conservation Archives - Page 30 of 43 - Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy

Walking With Bartram Section 6 from Jones Gap to Hickory Knoll Road

RSVP for this hike is now closed (3/20/2023)

Please join us as we continue our monthly section hikes through the Bartram Trail. This section will be mostly downhill and take us by some wonderful vistas along the Fishhawk Range before we drop down towards Hickory Knoll Road. This is a moderately difficult hike in length, but lots of great views along the way. We’re in early spring as well and by this time we should be seeing lots of early flowers in bloom.

We’ll plan to meet at Hickory Knoll Road at 9am and shuttle up to Jones Gap to start. These trailheads are accessible and the roads aren’t too rough. But, we may recruit some volunteers to help with shuttling and shave some time off of the day.

More details to follow closer to this date once we have all our RSVPs in.

Newcomers are welcome to join us. All you need to bring is water, lunch, clothing appropriate for this season, and your sense of humor and wonder.

We have had great interest in these hikes and are working to create new hiking opportunities. If you are interested in leading a hike, let us know!

Please RSVP below to help with planning. If we get more than 12-15 hikers signed up, we’ll look to plan a second hike to accommodate everyone.

March Trailhead Tuesday

This is a program for those looking to get involved but with limited time. We will meet in the early afternoon to divide and conquer some minor clean up and trail head maintenance. We’re looking for folks to visit a set of selected trail heads to re-stock Bartram Trail information cards, complete a trail head condition report, pick up any trash in the area, and chat with hikers as they start their day hike.

We’ll supply everything you need for the day. Although we suggest you bring your own gloves, a hat, sunscreen, and a positive attitude.

We’ll meet at 1pm in the church parking lot across from Lazy Hiker Brewing in Franklin, NC. At 3pm, we’ll regroup to share our accomplishments over a cold beverage.

Please RSVP to help with planning for this event:

Third Friday Workday

We’ll be working the Bartram and Chattooga River Trails in Georgia, meeting at the intersection of Sandy Ford and Warwoman Road, approximately eight miles east of Clayton, GA.

Please bring work gloves, good boots, plenty of water, lunch, any meds you might need and esprit de corps.

If you’re new to trail maintenance or just want to learn more, you can find more information here on our site. Don’t be shy, we’ll provide everything you need to enjoy your day while making a huge impact for future enjoyment of the Bartram Trail. The hard work of our volunteers is what keeps the 110 miles of trails open and usable all year long.

Please RSVP so we can plan the work and tool requirements.

Thank you for your volunteerism!

Visit with Dr. Dan Pittillo at Nodding Trillium Garden

RSVP for this event is now closed (3/13).

We’re excited to be able to visit with Dr. Dan Pittillo at his Family’s Nature Preserve and Nodding Trillium Garden to see some early spring flowers. Dr. Pittillo will lead us on a short walk along the Nodding Trillium Garden Loop trail, which is relatively short in distance but time consuming when enjoying the time to seek individual flowers are sought. We will also take a longer hike with a little climbing elevation.

The Garden walk will last 30-45 minutes. Participants are welcome to join along the longer hike or stay and linger in the garden.

Hikers wanting to spend the energy to hike up some 200 more feet elevation can join Dan and the group after the garden walk. By this time, there will be a lot more Trout lily and Trillium masses up the first 100 foot elevation and declining thereafter to the top and back down. On this hike, we are transitioning from Rich Cove, with basic soils, to more acidic Oak-Hickory Forest and acidic soils. There are 2 oak tree falls and a big pine fall that we’ll pass by and Dr. Pittillo will comment on.

Dr. Pittillo will also discuss the geology of this region, including Miocene impact (about 10 million years ago), plate tectonics of this Appalachian mass, and Pleistocene flora some 18,000 years ago.

Dr. Pittillo is among the original founders of the North Carolina Bartram Trail Society, organized in 1977. We are very fortunate to still have Dr. Pittillo as an active member on our Board of Directors

The Preserve is owned by Dr. Dan Pittillo and his family and is conserved through the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust. Nodding Trillium Garden, located within the Preserve, has one of the finest and most extensive collections of native spring wildflowers that can be found in the area. Dr. Pittillo is known for his extensive knowledge of the flora and ecology of the Southern Appalachians and his passion for sharing his knowledge through stories!

To get an idea of what to expect on this nature walk, watch and listen as Dr. Pittillo shares some of his special stories of plants at Nodding Trillium Garden on YouTube.

RSVP
RSVP for this event is now closed (3/13). This event will have limited registration and we will follow up with folks regarding more details and carpooling.

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