WNCW’s Outdoors Report for September 23
We’ve officially made it to the autumn season, and with National Public Lands Day coming up Saturday, this week's Outdoors Report looks at the public places where we hike, paddle, and explore—and some of the work that goes into protecting and caring for them.
When we're out on a trail, we may not think about how that land became available to the public in the first place. Land conservancies play a critical role in that process, working with state, federal, and local agencies to protect land and expand parks, forests, trails, and other public spaces.
I spoke with the executive director of Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina about how land becomes protected for public use, some of the projects underway here in western North Carolina, and how people can help care for these places.
Thursday, September 24
Water Quality Creek Walk at Warriors' Path State Park in Kingsport, 4–6 pm. Participants will take part in the EarthEcho Water Challenge, measuring water quality and exploring aquatic life.
Friday, September 25
Snowball Mountain Hike with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, 10 am–1 pm. The hike is a moderately strenuous, 3-miles out-and-back.
DuPont Trail Crew Workday at Fawn Lake Access Area with Friends of DuPont Forest, 8:45 am–1 pm. No previous trail-work experience is required.
Saturday, September 26 — National Public Lands Day
National Public Lands Day is organized nationally by the National Environmental Education Foundation. Workdays in the region include projects at Chimney Rock State Park, Lake Norman State Park, Rainbow Falls at Gorges State Park, and Warriors' Path State Park in Tennessee.
National Public Lands Day with The Pisgah Conservancy on the Pisgah Ranger District, 8 am–1 pm. Volunteers will take part in multiple projects across the district.
Table Rock Sunrise Hike at Table Rock State Park, starting at 2 am. The strenuous hike covers more than 7 miles round trip to the top of Table Rock Mountain.
Fly Fishing Mountain Streams Workshop at Rocky Fork State Park, 1:30–5:30 pm. No fishing license is required for the workshop.
September Harvest Full Moon Hike at Rocky Fork State Park, starting at 9:30 pm.
iNaturalist en Español at Lake Norman State Park, 4–5 pm. The Spanish-language program introduces participants to using iNaturalist to identify plants and animals.
Pollinator Garden Workday at Roan Mountain State Park.
Sunday, September 27
DuPont Trail Crew Workday at Fawn Lake Access Area with Friends of DuPont Forest, 8:45 am–1 pm. No previous experience is required, 9 am – 1 pm.
Reel Deal Learn to Fish at Lake Norman State Park, 10 am – noon.
Coming Next Week
Next week, my guest will be Simone Adams, founder and executive director of Color My Outdoors. Her organization is working to change the narrative about who belongs outdoors and highlight the history and contributions of people of color in outdoor spaces across the South.
