Land Protection Soars - Catawba Lands Conservancy

Winter 2007
Volume XVI, Number 1
Catawba Lands Conservancy permanently protects land, water and wildlife habitat to enhance your quality of life.
Land Protection Soars
The fall of 2006 was certainly busy for
the Conservancy with four significant
projects completed. Working in partnership with private landowners and a
fellow land trust, the Conservancy
protected more than 1,618 acres of land
– truly a victory for land conservation
throughout the region!
Photo:
Located near Mount Mitchell, the Edwards
Property was conserved through joint
efforts of the Southern Appalachian
Highlands Conservancy and Catawba Lands
Conservancy. Nearly 1,300 acres of pristine
land is permanently protected, keeping our
water clean and landscape natural.
• In an area undergoing rapid
development, the Conservancy is
incredibly excited to receive a
conservation easement donation on
roughly 185 acres in northeastern
Gaston County. The 185-acre
Eddleman property is historically
significant, as it once served as the
homestead of Peter Eddleman
(Adleman), a famous cabinet and
furniture maker, born in 1762. Peter
Eddleman’s great great grandson has
very generously agreed to donate a
permanent conservation easement on
the entire property, representing a
huge outright donation of land to the
Conservancy. Preserving the property
is a life dream for Mr. Eddleman and
will provide key open space in a
rapidly developing corridor.
• In Yancey County, near Mount
Mitchell, the Edwards family
donated a conservation easement
on approximately 1,300 acres. The
bulk of the property towers over a
pristine river, rising 2,500 feet in
approximately one mile. There are
continued on page 2
Dear Friends:
The Conservancy is celebrating many successes in 2006, made possible by the generosity of our supporters
like you – thank you for helping to conserve our corner of the world!
At the top of our list of accomplishments this year is the successful completion of numerous land
conservation projects, bringing our permanently conserved property total to over 7,500 acres! Among our
conservation success is protection of a critical bog supporting the endangered bog turtle with permanent
place to flourish, the Jack Moore Nature Preserve, and the McCoy Farm in Huntersville that protects the
Mountain Island Lake watershed and our drinking water. Many of these projects were made possible by
generous donations of landowners who placed voluntary conservation easements on their property. We also
attracted over $900,000 in new N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund capital to our area allowing the
Conservancy to protect critical tracts of land and drinking water.
But conserving land is just the beginning, not end, of the Conservancy’s involvement! Stewardship of the land is our perpetual
obligation, and monitoring and defending our important assets for generations to come is our promise. The Conservancy is
fortunate to have one of the best stewardship and property management teams in the Southeastern United States. This year, with
your help, the Conservancy grew the stewardship endowment significantly, completed over 230 property monitoring visits and
logged over 1,800 stewardship volunteer hours.
Volunteers help with more than stewardship and are at the core of the Conservancy’s successes. In 2006, we were fortunate to
have the assistance of over 350 individuals who contributed over 4,500 volunteer hours in the field, in the office, and at events.
Our outreach conservation education efforts touched over 2,500 folks in person, and we saw a record number of over 50,000
unique hits to our web site!
Thank you for a successful year – it is your contributions and involvement that help preserve this special part of the Carolinas
that we call home. We’re not asking you to save the world, just our corner of it.
Gratefully,
Conservancy Service Area
6,684 acres conserved
Davis J. Cable, Executive Director
Land Protection Soars....continued from page 1
many sublimely beautiful waterfalls to take in
while catching your breath on the ascent – this
amazingly wild tract will forever be protected and
enjoyed, especially by those hearty enough to
stand at the summit of remote High Knob. The
Edwards family contacted the Conservancy about
donating an easement. The Conservancy got in
touch with the Southern Appalachian Highlands
Conservancy, in whose territory the project is
located, about the potential for partnering on the
project. Catawba Lands Conservancy serves as a
backup easement holder.
• The Conservancy partnered with the NC’s Clean
Water Management Trust Fund to protect nearly
100 acres in Gaston County. The Jack Moore
Nature Preserve provides an outstanding
opportunity to protect water quality in the South
Fork River watershed. The site provides a
strategic link between three of the Conservancy’s
continued on page 7
2
Scouting: A Game with a Purpose
Scouting has long been defined as a
game with a purpose. The purpose is
to prepare young people to make good
ethical and moral choices over their
lifetimes by instilling in them the values
of the Scout Oath and Law. For almost
one hundred years, the Boy Scouts have
been our nation’s foremost youth
program for character and leadership
development which includes service to
others. The outdoors is our primary
classroom and being conservation
minded fits right in.
Mark Spisak, Scout Master, Troop 8
St. Matthews Catholic Church
A scout from Troop 8 pulls brush to improve the habitat for the endangered Schweinitz’s Sunflower.
Catawba Lands Conservancy is
fortunate to have an ongoing relationship
with the scouting community in this
region. This fall, scout troops were “on
the ground” making contributions to
local conservation efforts.
In September, Boy Scout Troop 8
worked under the leadership of Eagle
Scout candidate Jacob Spisak at
Redlair Farm & Forest. Chartered
through St. Matthews Catholic Church
in south Charlotte, this troop is an
energetic group of 90 young men.
Jacob and his fellow scouts spent a day
removing trees and brush at the Adam
Hunter Prairie to provide the federally
endangered Schweinitz’s Sunflower
room to grow and expand. The scouts
also assisted with the installation of a
fire-line in preparation for a prescribed
burn later this winter. Jacob constructed
and installed an information kiosk and
picnic table at the prairie. The final
phase of the project was the construction
and installation of trail signage for visitors.
In the University area, Eagle Scout
candidate Daniel Kossler, also from
Boy Scout Troop 8, spent a day at the
Ridge Road Nature Preserve. Daniel,
and the Troop 8 scouts, assisted the
Conservancy with an ongoing salamander
project at the upland depression swamp.
continued on page 7
Fall Volunteers
Roy Alexander
American Forestry
Alexis Baker
Grover Barfield
Lisa Beckstrom
Rob Bierregaard
Erin Brooks
Christie Brooks
Marian Browder
Randy Brown
Charlie Burdick
Ted Bush
Joe & Stephanie Cavano
James Collins
David Craig
Angelique Crews
Heather Crutchfield
Anne Davidson
Carrie DeJaco
Steve Eacker
Rick Falknor
Crystal Fox
Colleen Frenzel
Lisa Gaffney
JC Griffin
Heather Head
Robin Heafner
Nancy Howe
Ben Keim
Mike Kowalski
Jason Lashbrook
Bruce Loftin
Mac Lothrop
Paul Lothrop
Wai Lu
Bill & Kaye McMullen
Jack Meckler
Renee Mercer
Mary Metzger
Jonathan & Kim Miller
Michael Murphy
Jim & Polly Neal
Marsha O’Brien
Patti Perino
Haywood Rankin
Wendy Rayfield
Joe Rego
Danell Russell
Scott Skinner
Louis Smith
Tex Squires
Amy Stephens
Ray Stutzman
Heather Sugg
Mary Sugg
Alison Toney
Charlie Williams
Jean Woods
Craig Wyant
Bruce Yelton
George Massad
Daniel Kossler & Troop 8
(St. Matthews Catholic Church)
Jacob Spisak & Troop 8
(St. Matthews Catholic Church)
Kevin McTier & Troop 16
(First Presbyterian Church)
Traci Eggleston & the SOS Project
(Myers Park Baptist Church)
Volunteers
Outreach & Education
Introducing Rhea Kelley
and Rich Holmes
Please join us in welcoming two new
members to the Conservancy staff.
Rhea Kelley is our new Outreach and
Education Director. She comes to the
Conservancy from Carolina Raptor
Center where she worked in the
environmental education department
planning events,
educating the public,
and training raptors. She
graduated from the
University of North
Carolina - Chapel Hill
with a degree in Biology.
Rhea took this knowledge and joined
the Peace Corps as a Natural Resources
Management Volunteer in a small
community in rural Bolivia. It was there,
working with local farmers, that she
developed a passion for environmental
education and land conservation.
Please also welcome our
new Land Protection
Coordinator, Rich
Holmes. Rich joins the
Conservancy from the
Vermont Natural
Resources Board, where
he developed a keen appreciation for
environmental protection issues serving
as the Board’s enforcement attorney
responsible for prosecuting various
land use violations throughout the state.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in
political science from Ohio Wesleyan
University, where he also played
football and was selected as team
captain, he earned his juris doctor from
the University of Maine School of Law
in 2001. A sports nut, Rich recently
completed his first two marathons in
the summer of 2006 and enjoys hiking,
softball, skiing, watching Seinfeld reruns, and spending time with his lovely
wife, Kimberly, and their rescued
wonder-mutt, Cleveland.
4
Surviving the long, cold nights
As winter creeps in, most of Earth’s residents take cover. Hibernation,
migration, extra layers of fur, blubber, or even polyester fleece are just a few
of the strategies that are utilized to stay warm. But with nowhere to turn and
no tree-parkas available, plants are on their own during the cold winter
months. How are these plants, from small and delicate to mighty and strong,
able to cope through brutal cold, snow, and icing?
Annuals, like Black Eyed Susans, are too delicate to survive in harsh conditions.
They die each winter and begin again in the spring spouting from autumnproduced seeds. Perennials, such as the purple coneflower, are nature’s
tricksters. The leafy, above-ground plant dies each year as the days grow
shorter and the weather turns cold. The roots, however, lie in wait
underground for the warm spring to arrive and shoot up new, tender stalks
and leaves.
Unfortunately for trees, they don’t have the option of dying and regrowing
each year, or hiding underground. Some trees, pines, cedars, and firs, for
example, are the superstars of winter survival. Their needle-like foliage is
covered with a heavy wax coating and their cells contain fluid that is resistant
to freezing! But many of the trees, especially in our area, don’t have this
form of defense. In early autumn, as the days begin to shorten and the
intensity of sunlight declines, deciduous trees begin preparing for winter
survival. While stems and twigs are equipped to survive cold weather with
their woody layers, leaves are not so tough. A layer of cells form at the base
of each leaf that restricts, and eventually prevents, fluid from being carried
into and out of the leaf. This layer of cells traps sugars in the dying leaf. The
concentration of sugars results in the leaf turning various shades of reds and
oranges. Once the layer of cells is complete
and the fluid-carrying veins have been sealed
off, the leaf falls from the tree. The tree,
minus the vulnerable tender leaf tissues,
begins a winter dormant phase safe from the
harsh weather.
Whether you choose to stay inside during the
cold weather like the purple coneflower, or
bundle up like the evergreens, Catawba Lands
Conservancy wishes you a wonderful winter!
Look for our Nature Series Hike Guide this
spring as we welcome the reawakening of the
plants and animals that make our land so
extraordinary.
Engineering Company + Land Trust + Dedicated Volunteers + Threatened Plant = Awesome Project
“This was a wonderful cooperative project.
It gave me an opportunity to have an
impact on a worthwhile conservation
project in Lincoln County.”
Jean Woods, Conservancy Volunteer
S&ME, an engineering company with
several offices throughout the Carolinas,
partnered with Catawba Lands
Conservancy to relocate a threatened
plant species to a Conservancy
protected property.
The dwarf-flowered heartleaf is listed
as a threatened species by the US Fish
and Wildlife Service. Chris Daves, a
biologist and Project Manager from
the Columbia, SC office of S&ME,
discovered the plant while conducting
a biological assessment for a proposed
expansion project. The LincolntonTransplanted Dwarf-flowered Heartleaf marked by a pin flag on the Paul & Agnes Rhyne Conservation Preserve.
Lincoln County Regional Airport had
to expand flight clearances to bring the Agnes Rhyne Conservation Preserve.
and their location marked with a GPS
airport in compliance with a Federal
Each individual plant was carefully
unit. These particular plants will be
Aviation Administration mandate. Several removed from the ground at the airport, monitored over the next five years to
acres of trees needed to be cleared in
transported to the Rhyne Preserve, and give S&ME and the Conservancy an
order to achieve the necessary clearances. transplanted by Conservancy volunteers. idea of the survival rate of the
The dwarf-flowered heartleaf was
A small amount of organic matter was
transplanted individuals.
discovered in locations that would be
spread around each plant to ensure the
This was a very unique partnership; a
impacted by the expansion project.
roots would not dry out. One hundred
private engineering company, a private
plants were identified with a pin flag,
As required by the US Fish & Wildlife
landowner, and a nonprofit land trust.
Service, impacts to the threatened
This effort demonstrated the capacity
species had to be mitigated. S&ME
of two very different entities and one
contacted Catawba Lands Conservancy
family to collectively accomplish a
to inquire about a potential transplant
specific conservation goal. The project
location. The Conservancy suggested
demonstrated the power of partnership
the Paul & Agnes Rhyne Conservation
and a community’s commitment to
Preserve, also located in Lincoln County.
preserving and enhancing the natural
The privately-owned, Conservancy
places that make this region special.
protected property has a naturally
existing population of dwarf-flowered
heartleaf plants. Chris Daves and other
S&ME staff visited the Rhyne Preserve Conservancy volunteer Jack Meckler carefully
and found the site an excellent choice
transplants a Dwarf-flowered Heartleaf on the
for the transplant project.
Paul & Agnes Rhyne Conservation Preserve.
In October, S&ME employees, Catawba
Lands Conservancy staff and volunteers
moved 700 dwarf-flowered heartleaf
plants to their new home on the Paul &
Stewardship
Party For the Land
Catawba Lands Conservancy raised over $45,000 during our 4th annual gala!
The Conservancy’s signature fall gala, Party for the Land, was held on November
4th, 2006 with nearly 300 people in attendance! This celebratory night focused on
our region’s natural character and working together to keep it green.
Guests had the opportunity to bid on fun and unique silent and live auction items
including an Incan Baptismal blanket that dates back over 500 years, an original
Jack Swinney painting, and a Raptor Release Party from Carolina Raptor Center.
Live music by the The Coconut Groove, great food, and specialty drinks added to
the celebration. This year’s gala, held in the Design Center of the Carolinas Atrium
in historic South End, was filled with candles, plants, and even a little wildlife!
John Sozzi
Micki & Dennis Terry
Shaw Stone & Webster
Melanie Vollmer
Russell Weil
Jean Woods
Isabella
John Dabbs, Ltd.
Lucy & Co.
Luxe Home Couture
Moe’s Southwest Grille
Pasta & Provisions
Polished
Sole Spanish Grille
Step by Sloan
Vertical Photography
Webb Limited
Committee
Sponsors
Best Impressions Catering
Bunker Land Group
Cottingham Chalk
Crescent Resources LLC
Crosland
Doerre Construction
Jim Mullen, State Farm Cos.
Joyner Benfield Distinctive Land
and Waterscapes
MECA Properties
McCar Homes
Prime Solutions
Rodgers Builders Inc.
Standard Pacific Homes
The Stephens Company
Tribeck Properties
Auction Donors
8th Street Studios
Byron Baldwin
Carolina Raptor Center
300 East
Mountain Khakis
Campbell’s Greenhouse and Nursery
The Westin - Charlotte
The Plantation Shop
Cottage Chic
6
William Cowden
Dovetail Homes
Culbertson
Bonterra
Mac’s Speed Shop
Brixx Woodfired Pizza
Lisa Giovaniello
Scott Glass
Graper Cosmetic Surgery
Fairclough & Co.
Dan Harbacevish Carpentry
Jack Swinney
Sticki Rice
Karen Kolzow, Jobs Well Done
Jud & Debra Little
Round Peak Vineyards
Delectables by holly
Ralph Melvin Photography
Cinch
Whimsies
REI
Oscar Penegar
Charlotte Steeplechase Association
Healing Hands Massage Therapy
Circa Interiors & Antiques
Divali Glass Jewelry
Jewelology
Carolina Pilates
Jane Shoemaker
Ben and Maggie Baldwin
Lisa Bynum
Helen Collins
Stuart Donovan
Jamie and Carolyn Dickinison
J.Q. Freeman
Lisa Giovanniello
Callie Glass
Rhea Kelley
Tommy and Katie Lee
Eric Locher
Harry Lomax
Charlie McRee
Henrietta Richardson
David and Lisa Smoots
John Sozzi
Micki Terry
Hayes Thompson
Marty Viser
Russell Weil
Corporate Partners
Leadership: $20,000+
MECKLENBURG
COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Steward: $10,000+
Sustainer: $5,000+
Buckley, McMullen
& Buie, P.A.
Patron: $2,500+ Apartment Realty Advisors · Arcadis · The Charlotte Observer · Clariant Corporation · CPI Security · IBM Corporation · LandDesign · Little
Diversified Architectural Consulting · MECA Properties · McRae Creative Group · Shield Engineering, Inc. · Town of Mineral Springs · Village of Marvin Sponsor:
$1,000+ Bunker Land Group · Charlotte Pipe and Foundry · Cottingham-Chalk · Crowder Construction · ESP Associates · Great Outdoor Provision Co. · HDR
Engineering · Kennedy, Covington, Lobdell & Hickman LLP · LandCraft Properties, Inc. · Little Hardware Co. · McCar Homes · Myers & Chapman, Inc. · Pharr
Yarns · Primax Properties · Prime Solutions · Shelco · Standard Pacific Homes · Starbucks Coffee · T. B. Harris Jr. & Associates · The Stephens Company · Tribble
Creative Group · Turnbull Sigmon Design Friend: $500+ A.G. Zoutewelle Surveyors · ATCOM · Blue Ribbon Farms & Estates · Campbell’s Greenhouse &
Nursery · Citizens South Bank · Delectables by Holly · Design Resource Group · EarthMark, Inc. · Elliot & Warren, PLLC · Excel Environmental Associates · FlynnHeath Leadership · Hart & Hickman · Howard Construction Co · The Housing Studio, PA · Jim Mullen, State Farm Insurance Cos. · McCullough England Associates
· Quantum Leap Strategies · Rinehart & Associates · S&ME, Inc. · Warren & Associates · Watson Insurance Company · Willis Consulting Group, Inc.
Land Protection Soars....continued from page 2
Scouting a Game with a Purpose....continued from page 4
major conservation corridors that
permanently protect approximately
2,600 acres. The famous historic
botanist André Michaux first
documented the regionally rare bigleaf
magnolia on this site!
• Tom and Robin McCoy donated a
50-acre conservation easement on the
east and west side of McCoy Road in
northwestern Mecklenburg County.
The project will connect nearly 95
conserved acres on the west side of
McCoy Road with 158 conserved
acres on the east side, creating 303
contiguous acres of conserved property
in northwestern Mecklenburg County.
The protection of the McCoy farm
nearly completes a mosaic of
conserved lands protecting drinking
water for over 800,000 people.
Conservation of these lands provides
a critical, permanent public benefit of
watershed protection.
Land Protection Totals
Eddleman Conservation Easement 185 acres
Edwards ConservationEasement(assist)1283 acres
Jack Moore Nature Preserve 100 acres
McCoy Conservation Easement 50 acres
Total
1618 acres
Parents and scouts from Troop 16 built
approximately one mile of trail on the 500 acre
Stanley Creek Forest.
The Scouts relocated a drift fence trap
system in the swamp that is used to
trap marbled and spotted salamanders
during the breeding season. The data
collected provides the Conservancy
information about the salamander
population in this unique environment.
Daniel and his crew also removed
several bags of roadside litter, and made
adjustments to the fence surrounding
the preserve to allow larger animals,
such as deer, to move around easier.
Kevin McTier and scouts from Troop
16, sponsored by First Presbyterian
Members of Scout Troop 8 installed a fire-line
around the Adam Hunter Prairie on Redlair
Farm & Forest.
Church in downtown Charlotte, spent
a beautiful fall day building a trail in
Stanley Creek Forest. Twenty-six scouts
and eleven parents completed a mile of
new trail in the 500 acre Conservancy
owned property. The new trail will
provide the public and Conservancy
members an opportunity to explore
more of the 500 acre nature preserve.
Catawba Lands Conservancy is a member
driven organization that relies heavily
on support from volunteers. We would
like to thank the scouts and parents
who gave of their time and talents!
Board of
Directors
Board of
Counselors
Budd D. Berro
J. Frank Bragg Jr.
Michael F. Clement
Thomas Cox Jr.
Peggy B. Culbertson
Robert W. Elliot
T. Thomas Gates
John R. Hairr, III
Kathryn S. Heath
Thomas H. Howard, II
Justin F. Little
Karen D. McMillan
Charles W. McRee
Charles J. Meakin, III
Jacob M. Meckler
Michael T. North
William J. Price, V
Haywood F. Rankin
David K. Smoots
Richard W. Taylor
Mary C. Tribble
P. Jean Woods
Sen. Dan Clodfelter
Dan Cottingham
Sen. James Forrester
Gerald Fox
Sylvia Holmes
James Kelligrew
Vi Lyles
Mary McDaniel
Johan Newcombe
Sen. Fountain Odom
Ruth Samuelson
Chase Saunders
Wayne Weston
James White
Board of
Advisors
Davis Cable,
McKay Belk
Philip Blumenthal
Jeff Burton
Edward Crutchfield
Frank Dowd, IV
William Grigg
Technology Coordinator
Budd D. Berro
Richard O. Bierregaard Jr.
J. Frank Bragg Jr.
Ronald O. Bryant
Richard K. Falknor
Richard E. Rankin Jr.
Take a hike!
You can receive breaking news from
Catawba Lands Conservancy by email!
The Conservancy invites you to join our
E-alerts for news on exciting land deals,
events, volunteer opportunities, educational
tidbits, and more! Visit the website at
www.catawbalands.org to become a part
of our growing online community.
Catawba Lands Conservancy is pleased
to invite you to the Annual Meeting! On
Sunday, March 4th spend time with the
Catawba Lands Conservancy community,
learn about some of the Conservancy’s
2006 successes, and enjoy a hike on nearby
conserved land. More details will arrive
with your Spring Hike Guide in February.
Thank you
Staff
Executive Director
Scott Bodien,
The staff and Board of Directors of Catawba Lands Conservancy
would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Queen’s Cup
Steeplechase for six years of support and over $140,000 raised for
land conservation. We wish the Steeplechase the best of luck in
their future endeavors as they continue their charitable work with
other organizations.
Kimberly Brewster,
Office & Program Coordinator
Kenni Brooks,
Finance Director
Rich Holmes,
Land Protection Coordinator
Presidents
Council
Have you heard?
Rhea Kelley,
Also, we would like to extend a very special thanks to our over 300 volunteers who
were able to make this event such a success. There are many ways that you can
continue to volunteer for Catawba Lands Conservancy, and your local land trust still
needs your help! Look for your invitation to our Volunteer Appreciation Day this
spring as we present our new volunteer program!
Outreach & Education Director
Jennifer LeBlanc,
Conservation Program Director
Jennifer Martin,
Development Director
Sharon Wilson,
Land Stewardship Director
Catawba Lands Conservancy is part of a network of 23 land trusts that collectively
have protected more than 218,177 acres of the places you love in North Carolina.
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105 W. Morehead Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
704.342.3330
info@catawbalands.org
www.catawbalands.org
Photo:Allan White
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