Fall 2018 Newsletter

FALL

HOLLY TRACK PRESERVE

EXTENDS THE THREAD TRAIL’S REACH Catawba Lands Conservancy protects 193 acres with U.S. National Whitewater Center t’s peaceful there. The bright sun peeks out between lush, green leaves, and water flows gently over rocks along the creek bed.

Catawba Lands Conservancy and the U.S. National Whitewater Center partnered this summer to permanently protect 193 acres of mostly forested land in northwest Charlotte. The property expands the Whitewater Center’s reach to the north, while adding to the Conservancy’s existing Long Creek Conservation Area, which now consists of 1,060 acres of preserved land in Mecklenburg County along Long Creek, a major tributary of the Catawba River.

“Protecting land like this, which directly impacts the Catawba River, is one of our highest priorities as we work to safeguard our region’s water supply,” said Tom Okel, executive director of the Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail.

The North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund (CWMTF)

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contributed $1 million toward the acquisition of the property. While the Whitewater Center owns the land, it will be protected in perpetuity by the Conservancy through a conservation easement.

“Projects like this that protect water quality, North Carolina’s natural heritage community and provide for recreation, are a perfect fit for Clean Water’s mission,” said Walter Clark, executive director of CWMTF. The project will extend Long Creek Trail, part of the Thread Trail, at the Whitewater Center. The existing 2.1-mile segment of Long Creek Trail is popular with mountain bikers and connects to the existing trails at the outdoor athletic center via the Figure 8 Trail.

“Placing this land under conservation easement is a part of our long-term commitment to protecting and managing the remaining natural tracts of land in our region,” said Jeff Wise, CEO of the Whitewater Center. “The Whitewater Center that started as 270 acres has grown to 1,300 as we continue to place the

land adjacent to our waterways into conservation.”

The Whitewater Center’s Marketing Director Adam Bratton agreed, adding that choosing to protect the land would be a decision affecting the community positively for many years to come.

“We can knock down a bunch of trees and build a bunch of new buildings, and that is great, but not all the time,” he said. “You’ve got to save some of this stuff.”

The conserved land is listed as a significant natural area by the NC Natural Heritage Program because it contains a number of rare plants like Virginia Spiderwort and Georgia Holly. Down the road, the hope is that 10 more additional miles of trail can be created so the public can fully soak in the natural landscape.

“There’s only a few natural areas left in Mecklenburg County,” said Matt Covington, director of land acquisition for the Conservancy.

“It’s going to be a great public amenity. I can’t wait to get out there and run on the trails!”

Photo of Long Creek Trail by Nancy Pierce

2018 NEWSLETTER

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR As we work to save our natural, open spaces and create connections to nature, I am reminded time and again that this work is as much about people as it is about the land. In this issue we highlight several individuals whose commitment to the land will impact the quality of life in our region for generations to come.

Dave Cable was the executive director of Catawba Lands Conservancy for seven years, and in June we dedicated “Cable Point” to celebrate the tremendous impact he had on the organization and the region. We also congratulate Andy Kane, who recently retired as the senior director of the Thread Trail. Andy has done so much to connect people to nature, both in his time at the YMCA and with Catawba Lands Conservancy.

Jane McNeary left a generous estate gift to the Conservancy to support the natural world she cared for so deeply. Her

gift went a long way towards funding the purchase of land next to a unique habitat for the North American bog turtle. It also inspired more than 200 individuals from across the country to donate to protect the bog and this threatened population. We also mourn the loss of a longtime supporter and board member, Eddie Poe, whose commitment to conservation has had a tremendous impact on the work of Catawba Lands Conservancy.

This organization’s impact is only possible through the support of so many individuals — we are grateful for that.

TOM OKEL

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

STAFF

TRANSITIONS In July, Andy Kane retired after seven years as a member of the team. While Andy served as both the Thread Trail Senior Director and Land Stewardship Associate, his role cannot be described by any single title. Andy has been a leader of volunteers, a teacher to his teammates and the face of the organization to many landowners. With his extensive knowledge as a naturalist and his engaging personality, he has made a huge impact on connecting people to nature.

Bret Baronak, who served for two years as the Thread Trail’s Community Coordinator, was promoted as the new Carolina Thread Trail Director. Bret’s vast experience in transportation planning includes eight years as the Bicycle, Greenways and Pedestrian Coordinator for Palm Beach County, Florida, as well as Senior Transportation Manager with the Gaston-Cleveland-Lincoln Metropolitan Planning Organization.

We’re also excited to announce that three others recently joined our staff: Executive Team Assistant Mary Ann Baber, Davidson Impact Fellow Heather Mase and Program Coordinator Emma Rose Parker.

IN MEMORY OF EDDIE POE

The Catawba Lands Conservancy family suffered a great loss last month with the passing of former board member Eddie Poe. He served on the board for six years and has always been an advocate for land conservation.

He served as the

FIELD NOTES

chair of the Land Acquisition Committee and led fundraising efforts that were critical to the health of the organization during the recession. In addition, he crafted a bill that later became a North Carolina state law to protect land trusts from condemnation by public utilities. Eddie will be missed but his legacy lives on through the impact he had on the conservation community. We extend our deepest condolences to Joyce and the entire Poe family. in 2007. Though he stepped down in 2011, his commitment to natural conservation will live on at Cable Point, a lookout area located one mile down the South Fork Trail, overlooking the South Fork Catawba River.

Bret Baronak

shine Kolsch tastes like a German lager with hints of ale-type fruitiness. We’d like to thank Mountain Khakis for choosing Catawba Lands Conservancy as the beneficiary of this limited release. The Conservancy will receive a portion of all beer sales, so drop by the Charlotte brewery located at 933 Louise Ave. to sample one on tap or in a can!

EMPOWERING GIRLS IN NATURE

CELEBRATING THE WORK OF DAVE CABLE A group of board members, landowners, supporters and staff came together on April 27 to celebrate former Conservancy Executive Director Dave Cable and dedicate a special point along the South Fork Trail in McAdenville in his honor. Dave served the Conservancy for seven years and led the organization through a period of tremendous growth. In addition to driving many critical conservation projects, he led the effort to establish the Conservancy as the lead agency for the Carolina Thread Trail

Andy Kane

In June, we partnered with Project Scientist to provide an entire day dedicated to learning about nature for 80 young girls. Led by our staff, the day included hikes, crafts, forest ecology, a water filter experiment and field games at Tuckaseege Park in Mount Holly.

SOULSHINE KOLSCH BENEFITS THE CONSERVANCY Mountain Khakis, an outdoor clothing and gear company, and Catawba Brewing Co. recently collaborated to create a limited-edition beer to benefit the Conservancy. Light and crisp, Soul-

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Photo of Pop-Up Picnic by Todd Hess

uting free farm shares of local produce to families in the Lakewood community this fall. Lakewood is a neighborhood in northwest Charlotte that is considered a food desert because of the lack of access to fresh food and grocery stores.

The program will promote healthy eating and healthy living, with each share feeding a family of four and including health tips and recipes.

EXPANDING THE SALISBURY GREENWAY The Carolina Thread Trail recently awarded $190,000 in grant funding to the city of Salisbury to create a half-mile paved greenway connecting Jake Alexander Boulevard to Kelsey Scott Park along the Salisbury Greenway. The city of Salisbury’s internal public works department is constructing the trail. A formal trail opening ceremony is planned for early fall.

OVER 1,800 GATHER AT THE SECOND ANNUAL POP-UP PICNIC Our second annual Pop-Up Picnic took place April 14 in Freedom Park. Celebrating the connection between local farms and local food, as well as the importance of conservation, it was attended by more than 1,800 people and raised more than $86,000 with 20 participating restaurants. All proceeds from the event benefitted the Conservancy and the Thread Trail. Thank you to the presenting sponsor, Wells Fargo.

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY BRINGS 1,600+ TO EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS

CELEBRATING LAND TRUST DAY Thank you to Great Outdoor Provision Co. for their continued support of the Conservancy on Land Trust Day, the first Saturday in June.

Each year the company supports the region’s conservation efforts by donating 10 percent of that day’s sales to local land trusts. This year, Great Outdoor Provision Co. donated $2,070 to Catawba Lands Conservancy.

On a beautiful June Saturday, Carolina Thread Trail hosted a local celebration of National Trails Day at Goat Island Park and Greenway in Cramerton with more than 1,600 trail lovers. American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day is the only nationally coordinated event designed to celebrate and steward all types of trails across the country. The event included 30 exhibitors and vendors, kayak and SUP rentals, guided nature walks and bike tours of the Thread Trail corridor.

Thank you to sponsors McLean, DeRoyal, Carolina Marketing and Design. Mark your calendar now for the 2019 event, which will take place June 1.

FARM SHARE IMPROVES ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD Thanks to a grant from Novant Health, the Conservancy and Wild Hope Farm are distrib-

Photo by Ronnie Taylor

REI GRANT SUPPORTS NATION FORD GREENWAY The Nation Ford Greenway, a segment of the Carolina Thread Trail that hugs the banks of Sugar Creek in Fort Mill, will be enhanced thanks to a $7,500 grant from REI. Thanks to REI for being a long-time supporter of the Thread Trail!

CONSERVANCY SUPPORTERS RAISE $150K TO SAVE BOG TURTLE HABITAT

population of bog turtles, the smallest species of turtle in North America, recently faced a dangerous threat to their marshy home in Gaston County. Through generous donations from 233 supporters, including a sizable estate gift from Jane McNeary, more than $150,000 was raised to purchase and protect the 17 acres adjoining Jane’s Meadow Bog from future development. The main part of the bog has been protected by the Conservancy since 2005, and development of the adjacent land would have disrupted the watershed and destroyed this unique and sensitive habitat.

“The Southern Appalachian bogs are such an amazing and unique habitat, but we’ve already lost about 90 percent of them,” said Sue Cameron, endangered species biologist with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). “These bogs have a great diversity of wildlife and are useful for people because they act like sponges to absorb and purify stormwater flow.”

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As a part of the effort to protect the bog turtles, the Conservancy partnered with the USFWS as well as the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission on a stream restoration project to regulate the bog’s water levels.

“Potential negative impacts from development include more runoff, toxic materials and siltation into the bog, as well as changes to groundwater levels that impact the springs that feed the bog,” said Gabrielle Graeter, wildlife biologist with NCWRC. Cameron added that a big concern with the remaining Southern Appalachian bog sites is poor hydrology, or water quality, which stems from past land use.

“Bogs tend to form in flat areas, but bogs in the Southern Appalachian range formed in areas where people like to farm and build,” she said. “Bog turtles need a wet environment and stable water level. But ditching and draining from agriculture and the development of wells draws down the water table, and sites tend to get too dry for the turtles.”

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In addition to the loss of habitat, the reptiles are also threatened by poachers hoping to sell them to pet stores.

Across the country, invasive plants and urban development have eradicated most of the bog turtle’s habitat. Unfortunately, only 96 known colonies remain in the Southeast, most containing fewer than 20 turtles. Bog turtles are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. “Bog turtles are at risk of becoming extinct, so this project is critical for the preservation of the species and the bog environment,” Cameron said.

Photos by Nancy Pierce

RIVER CITY A new and expanding trail system along the Catawba River puts a spotlight on Mount Holly

BY PAGE LEGGETT

f Brian DuPont takes you on a tour of his adopted hometown, Mount Holly, his enthusiasm for it may make you want to move there. The Charlotte native, 32, moved to the Gaston County town to work for the department of planning and development when he was straight out of college. He’s been there ever since.

One reason he loves Mount Holly: the easy access it offers to the Catawba River, one of the city’s best amenities.

As one of two planners for Mount Holly, DuPont has been involved in creating the Mountain Island Park Trail – part of the Carolina Thread Trail and just a stone’s throw from the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

But DuPont hasn’t done it alone. “There are a lot of handprints on this shovel,” is how he puts it.

On our walk in July, he told me the collaborative effort is part of what makes this project so special: “The city of Mount Holly, Catawba Lands Conservancy, Carolina Thread Trail, the Tarheel Trailblazers, Duke Energy and FROGS (Friends of the Greenway) have all been part of making this happen.”

About four miles of trail is finished so far. The long-term goal is 10 miles of continuous greenway around Mount Holly.

Filled with dogwoods, pines and hardwoods, these 200 acres offer shaded trails, including five picturesque foot bridges. And there’s fishing access and a boat launch – although swimming is not allowed in the rapidly moving water. Three campsites, complete with grills, allow you to sleep under the stars – after grilling the catfish and bass you caught if you were lucky.

Before you come to the trailhead near the Mountain Island Lake Dam, you’ll pass a park with play structures. Duke Energy leases the

park to Mount Holly. Another park, Tuckaseege Park, lies at what will ultimately be the other end of the trail.

Just beyond the playground, the gravel and crushed stone trail DuPont and I walked is 1.6 miles one way. It’s on mostly flat terrain, but forks in the trail give hikers an option of continuing on flat land or going up a slight incline for a tougher workout. “Built-in flexibility,” DuPont calls it.

He also showed me some wildly undulating terrain that will be home to mountain bike trails, the first phase of which will be completed this year. The Tarheel Trailblazers, a local mountain biking advocacy group, were involved in selecting the locations to provide the greatest thrills for cyclists. The Trailblazers will also be involved in constructing those trails.

This year’s class of Trail Masters will also play a role in bringing the master plan to life. When the Trail Master candidates meet for the four-day certification course in October, they’ll continue work on the trail system as they learn about sustainable trail construction and maintenance.

Trails have been thoughtfully constructed. There are open “congregational areas” on the path. The trails encourage encounters with nature – as well as encounters with fellow hikers, too.

Creating connections is what the Carolina Thread Trail is about.

And Mount Holly residents are eager for more connecting points to neighboring cities.

It’s not as if all roads lead to Mount Holly. There are just five vehicular crossings over a 20-mile county line dividing Mecklenburg and Gaston counties. Connecting trails from Mount Holly to Belmont, Mecklenburg County and the Whitewater Center is the long-range plan.

“It’s easy to build a trail within your own jurisdiction,” he said.

“But we want to connect to other cities. We want to be part of an entire network.”

“Connecting community and nature” is Mount Holly’s slogan, and DuPont enjoys pointing out where that’s going to happen. When the trail is complete, downtown Mount Holly – with its quaint coffee shops, boutiques and the soon-to-open second location of JackBeagle’s, a popular bar and eatery in the NoDa (North Davidson) neighborhood in Charlotte – will be in the center of it all.

DuPont looks forward to the day that people – and not just Mount Holly residents – will spend a Saturday or Sunday on and along the Catawba – biking the trails, stopping in for a beer downtown and maybe paddling in the afternoon.

“This is more than just a nature trail,” DuPont said. “This is about economic development. We’ve learned that if we build it, they will come.”

FROGS (Friends of the Greenway)

Trail users walking the trail

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Mount Holly Planner Brian DuPont

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THE RIVER

Norwood is a reliable indicator of what to expect on the rest of the river.

Its five-year average depth is 3.5 feet with a 750 cubic feet per second (cfs) flow. On that Wednesday, the Rocky River was 13.5 feet deep and 17,000 cfs. Yes, 17 thousand.

The Rocky is 100 percent wild. No dams or lakes modify its flow.

And its banks are steep, so high water swooshes through the channel instead of spreading over a wide floodplain. As the water rises, its flow increases exponentially.

AND US

6 friends explore the Rocky and Pee Dee Blueways STORY & PHOTOS BY NANCY PIERCE

ancy Pierce has been a Catawba Lands Conservancy supporter in many ways, for many years, in particular as a photographer who awes us in the way that she captures the beauty of the natural places that we work to protect.

Nancy is an avid outdoorswoman who decided to take a group of friends on an adventure down the Rocky River this past spring. We hope you enjoy her story as she shares the adventure and the wonders of nature that her group came across on their journey:

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Debris hanging in trees after high water level in prior days

I’m drawn back in time and again to rivers because of this: They change with seasons and storms yet stay dependable in their core disposition.

So, it seemed apt for me to explore the Carolina Thread Trail’s Rocky River and Pee Dee River Blueways with women I’ve known since our adult children were tiny: Nan Byars, June Lambla, Laurie Reed, Allyson Sipple and Jennifer Twiggs.

We paddled 25 miles in 12 hours between Oakboro, N.C., and the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge (PDNWR). It was an easy two-day trip.

Most of Mecklenburg County is in the Catawba River basin. But the Rocky River rises from backyard trickles south of Mooresville and dumps into the Pee Dee River 44 miles as the crow flies southeast of downtown Charlotte. Yanked into a straight line, the Rocky would be 95 miles long.

More rain on Thursday gave us pause but by Friday noon, with no rain on the radar, I called our trip a go. Saturday at 8 a.m. we met JW Weller and Deb Musika from Oakboro-based kayak rental and shuttle service River Rooster at our trip’s endpoint, PDNWR. We had arranged to leave two cars there overnight.

When we launched at Oakboro 2, the river was running 3.5 feet and 12,000 cfs – the upper limit of where JW is comfortable sending flatwater paddlers down the river. But we had our own well-used sit-on-top kayaks and we assured him that we knew how to choose our chutes and detect rocks just below the surface.

The 10 miles below Oakboro 2 are the most technical on the river.

Right off the landing we ran a series of easy rapids, quickly going from dry to drenched. It felt good in the warm air.

From left: Jennifer Twiggs, June Lambla, Nancy Pierce, Allyson Sipple, Nan Byars and Laurie Reed

Getting out of the kayaks and up a muddy bank for a lunch break

The evidence of recent high water was stunning: waterlogged, twisted tree parts dangled from branches 15 feet above us. It blew our minds to think that this same river had deposited the debris there just a few days earlier.

A couple miles down, Nan paddled left into a narrow fork separated

Four days ahead of our weekend trip, torrential rains fell on the 1,372-square-mile Rocky River basin. We six women, median age 63, are a hardy bunch but we’re flatwater paddlers and not particularly interested in anything above class 1 rapids.

Whatever their adventure quotient, paddlers should check a river’s level and flow at waterdata.usgs.gov. The Rocky’s gauge at Hwy. 52 near

Rapids below Oakboro 2

Negotiating a narrow channel around an island below Oakboro 2

continued on page 6

Laurie on the rapids below Oakboro 2

June having lunch with muddy boots

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Tributaries

continued from page 5 PG. 5 JUMP FROM

from the main channel by a wooded island. We followed, dragging our boats over rocks through shallow water and navigating downed trees just short of being logjams.

Staying behind to take photos, I let a deep whirlpool twirl my boat and I glided backward but in control to a gravel bar just before the main channel, where the others had stopped.

That was the last time all weekend we got out of our boats easily. The steep clay banks

were still saturated from the high water, so forays onto the river edge meant slipping and sinking calf-high into the muck.

We spotted a grassy area atop a bank for lunch. While still seated, we tied our boats to edge-roots then eased our way out of our floating kayaks onto the slick bank. Laurie scrambled up first, kicking holes in the mud then rolling rocks down to me. I stomped the rocks into the holes to create makeshift steps, more in anticipation of having to get back down the bank than to help the others climb up. We

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERS GIVE BACK

pulled each other up hand over hand with our paddles, at times sliding back down, giddy with collaborative effort and laughter.

Later, we explored three tributaries – passages into a secret and murky world.

Century-old trees canopied overhead, and their massive exposed roots gripped the banks like giant fingers.

If you would like to continue reading Nancy’s story, please visit our blog: www.catawbalands.org/nancyontheriver.

TRAIL OPENINGS NEW SEGMENT OF LITTLE SUGAR CREEK GREENWAY NOW OPEN The Queen City now has another place to enjoy walking, biking, jogging and exploring the natural world. A brand-new segment of the Little Sugar Creek Greenway opened to the public June 23. The 1.5-mile trail runs from Huntingtowne Farms Park to Tyvola Road, connecting to Marion Diehl Park, Park Road Park and several residential areas. A part of the Carolina Thread Trail, the greenway will eventually include more than 19 miles of trails and land connectors from Toby Creek Greenway on North Tryon Street to Cordelia Park north of uptown, through the city to the South Carolina state line.

May 11 - Pharr Family Preserve Trail with Huron

NEW TRAIL IN YORK COUNTY SHOWCASES THE CATAWBA RIVER June 8 - South Fork Trail with Husqvarna

June 15 - Forney Creek Trail with Davidson Sustainability Scholars

June 15 - Pharr Family Preserve Trail with Atrium Health

June 29 - Long Creek Trail with Wells Fargo

In partnership with Nation Ford Land Trust, a new 2-mile section of natural surface trail has been completed along the Catawba River. This trail not only runs along a beautiful section of this picturesque waterway, but also provides critical linkage between the popular Piedmont Medical Center Trail at Riverwalk and the recently completed trail at the Masons Bend development in Fort Mill. This connection results in a continuous nearly 8-mile trail along the Catawba River from South of Rock Hill’s River Park to Masons Bend. By following sidewalks on the US 21 Bridge over the river from the Riverwalk area, users will be directed to the new trail. Hikers and bikers will be afforded stunning views of the river and unique bridge crossings. Users can access the trail from Riverbend in the south or utilize a small public parking trailhead facility in Masons Bend development at the end of Weir Court.

The trail would not have been possible without the support of several partners and vision of Nation Ford Land Trust. The Scott Family and the York County Historical Museum granted permission for the necessary trail easements to allow for the trail. Additionally, a generous financial gift from the Founders Federal Credit Union aimed at expanding the Carolina Thread Trail in York County was critical for success. The financial contributions from the Carolina Thread Trail Grant Program, the SC Park, Recreation and Tourism Grant, and York County all played a key role in making the trail a reality.

July 26 - Seven Oaks Preserve Trail with Bank of America Merrill Lynch

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RESTORATION AT LONG CREEK PRESERVE UNDERWAY

stream restoration project has begun on a section of Long Creek, a major tributary of the Catawba River in Mecklenburg County. Because of the restoration activities, a section of the Carolina Thread Trail’s Long Creek Trail is closed. The segment runs from Academy Loop to Needle Trail and will reopen in early 2020. The entire 2.1mile trail can only be accessed via the U.S. National Whitewater Center. The project will protect water quality and improve the ecological integrity of the area for its macroinvertebrate populations such as crawfish. The 16-acre Long Creek Bluff area surrounding the creek is preserved by the Conservancy and is one of Mecklenburg County’s most significant Natural Heritage Sites.

Photo of Long Creek by Sean Bloom

Photo of Long Creek by Nancy Pierce

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ON THE TRAIL

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4530 Park Road, Suite 420 Charlotte, N.C. 28209 704.342.3330 catawbalands.org carolinathreadtrail.org

Catawba Lands Conservancy is part of a network of land trusts that collectively have protected more than 400,000 acres of the places you love in North Carolina.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 27: CITY BIKE TOUR ON LITTLE SUGAR CREEK GREENWAY

6-7:30 p.m. • Charlotte, NC 4 miles. Easy, paved surface bike ride. Ages 8+.

THURSDAY, OCT. 11: FITNESS WALK ON FOUR MILE CREEK GREENWAY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4

FALL INTO THE THREAD Come out to Lenny Boy Brewing Co. in Charlotte and enjoy hors d’oeuvres, local beer, live music and get an update on the Thread Trail!

Photos by Ronnie Taylor

Join us on one of our upcoming FREE events!

FALL EVENTS

6:30-7:45 p.m. • Matthews, NC 4 miles. Easy paved surface walk.

Ages 8+. Dog friendly.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 17: SUNSET BIKE RIDE AT LOWER MCALPINE/MCMULLEN CREEK GREENWAYS

TUESDAY, OCT. 23: BIKE-N-BREW WITH BLUE BLAZE BREWING CO.

6-7 p.m. • Charlotte, NC 3 miles. Easy, paved greenway ride. Ages 21+.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 TASTE FOR THE LAND

Join us at Dressler’s at the Metropolitan for hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, local beer and wine, live music and an onsite farmers market.

Photos by Todd Hess

6:30-7:30 p.m. • Charlotte, NC 5 miles. Pace 10 mph. Easy paved surface ride. Ages 15+.

MEMBER PROGRAMS SATURDAY, OCT. 6: CROWDERS MOUNTAIN DAY HIKE

8 a.m-1 p.m. Kings Mountain, NC. 4.5 miles. Strenuous. Ages 15+.

SATURDAY, OCT. 13: SOUTH FORK RIVER BLUEWAY PADDLE

8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. McAdenville, NC 5.5 miles. Moderate difficulty. Ages 18+ SATURDAY, NOV. 10: NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY HIKE

8-11 a.m. Lincolnton, NC 3+ miles. Moderate. Ages 12+.

FOR EVENT DETAILS, TICKETS, REGISTRATION AND THE FULL EVENT CALENDAR, VISIT WWW.CATAWBALANDS.ORG/EVENTCALENDAR

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6 THE TRAIL FORUM

Spend the day with us at the Charles Mack Citizen Center in Mooresville for the region’s premiere trail conference and learn about all aspects of trails, greenways and blueways!

Photos by Nancy Pierce

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES