Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Blue Ridge Conservancy Unveil Camp Catawba Sign
Today in Blowing Rock, the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation and Blue Ridge Conservancy unveiled a sign commemorating Camp Catawba and the work of Dr. Vera Lachmann. Installed near the trailhead of the Middle Fork Greenway in front of the Tanger Outlets, the sign outlines the history of the boys’ summer camp, which operated on a farm in Blowing Rock from 1944 to 1970. This one of a kind sign, funded by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, was fabricated by local metalsmith Aaron Bishop of Snake Mountain Iron Works.
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Nine awards honor local leaders, businesses during 72nd Annual Membership Meeting for Boone Chamber
The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce held its 72nd Annual Membership Meeting Tuesday Night at Valle Crucis Community Park. Blue Ridge Conservancy was honored with the everGREEN Award for Sustainability, which is presented to a business, organization, project, or person who has furthered the inclusion and integration of sustainable development principles.
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Nighttime Hike Reveals Salamander Species at BRC's Conservation Campus
As we get settled into the new 47-acre BRC Conservation Campus, we’re working on an inventory of the various residents of the green spaces and on the trail. We went out into the woods with naturalist Paul Laurent one rainy evening to look for salamanders, and found dozens! The identified species include: white-spotted slimy, grey-cheeked, blue ridge two-lined, red, blue ridge dusky, red-backed, and black-bellied. We also found a wood frog, a pickerel frog, and a garter snake (who was no doubt looking for the same salamanders we were).
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Payne Branch Park Open and Flourishing Thanks to Middle Fork Greenway Task Force
15 years ago, members of the Middle Fork Greenway task force obtained grants to secure land for three parks along the Middle Fork of the New River: Payne Branch Park, Goldmine Branch Park, and Sterling Creek Park. After removal of the South Fork dam and extensive stream bank restoration, Payne Branch Park is now open to the public. Sterling Creek Park opened in 2014, and Goldmine Branch Park is currently under construction, slated to be finished by the end of the year. Funding for Payne Branch Park was provided by AppHealthCare, ZAP Endurance, Watauga County Tourism Development Authority, and Blue Ridge Conservancy.
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