Trail Building on SAHC’s Community Farm

Trail work begins at the SAHC Community Farm in Alexander, NC.

The crew received instructions prior to work.

Volunteers assemble  – Go Team!

On a chilly mid-March day, SAHC’s Anderson Farm was host for an AmeriCorps service day. Fourteen AmeriCorps Project Conserve members, currently serving at host sites throughout Western North Carolina, came together on SAHC’s Community Farm to lend their hands in building a trail on the 100 acre property.

The SAHC Community Farm property lies just 15 minutes to the north and west of Asheville within the Newfound Creek watershed, an impaired waterway as identified by NC Division of Water Quality. Years of timbering and intensive cattle grazing have impacted the pastures, forests, and waterways of this property. Since acquiring the farm, SAHC has begun the process of revitalizing the agricultural and conservation assets on the property.

Americorps Project Conserve volunteers Margot Wallston, Laura Brookshire, and Serena Shah.

We are currently reforesting a clear-cut section of the farm with shortleaf pine, a declining species in NC, which will be used as a demonstration stand. We are also working to improve the agricultural management of the land and will eventually establish the property as a model farm for educational purposes.  A large stream restoration project will begin in the spring of this year and will result in significant wildlife habitat and water quality improvements. To utilize the property as an educational asset, we have designed a trail that will highlight the many improvements being made to the farm, so that this special property may be shared with the public.

It was a nippy day, but skies were clear  for trail work.

SAHC’s Americorps Land Protection Associate Jamie Ervin on the farm.

AmeriCorps Project Conserve members, along with SAHC staff, broke ground on the first section of trail to be built on the farm. This section of trail runs from the trail head, through the shortleaf pine restoration area, and down to the stream restoration area. Along the way, the trail traverses through heavy brush and tree re-growth, so the trail work involved cutting back blackberry and grasses to the ground with loppers and small hand saws, breaking ground with pulaskis (tools with a head shaped with an ax blade on one side and an adze on the other) to form the foot path, and grading the trail to create a finished surface for walking.

A great start for our interpretive trail.

Using pulaskis to break ground.

Several AmeriCorps members present at the workday are experienced sawyers, and SAHC was fortunate to have use of their skills for the removal of Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana) . Removing the Virginia Pine will allow the Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata) that is already on the Anderson Farm to flourish and will make the restoration of this declining plant community possible. While Shortleaf pine is common to the Southeast’s piedmont and mountain regions, it is in decline in North Carolina.

Huge thanks to all the team members who volunteered!

It was wonderful to have had so many talented and hardworking AmeriCorps Project Conserve members give the gift of their time and energy to SAHC and the Anderson Farm. While the trail work was slower going than anticipated, the work day was a great success. We accomplished a substantial part of the trail building and removed competition trees from about 2 acres of the property. The interpretive trail will be a key educational tool in allowing SAHC to share the efforts being made to restore the Anderson farm – as we make strides to improve the conservation and agricultural values back to the land. We plan to schedule additional volunteer work days on the farm throughout the Spring and Summer. Contact Allison Kiehl at 828.253.0095 ext. 203 for more details.

Partners Continue Service Project Successes

Green Opportunities volunteer crew, from Asheville, NC.

This fall, SAHC continued two great volunteer management partnerships on the Roan. Asheville Green Opportunities and AmeriCorps Project conserve came out for two separate management days, restoring grassy bald habitat on the western slope of Round Bald. It is always rewarding to bring young volunteers to a beautiful place they have not been before, especially when their work can build a sense of connection to the land. It affords me the chance to look at the Roan and its vistas with new eyes and underlines the importance of SAHC’s protection efforts.

Volunteers get detailed instructions before beginning work on the bald.

Volunteers used hand tools to remove isolated clumps of woody plants that are encroaching on the grassy bald. Without regular management, blackberry, rhododendron, blueberry, spruce, and fir trees will gradually expand outward into the grassy bald community, a process called natural or ecological succession.

Volunteers at work on the Roan.

Support from the National Forest Foundation, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and Constellation Energy allows SAHC to recruit volunteers and organize these work days. As always, resource protection is only possible through partnerships. We are thankful we can continue this important work and share our management efforts with volunteers that may now visit and protect the Roan for years to come.

Hurray for Volunteers! At Cataloochee Ranch with Nature Valley & NPCA

31 volunteers and staff rallied to help the Smokies last Saturday, July 28.  In a partnership with Nature Valley (the granola bar company) and the National Parks Conservation Association, several SAHC projects are underway at the protected Cataloochee Ranch (directly adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park) to improve animal habitat, plant life and water quality.

Trail restoration work crew.

Trail work in progress.

On Saturday under a clear sky with beautiful views of the Plott Balsams, Mt. Pisgah, and the Smokies, volunteers improved an eroded section of popular trail mere meters from the border of Great Smoky Mountains Park.  Fueled by camaraderie and an endless supply of Nature Valley granola bars, volunteers used shovels and trail tools to reshape a badly incised section of trail into a good slope to efficiently shed water instead of catching sediment and carrying it to the streams.

Habitat restoration crew at work.

Volunteers of the habitat restoration work group.

Volunteers also helped improve bird habitat adjacent to the park.  Many migratory song birds, such as the Chestnut-Sided Warbler, Savannah Sparrow, and Field Sparrow, nest in open areas with a mix of forbs, grasses, shrubs, and scattered trees, called “early successional” habitat. They especially like the fuzzy edges found where fields and forests meet. This gradual blending of two habitat types is called an ecotone. Open fields and edge habitat used to flourish in the area due to the number of farms; however, more recently as the number of farmed fields decreases and development increases, early successional habitat is either maturing into forest or being converted into housing and commercial infrastructure. At high-elevations, their desired habitat type is even more difficult to find. So, on Saturday at 4,600 feet elevation, we created some of those fuzzy edges that birds love. Led by Chris Coxen, SAHC’s ecologist, volunteers sawed and lopped a selection of trees and shrubs between a pasture and section of forest to open up more sunlight, promoting the new growth of grasses and forbs.

The work portion of the day was followed by a program atop Hemphill Bald.  Judy Coker, one of the family owners of Cataloochee Ranch, shared the history of the ranch and the story of their family’s decision to permanently protect their property, which was SAHC’s first conservation easement (1993).

Cataloochee Ranch and surroundings, viewed from Hemphill Bald.

SAHC staff then spoke about their current land protection efforts in the area.  Hemphill Bald afforded a great view of many SAHC projects, including the 8,000 acre Waynesville Watershed (protected in 2005); the Plott Balsam conservation easement protecting the top of Plott Balsam Mountain (2003 and 2006); the Crawford Creek conservation easements at the base of Cold Mountain (2000); and the high ridgetop properties of one of SAHC’s primary farmland focus areas: Sandy Mush, Buncombe County.

In appreciation of a hugely successful day, SAHC sends a big thank you to our volunteers and our partners, Nature Valley and the National Parks Conservation Association!

Welcome tent

Welcome tent

Welcome tent

Trail Before – the “V” shape of the eroded section aggravated sedimentation & runoff issues.

Trail work in progress.

Trail Work in Progress.

Trail work in progress.

Trail work in Progress.

Trail work in progess.

Trail work in progress, with stunning views in the background.

Trail restoration work crew.

Trail work crew.

Trail crew finished, celebrating!

Finished trail section with out slope to allow runoff to drain across.

Work day gear.

SAHC Seasonal Ecologist Chris Coxen describes some of the migratory songbird species that will benefit from the day’s habitat work.

Volunteers for the Cataloochee Work Day came in all ages.

Former SAHC trustee Kent Blazier at work with the habitat restoration crew.

Habitat restoration crew.

Habitat restoration crew at work, overseen by SAHC seasonal ecologist Chris Coxen.

Habitat restoration work group.

Cataloochee Volunteer Group at Hemphill Bald.

View from Hemphill Bald

A tour of the chestnut orchard at Cataloochee Ranch.

Nature Valley, National Parks Conservation Association, and SAHC team up for the Smokies!

Nature Valley, National Parks Conservation Association, and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Host Restoration Event to Benefit Cataloochee Ranch and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Saturday, July 28, 2012, 9:00 a.m . – 2:00 p.m . For directions to Cataloochee Ranch or to register as a volunteer, please contact Margot Wallston at (828) 253-0095 ext. 212 or margot@appalachian.org by Thursday, July 26.

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and Nature Valley are partnering with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy to improve song bird habitat and protect water quality on the scenic and historic Cataloochee Ranch in Haywood County, North Carolina. Cataloochee Ranch is a three-generation, family-run operation that has protected more than 300 acres of high elevation land adjoining Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Cataloochee Ranch serves as critical link to Great Smoky Mountains National Park; the ranch provides a valuable refuge for wildlife on the boundary of the park, including a number of threatened migratory song birds. For this restoration event, volunteers will enhance habitat for migratory song birds by feathering the forest edge along pasture boundaries and removing invasive plant species. Volunteer groups will also focus on improving a section of a popular horse and hiking trail to help protect water quality adjacent to the park.

National Parks Conservation Association, Nature Valley, SAHC and volunteers from surrounding communities are expected to help with the volunteer day.

Nature Valley’s Preserve the Parks program aims to encourage Americans to experience the beauty of our National Parks and raise awareness about the importance of preserving their natural and cultural resources for future generations. It benefits the National Parks Conservation Association and over the course of the three-year relationship, will have helped raise more than $1 million to benefit restoration projects in support of America’s national parks. Learn more at PreserveTheParks.com.

About the Partners:

Nature Valley created the granola bar category in 1975 and brings great taste to active consumers looking for wholesome snacks. Nature Valley offers seven great-tasting granola snacks: Crunch Granola Bars, Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bars, Chewy Trail Mix Bars, Granola Thins, Yogurt Granola Bars, Roasted Nut Crunch Bars and Protein Bars. In addition to supporting the National Parks Conservation Association, Nature Valley is the Official Granola Bar of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour, the United States Ski and Snowboarding Association, Nature Valley NASTAR, and Vail Resorts. In addition, Nature Valley is the title sponsor of the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach and the Nature Valley Grand Prix. For more information: http://www.NatureValley.com, http://www.Facebook.com/NatureValley, twitter.com/nature_valley.

Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice of the American people in the fight to safeguard our National Park System. NPCA, its more than 600,000 members, supporters and partners work together to protect the park system and preserve our nation’s natural, historical, and cultural heritage for our children and grandchildren. For more information, visit: http://www.npca.org.

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy conserves the unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, local farmland and scenic beauty of the mountains of North Carolina and east Tennessee for the benefit of present and future generations. SAHC achieves its mission by forging and maintaining conservation relationships with landowners and public agencies, owning and managing land and working with communities to accomplish their conservation objectives. Incorporated as a non-profit land trust in 1974, SAHC has helped protect over 50,000 acres. For more information, visit http://www.appalachian.org.

Grassy Ridge Mow-off — Success!

Grassy Ridge Mow-off crew displays Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy pride.

- from SAHC’s Roan Stewardship Director Judy Murray

I am happy to report that Grassy Mow-off 2012 was a rousing success!  What the 23 volunteers and our Field Ecologist Chris Coxen were able to accomplish far exceeded my expectations!  They re-treated three large areas, and were able to track their progress over time. 

The volunteer crew at work on the bald.

A true labor of love for this treasured resource, and one that continues to go down in the record books and the grassy balds database.

I’ve heard from a lot of people who said, “We thought of you in all that rain this weekend!”  To that we say, “What rain?”  There were a few moments of heavy mist.  That’s about it.  We put our tents up in the dry and the sun came out Sunday morning to dry off the dew.  We had our usual Saturday post-dinner gathering on The Rock.  We watched it rain the Roan valley Sunday afternoon, but hiked out in the sun.

 

Grassy Ridge Mow-off camp – a great time and inspiring place for fellowship.

I want to give a great big thanks to David & Otto Smith, Jim Martin, Ted Keith, Randall Rogers, Craig Thompson, Karel Bernady (long-time crew member all the way down from PA!), Lee & Emily Bidgood, David & Will Joerling, Michelle Pugliese, Sarah Fraser, Stephen Carr, Christopher Clement, Eric Holcombe, Eric Jenkins, David, Christine & Esther Ray, Carolyn Novak, Jay Leutze and Tom Gatti for their hard work and great spirit! 

 

The volunteer crew relaxes after a solid day of stewardship work, restoring and enhancing the treasured grassy bald.

I can’t imagine a more willing group of workers — mowing, clipping, toting, not to mention carrying out “kitchen” chores!  Tom’s Saturday supper — North African Chicken Stew with Tunisian Pesto — was pronounced the best ever.   Add to this Carolyn Novak’s Killer Brownies — which we have re-named “Nirvana Brownies,” SAHC member Charlotte Ellis’s “World’s Best Coffee Cake,” Jim Martin’s country ham, Sarah Fraser’s pumpkin bread, and David Smith’s popcorn — all of this to round out our “regular meals,” turned the weekend into another “Mowing, Lopping and Fine Dining” event.

None of this progress would have been possible without our intrepid NC Dept. of Corrections BRIDGE Crew who hauled our equipment & supplies out on Friday and back in on Monday.  [BRIDGE is an acronym for Building, Rehabilitating, Instructing, Developing, Growing and Employing.]  They also do that wonderful mowing you see on Round Bald, and have helped on our Little Hump Mountain bald’s restoration project.  They have been our field partners for many years.

What is the Grassy Ridge Mow-off?

Gray’s lily – a threatened native species – photographed by volunteer on the grassy bald.

Grassy Ridge is spectacular grassy bald that lies on the south side of the Appalachian Trail.  It has a swag or gap where we set up camp about 2.5 miles from the parking area at Carvers Gap.  SAHC has been holding mid-July bald restoration and maintenance weekends there for about 20 years.  Over the years we have made tremendous strides in returning Grassy toward its historic boundary, releasing many Gray’s lily to their open habitat along the way.

It was great to catch up with returning old friends and to welcome new ones to the fold.  To those of you who wanted to come, but couldn’t make it, we missed you.  Next time!

The 2012 Grassy Ridge Mow-off was held on the weekend of July 13-15th. We’ll post dates for next summer’s annual mow-off as soon as they are available. Check out our upcoming events at www.appalachian.org for more volunteer stewardship opportunities throughout the year.

Sunrise view of Grandfather Mountain from the Highlands of Roan balds.

 

NC Outward Bound and SAHC team up for conservation management & community service

NC Outward Bound volunteers begin trail construction on June 26th

In fair weather and foul, these young volunteers energetically persevered – sparking a great new partnership that pairs conservation management, education, and community service.

On June 26th and July 11th 2012, the SAHC Stewardship Team partnered with North Carolina Outward Bound volunteers to begin constructing a trail on a protected property in the Highlands of Roan. When completed, the trail will be a little over a mile long, and could be incorporated into SAHC’s outings program to help educate others about our conservation work.

The high-school-age volunteers completed the workdays as service components to 21-day courses that had them traveling and adventuring throughout Western North Carolina.

The July 11th work crew persevered despite wet weather.

During both workdays, SAHC was immensely impressed by the hard-working, good attitude of NCOB volunteers.  The July 11 workday was one of the rainiest days that our crew has spent outdoors, but it was made enjoyable by the good humor and determination that ran throughout the group.

This tract lies in the higher reaches of the Roaring Creek Valley between Grassy Ridge and Big Yellow Mountain.  SAHC successfully acquired the 113-acre tract in 2008 and has since maintained the property as open pasture and forestland.  Cascading waterfalls and deep pools of clear, clean water abound on the two streams (Roaring Creek and Elk Hollow Branch) that run along the property’s southern and eastern boundaries.  These water resources, coupled with striking views of the Roaring Creek Valley, make the property truly remarkable.

Switchbacks in trail design help minimize human impact to protect water quality.

 

With the valuable input of our volunteers, we created a trail that weaves through a variety of natural environments including open pasture, locust groves, and beech forest.  A highlight of the new trail is a switchback system that accesses the flowing waters of Elk Hollow Branch.  This switchback system will concentrate human visitation to a single area of the creek and will prevent deterioration of water quality by channeling sediment away from designated trout waters.

SAHC would like to send a very sincere thank-you to NC Outward Bound for their energy and for their ongoing work in WNC.  We look forward to continuing our work together in the future!

Baa-tany Goat Project another Success!

27 Goats and two Great Pyrenees waiting to head up to Jane Bald

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC), Friends of Roan Mountain, and the Chargers hiking club had a terrific day herding goats up to Jane Bald in the Highlands of Roan for the 5th Annual Herding of the Goats for the Baa-tany Goat Project. Todd Eastin, who watches the goats for the majority of the year, led the charge and got 27 goats, two Great Pyrenees, and about forty people to the paddock on Jane Bald.

The rooster still had not crowed when participants arrived at Carvers Gap and although it was early, everyone was ready to lend a hand to get the goats to their new home for the summer atop Jane Bald. Todd gave the group a tactical breakdown of how to herd the goats up the mountain and after a safety briefing from Jamey Donaldson, the primary Botanist and Coordinator of the project,  everyone was ready to go. The first goats out of the trailer were a three day old baby and her mama. One of our volunteers, six year old Sophia, had the task of carrying the baby goat all the way to Jane Bald. Hiking up Round Bald and Jane Bald empty-handed is hard enough so everyone was impressed with Sophia’s resolve.

Toad Eastin with Sophia and a baby goat in her arms get ready to head up the mountain.

There were several hiccups along the way as three of the more strong-willed-goats escaped the clutches of the volunteer herders. One of the those goats was recaptured while the other two remained at large for the next two days. Fortunately, goats #215 and #709 wandered back up  to the paddock several days later and now the herd is safe and happily munching on blackberry.

Every June and September, SAHC participates in the Baa-tany Goat Project. As an avid reader of this blog, you might ask, “why would a land trust tend the field and shepherd a herd of goats?” The answer is surprisingly simple. The Highlands of Roan, SAHC’s flagship focus area, is one of the highest summits in the Appalachian Mountain range. Roan Mountain is unsurpassed in the south for the diversity of “northern” plant and animal species, remnants of the last Ice Age which have persisted in its cool high elevation climate. Thus, the purpose of the project is to restore the grassy ridge corridors using goats as an experimental management tool.

If you are interested in finding out more about the project or participating with SAHC next time, we will be helping Todd and Jamey bring the goats down from Jane Bald sometime in September.

SAHC and Highland Brewing Company partner for Habitat Restoration

“For Love of Beer and Mountains”

On Saturday, June 2nd, eight Highland Brewing Company volunteers, two SAHC volunteers, and seven SAHC staff performed clean up work on Little Hump Mountain in the stunning Highlands of Roan. Our crew was lucky — the day started out overcast, but breezes swept away the clouds to reveal a panoramic backdrop, so we could enjoy gorgeous views during the work day. We focused on habitat management in this early-successional wildlife restoration project area, where SAHC had paid contractors in summer 2011 to create wildlife openings. Our team partners moved downed woody debris into piles to facilitate future management and provide cover for small mammals and other wildlife.

SAHC, Highland Brewing Company, and the US Fish & Wildlife Service collaborate throughout the year to heighten public awareness of the natural treasures that make this region so attractive. Each HBC seasonal brew is named for a feature of the Southern Appalachian landscape: the Little Hump Spring Ale is named for Little Hump Mountain on the Appalachian Trail in the Roan Highlands. As part of this partnership, the organizations participated in a hike to Little Hump Mountain on May 20th as well as this habitat restoration project on Little Hump

So, why are we doing this habitat restoration work?

SAHC has partnered with the US Forest Service and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission in an effort to create and maintain early-successional wildlife habitat around the Highlands of Roan.

SAHC received a Wildlife Conservation Society grant to create this habitat around the margins of Little Hump Mountain. Early-successional wildlife habitat is associated with several wildlife species in decline, including the Golden-winged Warbler. Over the last 37 years of monitoring across its U.S. range, the Golden-winged Warbler has declined by 3.4% per year. The Golden-winged Warbler is a priority species for conservation, and can be considered an “umbrella” species when managing for habitat. Management that benefits the Golden-winged Warbler will benefit a suite of other species.

Golden-wing populations are threatened by habitat loss due to forest succession (trees growing older into a closed canopy forest), habitat loss from development, and hybridization with a closely related bird species, the Blue-winged Warbler. The Highlands of Roan has a concentrated population of Golden-winged Warblers that nest around the grassy balds of Little Hump, Bradley Gap, and Hump Mountain as well as the fields and farms nestled in the valleys below these mountains.  Around the Southern Appalachians, Blue-winged Warblers are rarely found over 3,000 feet in elevation. Due to the relatively high elevations of early-successional habiat around its valleys and mountains (3,200-5,000+ ft), the Roan may act as a future genetic stronghold for Golden-wing Warbler populations.

SAHC hopes to create more of this important habitat around the Roan Highlands and maintain as much existing habitat as possible. While mature forest is beautiful and important in its own right, it is critical to have a mosaic of habitat types across a landscape. Many mature forest wildlife species also utilize early-successional habitat, especially during juvenile stages of development, which makes the Highlands of Roan such an ideal location for this work. Depending on the location and elevation, grassy balds and valley meadows may blend into northern hardwood, spruce-fir, or beech gap forest. SAHC is working along the edges where these two habitat types meet, called an ecotone. Rather than fragmenting areas of mature forest, we thin the forest edge to widen this ecotone. Through this work, we hope to add habitat acreage for these threatened wildlife species and continue protecting the unique ecology of the Highlands of Roan.

A Day for Work and Play

While the habitat restoration crew worked on the mountain, SAHC staff also led a small exploratory expedition for three young adventurers on Little Hump and Big Yellow Mountain. They inspected the high elevation grasses of the balds for insects and other animals, climbed boulders, and greeted hikers along the Appalachian Trail. These kids really enjoyed their first trip to the Highlands of Roan, and their first steps along the AT.

Following the work day, volunteers enjoyed views from Big Yellow Mountain and then camped in SAHC board member Jay Leutze’s field at the Yellow Mountain Ranch. Jay was kind enough to invite everyone into his house for dinner, where we enjoyed a great potluck meal and sipped Little Hump beer provided by Highland Brewing Company. Everyone worked hard, which made the beautiful afternoon weather and fellowship even more enjoyable. A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered and to Jay for being such a great host!

Volunteer crew transforms exotic invasives into hand-wrought works of art

Volunteers Diane, Zan, Jamey, and Margot swing from cut oriental bittersweet vines.

On May 5, 2012, SAHC stewardship staff teamed up with a dedicated group of volunteers to remove exotic-invasive species from a beautiful mountain farmstead. The crew worked for a majority of the day cutting humongous invasive oriental bittersweet vines on SAHC’s newly-acquired Robinson Rough
property.

Robinson Rough is a 248-acre property near the Sandy Mush Township in northwestern Buncombe County, NC. 216 of these acres consist of steep, craggy forestland that continues all the way up to a high-elevation ridge that is visible from downtown Asheville. The lower 32 acres contain a series of rustic cabins and scenic open pastures. SAHC was able to purchase the Robinson Rough property in late-2011 with the help of an eager seller.

Conservation action! Cutting vines to protect this native hardwood!

As with many properties in the Sandy Mush area, the lower 32 acres of Robinson Rough are heavily infested with exotic invasive species such as oriental bittersweet. Oriental bittersweet is a particularly invasive woody vine that grows prolifically throughout Southern Appalachian forests. If left uncontrolled, this species will invade native forest communities and pull down trees, endangering sensitive natural communities and creating habitat for future infestations.

Abandoned farmsteads create prime habitat for exotic invasive species, which grow most-prolifically in areas with high sunlight and significant soil disturbance. Managing these species is an arduous task but it is crucial that organizations like SAHC work to control invasives now before they grow to unmanageable levels. In the case of Robinson Rough, SAHC is working to confine the most-dense infestations to the 32-acre farmstead so that they don’t spread into the more-mature forest
communities uphill.

SAHC/Project Conserve Americorps Stewardship Associate Margot Wallston leads the basket-weaving class on the cabin porch

The 5/5/2012 volunteer team did an amazing job, clearing several acres of decades-old oriental bittersweet infestation! In the afternoon, volunteers gathered the smaller vines and participated in a basket-weaving class led by SAHC’s own invasives-artisan, Margot Wallston.

SAHC would like to give a very loud and sincere thank-you to all of our volunteers! Removing invasive species is a difficult, time-consuming task, but it is good work that will preserve our valuable native ecosystems. If you are interested in volunteering with SAHC in the future, please email Jamie Ervin at
jamie@appalachian.org.

The Bitter, and Not So Sweet, Story of Oriental Bittersweet in Western North Carolina

Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is a deciduous, woody, perennial vine native to parts of Asia.  It was introduced as an attractive and hardy ornamental to the U.S. sometime between 100-200 years ago. It can now be found in many eastern states, but the area around Asheville, North Carolina might win the prize for today’s largest and most insidious bittersweet infestations, due to successful marketing by area nurseries in the early years of its introduction.

Oriental bittersweet is considered by many to be our region’s most problematic forest plant invader.  This is because, like kudzu, it is a fast grower and will quickly overtake, strangle and topple trees; but worse than kuzdu, oriental bittersweet has an extremely high germination rate, even in low light conditions.  This means that, unlike kudzu, it can grow successfully within the forest interior, and is not limited to roadways and forest edges.  Its attractive, long-lasting red-orange berries have helped to facilitate the species’ successful spread because birds, crafty humans and ichibana devotees, alike, can’t resist carrying them around to new places.  But bittersweet doesn’t just rely on its seed to ensure its survival; it will also re-sprout from its roots.

There is an American bittersweet species (Celatrus scandens), which can be differentiated from the invasive oriental bittersweet by the shape of the leaf and where the berries are found on the stem, but the American species is rare, so you are unlikely to see it in most places you suspect oriental bittersweet.  The oriental species is known to hybridize with the american species, which further threatens the american species.

What you can do:

Come join us this Saturday, May 5, 2012, starting at 10am for some     Villainous, Voracious Vine Wrassling!! We will spend the first half of the day removing invasive oriental bittersweet vines from a beautiful property in the Sandy Mush valley of Buncombe County.  After lunch, you will have the opportunity to learn how to transform those tree-strangling monsters into unique and harmless baskets and sculptures!

Education, training, and equipment will be provided.  The project site is approximately 40 minutes from downtown Asheville.  Please RSVP to margot@appalachian.org, (828) 253-0095, ext. 212 (this number will also have an outgoing message in case of last minute, weather-related changes)