hike : The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy hosted a beautiful hike on the Bee Branch Farm in the Sandy Mush Township of Buncombe County, NC. Terri Wells, one of the family members of the Bee Branch Farm was be our guide as we make a three mile loop, including panoramic views of the entire valley. Photo Credit: Mark Matheny and Jerry Friedman SAHC recently permanently protected the historic Bee Branch farm through a conservation easement. The 500-acre working farm adds to over 6,000 acres that SAHC has previously protected in the Sandy Mush Township. We learned about conservation easements as a tool for protecting farmland, and a bit of the Bee Branch family history and Sandy Mush lore.

Bee Branch Farm Hike

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy hosted a beautiful hike ...

Updated: Apr 08, 2009 12:22pm EST

Hickory Nut Gap Farm Hike : Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy led a guided hike on the Hickory Nut Gap Farm. Located in the Fairview Community of Buncombe County, the farm is a 600-acre fourth generation working landscape, with 290 acres recently protected through a conservation easement held by SAHC. Hickory Nut Gap Farm is one of the region’s most historic and scenic farms, providing fruits, vegetables and meat to local grocers, restaurants, and many individuals in the surrounding area. The family farm is the gateway when driving from Asheville to Chimney Rock and other new State lands in the Hickory Nut Gorge. The Hickory Nut Gap Farm contains open fields where cattle, turkeys, chickens, sheep, and pigs are raised in a natural and humane environment and beautiful woodlands. We took a tour of the farm, walked along the mountain stream, hiked to the top of the mountain, and then stocked up on fresh, local, healthy Hickory Nut Gap Farm Meat at the Farm Store before we headed home. We talked about the challenges and opportunities for farmland preservation as well as the blessings of local healthy food and land conservation.

Hickory Nut Gap Farm Hike

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy led a guided hike on the Hi ...

Updated: Apr 08, 2009 12:52pm EST

Guided Hike on Newly Acquired Roan Property : The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy led a guided hike along the recently acquired 113-acre Roan Tract. This was a wonderland of contrasts, which featured open high-elevation meadows associated with the Roan Mountain landscape, and also a breathtaking set of waterfalls on Elk Holler Creek.  With the right lighting, you can see native brook trout swimming in deep green plunge pools.  The tract connects the floor of the Roaring Creek Valley and the historic Overmountain Victory Trail corridor to the Appalachian Trail corridor at the upper elevations. We spent several hours exploring this exciting new acquisition. Afterwards, we went to a local Christmas tree farm where we were able to choose and cut our own trees! All photos are by Mark Matheny

Guided Hike on Newly Acquired Roan Property

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy led a guided hike along ...

Updated: Dec 16, 2008 10:41am EST

Newly Protected Haw Creek Tract : On this guided hike by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, we learned about partnerships that made it possible to purchase the Haw Creek Tract. This protected nine acres adjoins Blue Ridge Parkway, and connects to the Mountains-to-Sea trail.  We started our walk on the protected land in the Haw Creek neighborhood and walked to a knob on the  trail that gave us a view of the Haw Creek watershed, the Riceville valley, the Craggy and Black Mountain ranges, and downtown Asheville. The Mountains-to-Sea trail ran along a ridge above the parkway for much  of the distance, but was far enough removed that we didn't see or hear too much traffic. The hike was moderate difficulty, with a very steep initial section as we gained the parkway ridge, and then there was a consistent gradual incline as we walked along the Mountains-To-Sea Trail to our lunch spot. All photos are by Tony Carr.

Newly Protected Haw Creek Tract

On this guided hike by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, ...

Updated: Nov 24, 2008 9:18am EST

Rocky Fork Hike : At ten thousand acres, Rocky Fork is the largest remaining unprotected piece of land in the Southern Appalachian mountains, and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is partnering with a number of organizations to protect it in perpetuity. We hiked about 6 miles through the beautiful trails. It was a gorgeous day and everyone really enjoyed themselves! Photo Credit: Thanks to David Lawrence for taking most of these pictures! If you'd like to donate to our joint efforts to preserve Rocky Fork, please visit: https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/MakeDonation.aspx?ORGID2=621098890

Rocky Fork Hike

At ten thousand acres, Rocky Fork is the largest remaining unprotecte ...

Updated: Nov 03, 2008 12:53pm EST

Yellow Mountain Hike : Yellow Mountain is one of a chain of high-elevation grassy balds that make up the Roan massif, which is the flagship of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy's land protection activities thanks to its unique beauty and biological importance. There were beautiful 360 degree vistas from the balds, as well as good fall color at this high elevation. We were able to see a great deal of western NC and east TN--from the Linville Gorge and Grandfather Mtn to the Cumberland Plateau. Also, Governor Mike Easley signed legislation creating two new state natural areas in Western North Carolina. The law authorizes the creation of Yellow Mountain and Bear Paw state natural areas, in Watauga, Avery, and Mitchell Counties. Supporter of the bill Seanator Joe Sam Queen said "This is a unique and pristine conservation area where we really need to bring in new sources of funding. The Yellow Mountain State Natural Area lets us expand conservation beyond the traditional boundaries of the Roan Mountain area and the General Assembly and the Governor have now spoken in favor." SAHC Board Members and volunteers were instrumental in assisting staff with the acquisition of the two tracts that will be transfered to the state.

Yellow Mountain Hike

Yellow Mountain is one of a chain of high-elevation grassy balds that ...

Updated: Oct 21, 2008 11:23am EST

High Knob Hike : Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Mountain Air Naturalist and Resident, Kat Dunham enjoyed an interpretive hike in the Old Growth Preserve easement. High Knob and the surrounding forest preserve are at the top of Slickrock Mountain, just southwest of Burnsville, in Yancey County, NC. This hike along Slickrock’s ridge line parallels the high Black Mountain range. On clear days there are beautiful views of Celo Knob and Mt. Mitchell, just 8 miles to the southeast as the crow flies. The hike was a moderate 4-mile double loop, with the start and finish on about 1⁄2 mile of paved access roads. It started at 4,600 feet, and the most strenuous sections were in the first 10 minutes, and later on another 10-minute stretch in the middle, when most of the roughly 400 feet of elevation change was accomplished. We saw big trees- especially sugar maple, wild cherry and yellow birch in this healthy high-elevation mixed-hardwood forest. We enjoyed peak fall color from our lofty vantage point.

High Knob Hike

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Mountain Air Naturalis ...

Updated: Nov 24, 2008 9:33am EST

Hemphill Bald/Cataloochee Ranch Hike : Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy led a hike on Hemphill Bald, which leans comfortably on an imaginary recliner surveying his domain. Expect to see fall flowers, mountain streams and lovely cove hardwood forest mixed at times with hemlock stands and the ever present rhododendron and mountain laurel. At the top of the ridge the woods are replaced by open high altitude pastureland and there is the chance for superb views of four counties and a number of mountain tops including Cold Mountain, Crabtree Bald, Mt. Mitchell and many others.

Hemphill Bald/Cataloochee Ranch Hike

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy led a hike on Hemphill Bald ...

Updated: Oct 03, 2008 12:31pm EST

The Gott Family Farm Hike : The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy holds a 210 acre protected land easement on the Gott Family Farm located in the Shelton Laurel Community of Madison County, NC with the highest elevation at 3200 feet. The Got Family Farm is in the view shed of the Appalachian Trail and contiguous to the National Forest. Take a look at one of the beautiful hikes that was led by SAHC and the Gott's.

The Gott Family Farm Hike

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy holds a 210 acre protec ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2008 12:47pm EST

Grassy Ridge Mow-Off : Grassy Ridge Mow-off is always the third weekend in July--on the Roan Mountain Massif on the state line of NC/TN. The actual work begins on Saturday morning, about 9:00 a.m. We also work a half-day on Sunday. Many of us backpack out Friday afternoon to set up our tents and settle in so that we're ready to rock and roll after breakfast on Saturday. This is an awesome weekend and a chance to contribute to sustaining the globally significant eco-system of the Roan Massif. Ecologists suspect that historically, grazing animals such as woolly mammoth, bison, elk, and then the cows of European settlers maintained the open balds that characterize the Roan massif. After the US Forest Service obtained the land with assistance from the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, grazing largely stopped, which may be one factor that has led to the encroachment of woody species on the balds. This is where we come in! All volunteers are welcome, please make plans to join us in July 2009.

Grassy Ridge Mow-Off

Grassy Ridge Mow-off is always the third weekend in July--on the Roan ...

Updated: Oct 06, 2008 1:50pm EST

SAHC's logos :

SAHC's logos

Updated: Nov 26, 2008 10:04am EST

Blogs : SAHC's Smug Mug Blog

Blogs

SAHC's Smug Mug Blog

Updated: Oct 07, 2008 11:46am EST

Upcoming Events : Join us on our upcoming guided hikes and other events.

Upcoming Events

Join us on our upcoming guided hikes and other events.

Updated: Nov 24, 2008 12:07pm EST

Guestbook : Come say hi and sign our Guestbook. Also feel free to leave any questions or comments.

Guestbook

Come say hi and sign our Guestbook. Also feel free to leave any questi ...

Updated: Oct 07, 2008 9:59am EST

Videos (coming soon) : Watch our videos to meet the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy's staff, members, volunteers, board members, and landowners. Also, get a glimpse at the several beautiful locations where we hold protected land easements.

Videos (coming soon)

Watch our videos to meet the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservanc ...

Updated: Jan 26, 2009 8:53pm EST

SAHC Board Retreat Cataloochee Ranch Hemphill Bald Monitoring Hike :

SAHC Board Retreat Cataloochee Ranch Hemphill Bald Monitoring Hike

Updated: Sep 14, 2009 1:21pm EST

SAHC Membership Party - Asheville, NC :

SAHC Membership Party - Asheville, NC

Updated: Nov 10, 2009 1:01pm EST

Rough Creek Stewardship Monitoring/Outreach :

Rough Creek Stewardship Monitoring/Outreach

Updated: Nov 11, 2009 9:18am EST