LAND PROTECTION AND STEWARDSHIP
Blue Ridge Conservancy has protected 23,053 acres in 255 places 13,730 acres through 148 conservation easements 9,324 acres through 107 land acquisitions
T he Blue Ridge is a place of singular beauty.
Here you can discover the hidden, the untouched, and feel closer to the earth itself. As you follow moss-lined paths into verdant forests, you watch the creatures going about their daily activities, untroubled. Some scurry, some slither, some take their time and observe. You hear the power of a waterfall as it sluices down the mountainsides; you almost feel it in your soul. You see the cycle of the seasons in the trees, dormant for a time then bursting with green, as they have done for millenia. You take time away from what we call civilization, what we call progress. You breathe deep here, and feel connected to something larger. The people of Appalachia have always known this place to be exceptional. From the earliest natives, to the settlers, to those who come now for a day or a weekend or a lifetime, there is something here that draws us all. Perhaps for some it is the mystique of those blue peaks fading into the horizon. For others, it might be the heritage and tradition of the family farm or a pickin’ session on a summer night as fireflies dance in the meadows. Some come for the excitement of biking trails zigzagging through the woods, or rapids coursing down the river, or the contemplative practice of fishing on quiet parts of those same waters. These things and a million more call us here. And so we must protect these places. Blue Ridge Conservancy was formed with that goal: to tirelessly and strategically conserve these lands for all. With mounting pressures from development and climate disruption, it is a mission we take more seriously than ever, and we appreciate you making this journey with us to save the places we all love.
77
