Garlic Mustard Pull n’ Eat Success!

SAHC Americorps Stewardship Associate Jamie Ervin pulls garlic mustard.

Last Saturday (April 7, 2012), our intrepid Stewardship staff held a volunteer workday on a piece of property SAHC owns in the Sandy Mush area of Buncombe County. The property is over 100 acres in size and almost entirely forested, with portions of lush, rich cove forest. Americorps Stewardship Associate Margot Wallston chronicled the experiences of the day:

The month of April revealed a forest floor covered in a rich diversity of wild flowers. Unfortunately, the richness of the soil on the property also makes it susceptible to invasion by non-native, invasive species.

Volunteers Maura & Taylor team up on multi-flora rose

Garlic mustard, multiflora rose, and oriental bittersweet are creeping in at an alarming rate — in fact, lately it seems like every week we observe a higher percentage of invasives.  That being said, this property is in a lot better shape than many other properties in the Sandy Mush Valley (an area infamous for its invasive species). That’s why we chose it as a target for volunteer help. It still has a fighting chance at serving as a preserve for biodiversity, especially if we invest time and energy into managing the invasives problem now.

So Saturday, in honor of North Carolina’s 2^nd Invasive Species Awareness Week, we managed to wrangle up four generous and noble volunteers to join us in our effort to remove garlic mustard and multiflora rose from areas we previously scouted out.

Luckily, pulling garlic mustard turns out to be an enjoyable (and even addictive) task. It’s kind of like eating Lay’s potato chips — you can’t pull just one without wanting to do it again… and again! Right now garlic mustard is easy to identify and pull out of the soil without too much back-breaking labor. And, to make the effort more enjoyable, we were shaded by the leaves newly emerging from the trees above and surrounded by beautiful wildflowers all around us.

Miterwort

In one day we saw two different trilliums and violets, chickweed, larkspur, Solomon’s seal, two different toothworts, Dutchman’s britches, blue cohosh, and my current personal favorite: miterwort, all in flower.

Volunteer Michelle cooks up wild greens.

After four hours of solid work time spent clearing approximately 2 acres of invasives, we celebrated our accomplishments and the beauty of the biodiversity we are aiming to protect by cooking up a veritable feast of greens we had collected on site.

Everyone seemed to enjoy eating the garlic mustard (enhanced with ramps!) just as much as pulling it!  At the end of the day, loathe to leave, we hauled the heavy bags holding our hard work back down the mile-long road to our vehicles.  Everyone said they enjoyed the day; and while I can’t speak for the others, I know I was already scheming and dreaming about recipes for garlic mustard hummus and thoughts of returning to continue where we left off…

SAHC Stewardship & Conservation Planning Director Hanni Muerdter enjoys the fruits of the day's labor.

Garlic Eat n' Pull Volunteers

AmeriCorps has Service Days on Two SAHC Properties

End of the day group shot at Anderson Farm

Last week, SAHC hosted  work days with Americorps Project Conserve Members on two of our significant properties in Minneapolis and Alexander, North Carolina.

Americorps Project Conserve Members have had an integral role with SAHC for the last six years, helping to accomplish goals and fill positions that SAHC would not normally have the resources for. While SAHC has four members who work full-time for eleven months, there are also 28 other Project Conserve Members who work in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee at land trusts and other non-profits. The two workdays enabled SAHC to work with almost all of the talented and passionate individuals within the Project Conserve program.

Americorps members moving brush on Little Hump

The workdays on SAHC easements were great opportunities for almost all of the Project Conserve members to see some of the beautiful pieces of land that have been protected and for members to participate in making a physical difference in the ecological landscape of western North Carolina.

As many SAHC members are aware, the golden-winged warbler, found in the Highlands of Roan, is facing the possibility of extinction.  In response, the workday in Minneapolis, NC was devoted to creating additional habitat space for this incredible bird. Americorps members hiked up to Little Hump mountain under the leadership of SAHC’s seasonal ecologist, Chris Coxen, to restore the endangered grassy bald habitat. The golden-winged warbler relies on these early successional environments, such as abandoned farmsteads at high elevations, like that found in the grassy balds in Minneapolis, NC.

Americorps members worked hard to move timber and chopped down limbs, creating “windrows,” which provide a microhabitat for insects and small mammals. This process helps protect all organisms involved in this particular ecosystem as insects get eaten by wildlife, small mammals receive cover from predators and the elements, and the wood gets neatly stacked instead of spread across the mountain.

“It is great to work with like-minded young people who are so dedicated to conservation. They selflessly give to improve the world around them, injecting much needed excitement and new approaches to ongoing problems in the process,” points out the workday leader Coxen.

The other Service Day was led by former Americorps member and current SAHC employee, Allison Kiehl and SAHC Farmland Protection Director, William Hamilton. The goal of this project was to begin the cleanup process on a run-down but still functional farm  in Alexander, NC.

The property lies just 15 minutes to the north and west of Asheville and is within the Newfound Creek watershed, an impaired waterway as identified by NC DWQ. Years of timbering and mismanaged cattle grazing have severely degraded the pastures, forests, and waterways of this property.  SAHC has begun restoring the agricultural and conservation values of the property and are undertaking a large stream restoration project that will result in significant habitat and water quality improvement.  SAHC is also working to improve agricultural management of the land and will eventually establish the property as a model farm for educational purposes.

William (left) and Allison (right) showoff their hardwork

The work day started with Americorps members arriving to a huge burn pile and plenty of wood to be split. The group worked hard all day, chainsawing and splitting wood, moving  brush and downed branches to the burn pile, and transporting the firewood into a protected area for future use. By the end of the day, Anderson Farm looked in much better shape and is now well on its way to becoming a model for educational purposes.

Kiehl explains, “The AmeriCorps work days are a huge help to SAHC staff and the organization as a whole. At the Anderson Farm, we were able to get done in a matter of hours what would have taken a few days to accomplish without the volunteers.  It was not easy work, but they all kept a positive attitude and were helpful throughout the entire day.”

Habitat Restoration Day on Little Hump Mountain

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) and a slew of volunteers spent a full day chainsawing, mowing, trimming, and cutting to create additional habitat for the rare and “near threatened” golden-winged warbler.

The golden-winged warbler is an early successional species that is dependent on a unique habitat consisting of sparse trees, shrubs, and abandoned fields. Unfortunately, the golden-winged warbler’s habitat is rapidly disappearing, as old farmsteads and other early successional habitats are developing  back into forested land.

Under the leadership of SAHC’s seasonal ecologist, Chris Coxen, volunteers created additional habitat space for these incredible birds in the hopes to increase nesting pairs in the area next spring and summer on Little Hump Mountain. The project was extremely successful, as associate director, Kristy Urquhart explains, “we accomplished more than we thought we would do in a short amount of time.”

And not only was the day a hopeful success story for the golden-winged warbler, but the group also worked to clear an overgrown road that can now be used for leading hikes on in the future.  ”I’m personally excited not only for helping to preserve such a unique bird in our ecosystem, but also for the possibility of having a wildlife refuge trail for future hikes on Little Hump Mountain”, says Urquhart.

The group consisted of employees from SAHC, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Highland Brewing Company, students from Warren Wilson College, and volunteers from the surrounding area. Urquhart continues, “Our team was a total pleasure to work with and accomplished a lot in only one day.” We send a big thanks to everyone who came out to help to make the day such a big success!

Students Volunteer for the Community and Conservation: Bonner Scholars Conduct Workday at Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area

Bonner Scholars and their supervisors at Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area

Hampton Creek Cove State Natural Area (HCC), a 693-acre natural area protected since 1986 and co-managed by the State of Tennessee and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC), draws outdoor enthusiasts of all types to its beautiful, wild landscapes and streams that are important habitat for a variety of rare plant and animal species. The natural area is a special place of beauty for local residents and visitors, where they can find solace and relaxation hiking, birding, or enjoying the abundant wildflowers. HCC is home to one of the largest Golden-winged warbler breeding grounds in the southern Appalachians and a self-sustaining brook trout population. Effective and active management is the key to preserving the ecological integrity of this area. This spring, the Bonner Scholars Program from Emory & Henry College in Emory, VA and Mars Hill College in Mars Hill, NC contributed to this effort for the second year in a row, organizing a team of thirty volunteer students for a full day of trail maintenance at HCC on Saturday, April 9^th.

Initiated at Berea College in Kentucky in 1990, the Bonner Scholars program aims to transform the lives of college students by providing them access to education and opportunities to serve their communities. The program has grown remarkably since then; it now involves 1,600 students at 27 different colleges. The program is built on the idea that students engaged in service have unique gifts and talents that bring energy, creativity, and hope to individuals and communities. Their hard work to maintain Hampton Creek Cove for the community and the environment exemplifies this mission.

Lisa Huff, East Tennessee State Natural Areas Manager, and Judy Murray, SAHC’s Highlands of Roan Stewardship Director, co-led the workday. David Hall and Tom Gatti, active SAHC volunteers, also assisted in coordinating the volunteers. On the Shell Hollow Trail, the students replaced worn water bars to keep the trail from erosion due to water run-off, re-routed a portion of the trail above Shell Cemetery, and cleaned the cemetery and trail of fallen debris. The volunteers also performed trail maintenance on the Birchfield Trail. They cleared fallen tree limbs from winter storms, cut back encroaching vegetation, and installed signs and blazes where they were needed. They also re-opened a section to the hiker stile that connects the forested section of the trail to the pasture section. Everyone pitched in, worked hard, and got all of the management goals for the day met.

The State of Tennessee and SAHC are very grateful to all of the volunteers from the Bonner Scholars Program that contributed their time and energy at the workday. Their commitment to improve the lives of others and the environment through community service is influential in cultivating positive change in our area and will continue to do so in the future.

Supervisors: Travis Proffitt, M.A., LifeWorks Field Service Coordinator, and Christian Miller, Bonner Scholars Coordinator

Mars Hill College Volunteers: Brad Hughes, Sky Assif, Steven Bryan, Jordon Crawford, Wadeana Dickey, Andrew Herbert, Heather Lynn Huckabee, Carissa Mathis, Adam Mincey, Megan Redford, Zach Searcy, Jessica Shelton, Victor Sloan, Allison Vance, Autumn Watkins, Reba West

Emory & Henry Volunteers: Stephen Brown, Hai Yan Chen, Meredith Cox, Sheree Hairston, Anthony Jones, Spencer King, Rayce lamb, Leah Pendley, Zac Mitchell, Da’Von Ross, Devan Sproles, Brian Stanley

 

SAHC and Navitat Partner to Protect Water Quality

During the first week of May, staff from Navitat Canopy Adventures in Asheville volunteered with SAHC to install water bars on trails on a conservation easement.  The property, a 231-acre conservation easement protected by SAHC, is located within the Craggy Mountains in Barnardsville and  was protected in two phases. The first phase protected 197 acres and was completed in 2003. The second phase was completed in 2008 and protected 34 acres. Conservation of this property helps protect streams of the French Broad watershed from sedimentation and other pollutants.

By the end of the day, ten water bars were installed on some of the steepest sections of the trails. Water bars are diagonal channels  that are installed at intervals along a steeply sloping road or trail. Their purpose is to divert rapidly flowing water that would otherwise flow all the way down the road and pick up a large sediment load that would eventually be deposited into a stream or waterway. Water bars also control erosion and keep trails and roads maintained.

Because of Navitat and SAHC’s hard work, this property is now an even bigger asset to the protection and enhancement of water quality in the French Broad watershed. Volunteers from Navitat included Sarah Marcinko, Lyman Edwards, Patrick Ferebee, and Estes Shell. Hanni Muerdter, SAHC’s Stewardship Director, directed the work day.

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Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Equinox Environmental Partner for a River Clean-Up

The beautiful mountain streams and rivers of western NC and east TN are plagued with an illness brought on by humans – trash. Each year, river clean-up crews and conservation organizations spend countless hours to remove thousands of pounds of tires, old appliances, and even entire cars, from our waterways. Staff from the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Equinox Environmental, an Asheville based consultation and design firm, partnered to contribute to this vast effort by removing 44 dumped tires and an old freezer from a stream on a property SAHC owns in Yancey County, NC on April 8th.

The team included SAHC staff members Hanni Muerdter, Stewardship and Conservation Planning Director, Allison Kiehl and Chris Coxen, AmeriCorps Stewardship Associates, and Equinox Environmental staff members Steve Melton, Vice President, and Win Taylor, Certified Fisheries Biologist.

The day of hard work also included invasive species removal. Invasive species threaten the biodiversity and health of riparian buffers. Allison Kiehl and Chris Coxen, SAHC’s AmeriCorps Stewardship Associates, removed Oriental Bittersweet from the trees near the stream. Thanks to their hard work, this stream is now a safer habitat for the fish and wildlife that thrive there and it is returned to its beautiful, natural state.

For more information about Equinox Environmental, click here. 

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SAHC Takes Flight: Aerial Photographs of Some Protected Properties and Surrounding Areas

SouthWings, founded in 1996, is a conservation and public benefit aviation non-profit that provides skilled pilots and aerial education to enhance conservation efforts across the Southeast. The following are aerial photographs taken from a SouthWings plane during an SAHC monitoring visit. Click the SouthWings logo above to learn more.

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Green Boot Media Supports Conservation Through Technology

Click here to go to their website!

How many of you have an iPhone or iPod? How many of you run, walk or workout at the gym with your device? Green Boot Media, a media company, supports and promotes nature conservation by delivering effective, interactive media exposure for organizations committed to protecting our natural resources. Through use of free mobile applications and multiple social media outlets, they develop interactive and performance based media for environmental non-profit organizations.

Green Boot Media offers a FREE iPhone pedometer application that creates profits from advertising and allocates 15% of advertising profits to listed organizations, now including SAHC. The charities that have the higher percentage of steps submitted in their favor receive a higher percentage of Green Boot Media’s 15% donation. It’s a fun and healthy way to promote nature conservation to a growing tech savvy audience.

Download the iTunes Greenboot pedometer application on your iPhone NOW  and log steps for SAHC while you are walking to work, working out, hiking, or any other time you are out and about. The more “steps” submitted for SAHC, the more exposure we gain and the more money we receive. Get outside and walk to support SAHC and our important work!

OUR CODE: 1082

Step One: Download version 1.3 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/green-boot-pedometer/id382417952?mt=8 to your iPhone or iTouch.

Step Two: Find cell phone coverage before walking. (If you see ads then you’re covered).

Step Three: Remember to press the “Lock” button.

Step Four: Don’t forget to submit 1082 for Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy before pressing done.

Step Five: Walk as much as possible.

Herding the Baa-tany Goats

I started my morning at 6:15 am, rushing to get my SAHC camera charged, coffee made, and my hiking boots on. Although I could barely keep my eyes open I was excited to head up to the Highlands of Roan to help herd the goats of the Baa-tany Goat Project off of their summer home there.

The project, started by Jamey Donaldson, is intended to restore  grassy bald corridors on Roan’s western slopes by employing goat grazing. The balds are home to many rare and endemic species, including Gray’s Lily and others near the southern tips of these ranges. However, the balds are dying due to changes in soils, climate change, and lack of large herbivores (plant eaters) that historically grazed there. These factors makes them more hospitable for woody plant invasion, like the Canandian blackberry. Luckily, this is one of the goat’s favorite foods and they are working hard every summer to maintain the balds.

When I arrived at the Carver’s Gap parking lot I introduced myself to Todd Eastin, the goats’ owner, and he explained a little bit about his goats and what we were going to be doing as goat herders. People trickled in as he was discussing our plan of action and by the time we got ready to head up to the goat paddocks there were around 35 volunteers ready to help herd them onto Todd’s trailer.

After we arrived at the goat paddocks near Jane bald, Todd and Jamey instructed us on where to go and then let the goats out of the fence. They were led by their two Great Pyrenees watchdogs and spurred on by Jamey saying, “Come on pretty ladies,” and enticing them with corn.

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy got our start in the Highlands of Roan and the Roan area is still one of our important focus areas. The unique habitat that the balds provide must be preserved and the Baa-tany goat project is vital in doing that. As many of you know, these places possess a unique spirit that seems to feed the soul. To learn more about the Baa-tany Goat Project and ways that you can help click on the Baa-tany Goat Brochure link below.

Baa-tany Goat Project Brochure