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PAC on YouTube:
On January 20th, Valerie True, Coalition Coordinator of Blue Ridge Forever (of which PAC is a partner), interviewed PAC Land Protection Specialist, Pam Torlina, for a social media campaign for Land for Tomorrow! Land for Tomorrow is a non-profit with a partnership of concerned citizens, businesses, interest groups and local governments urging the General Assembly to fully fund North Carolina’s four conservation trust funds. This campaign includes short videos of interviews with experts on various topics. The January theme was water quality. Torlina was asked a series of questions, such as:
1. Can you describe, in broad terms, the ecological impact of a clean and protected water source such as the North Pacolet River?
2. How does having a clean and intact fresh water ecosystem impact people in the community?
3. How do you educate and work in your local community to protect your water resources? Name specific examples of partnerships.
4. Can you point to any PAC projects that you are most proud of, ideally one with a water quality impact?
A portion of the interview was posted on the Land for Tomorrow Facebook page on Feb. 2!
Check out the links below to view portions of the interview!
PAC's Pam Torlina is interviewed for Land For Tomorrow!
Watch her talk about one of PAC's projects that protects water in Polk County, Walnut Creek Preserve! http://youtu.be/yfymf8Vf86QWatch her talk about the importance of protecting water resources for future generations! http://youtu.be/CHfGfn2FRPk
Watch her talk about involvement with environmental education programs, specifically Polk County 4-H! http://youtu.be/P1l3NYjBlvo
Watch her talk about the value of clean water to our ecosystem and community!http://youtu.be/AyjzmR46L78
Also, watch a nice video linked to PAC showcasing a water ecology program that we did for Harmon Field Summer Camp in 2009:
PAC teaches at Harmon Field Summer Camp 2009: http://youtu.be/YXoO-1_PF34
Elliott presentation at Walnut Creek Preserve draws crowd
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 2/1/12
On Saturday, Jan. 28, approximately 80 people filled the Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center at Walnut Creek Preserve, where noted naturalist, storyteller and musician Doug Elliott treated them to a presentation, “Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom.”The program was part of a collaboration between Babs and Bob Strickland of Walnut Creek [Preserve] and the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC).
The audience listened, laughed and sang on cue, learning about nature in the most enjoyable way.
Why do farmers hate crows? Why did Native Americans call the vulture the “peace eagle”? Why don’t you want to get too close to one? What’s the real story on groundhogs and their day? Elliott enlightened everyone on these topics and many more. Afterwards he led a short walk on a nearby trail. If you would like more information about Elliott, visit www.dougelliott.com. For information on upcoming programs at Walnut Creek [Preserve], visit www.pacolet.org. Programs are presented to the public free of charge.
-article submitted by Carole Bartol
Babs Strickland, Doug Elliott and PAC Land Protection Specialist Pam Torlina at the Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center at Walnut Creek Preserve, where Elliott gave a presentation on "Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom" on Jan. 28. (photo by Bob Strickland)
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PAC kicks off spring hiking series Feb. 17
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 2/1/12
The Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) will offer five Friday hikes this spring, starting Feb. 17.
PAC’s first hike will head to Peter’s Creek Heritage Trust Preserve for a 3.6-mile, easy to moderate hike on the preserve’s loop trail.
On March 2, hikers will head to Paris Mountain State Park for a 4-mile, moderate loop hike. On March 16, hikers venture to Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve, for a 5.5-mile moderate to strenuous, out & back hike to the South Pacolet River. On March 30, PAC offers a 5-mile, strenuous hike to Rainbow Falls in Jones Gap State Park, and on April 13 hikers are invited on a 6-mile, moderate to strenuous loop hike at the Green River Game Lands.
The final hike of the spring hiking series will be held on Saturday, April 21 at the PAC-protected Norman Wilder Forest. PAC Land Protection Specialist, Pam Torlina, will lead hikers on a 3.5-mile, moderate interpretive hike on the preserve, pointing out native flora and fauna of the season.
If you are interested in attending the PAC hikes this spring and would like more information, please contact the PAC office by phone at 828-859-5060 or e-mail at landprotection@pacolet.org. You can also find information on PAC’s website, www.pacolet.org, and on PAC’s Facebook page.
-article submitted by Pam Torlina
Rainbow Falls in Jones Gap State Park. (photo by Pam Torlina)
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Elliot[t] presents 'Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom' Jan. 28
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 1/18/12
Walnut Creek Preserve and the Pacolet Area Conservancy invite you listen to naturalist and storyteller Doug Elliott, present “Woodslore and Wildwoods Wisdom—Stories, Songs, and Lore Celebrating the Natural World” on Jan. 28 at 10:30 a.m. to be held at the Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center at Walnut Creek Preserve.
Whether he's singing about catfish, pontificating on possums, extolling the virtues of dandelions, cawing with crows, pondering the “nature” in human nature, telling wild snake tales or wailing out a jivey harmonica tune, Elliott is known for his lively presentations, as well as his knowledge of the Southern Appalachian bioregion.
Time and weather permitting, there may also be an interpretive natural history stroll around the grounds of Walnut Creek Preserve after the presentation for those that may be interested. Children and adults are welcome and there is no charge for the event.
To get to Walnut Creek Preserve’s Nature Center from the Tryon and Columbus area, take Hwy. 108 E and turn left on to Hwy. 9 N toward Lake Lure. Follow Hwy. 9 for 5 miles and turn right onto McGuinn Road (at the Exxon Station). Go 1 mile to the intersection with Big Level Road; turn left, go 2/10ths of a mile and take the first right onto Aden Green Road. Follow Aden Green for 4/10ths of a mile and turn left on Herbarium Lane and into Walnut Creek Preserve. Take the first left onto Conservatory Lane which takes you to the parking area for the Nature Center.
For more information or directions from another location, please contact the Pacolet Area Conservancy at (828)859-5060 or e-mail: landprotection@pacolet.org.
-article submitted by Pam Torlina
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PAC Supporters Give Holiday Gift to Outreach
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 12/15/11
Carole Newton (left), executive director of Therml Belt Outreach Ministry, accepts a holiday contribution from Carole Bartol, PAC board president. Supporters of the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) contributed to a special holiday gift for Thermal Belt Outreach at the annual PAC holiday party on Dec. 4. This year the holiday party was held at Serenity Farm, the home of Babs and Bob Strickland, in Walnut Creek Preserve. The Stricklands have placed 1,400 acres under easement with PAC and have built the Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center and Herbarium in memory of their daughter. PAC is currently working with the Stricklands on a series of classes to be held at the nature center that will be open to the public. (photo taken by Chris Bartol and submitted by Pam Torlina)
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4-H Science Day Camp Visits Bradley Field
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 12/7/11
Pam Torlina of the Pacolet Area Conservancy (center) and Helen Clark of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service (right) pose with a team of sixth graders from Polk County Middle School during a recent outing at Bradley Field. The enrichment program, sponsored by the 4-H of Polk County, educates area youngsters about the importance of watersheds, forests, wildlife, and air quality. "Bringing them out to their environment, where they live - that's what is so great," said Clark, 4-H program assistant. (article and photo submitted by Catherine Macaulay, PAC Board Member and Land Committee Member)
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PAC Hike at Walnut Creek Preserve, Nov. 11
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 11/8/11
Outdoor enthusiasts and hikers are invited to join the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) this Friday, Nov. 11. Fall colors will provide a sensational backdrop for a moderate 4-mile hike at Walnut Creek Preserve. Babs Strickland, owner and manager of Walnut Creek Preserve, will start the hike from the new Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center located within the preserve.
The trail leads hikers through the preserve’s varied natural resource areas, along a loop that follows Walnut Creek and several of its tributaries. The Preserve is private land and the public is only allowed on the property by invitation only.
The 2,100 acre Walnut Creek Preserve contains two-miles of Walnut Creek, including a waterfall and more than 25 tributaries to Walnut Creek, most of which originate on the preserve.
The preserve is comprised of forests and pastureland and is home to a variety of indigenous plant life, including rare and threatened species, as well as a wealth of animal life.
Hikers should wear appropriate clothing and footwear, bring a bag lunch and/or snack and plenty of water and any personal medication. In case of inclement weather, contact the PAC office by 8:15 on the day of the hike to see if the hike will take place.
Contact the PAC office to sign up by phone at (828)859-5060 or e-mail landprotection@pacolet.org. Hikers will meet in Columbus at the Bi-Lo parking lot at 8:30 a.m. or at McGuinn’s Exxon (located at the intersection of NC HWY 9 & McGuinn Road) at 9:00 a.m.
PAC welcomes last-minute participants. If you cannot make this hike, visit www.pacolet.org or follow PAC’s Facebook.
-article submitted by Pam Torlina
Hikers at last fall's PAC hike at Walnut Creek Preserve on 11/12/10. (photo by Jerry Johnson)
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Friday’s PAC Hike Goes to Weaverbarton Shuford Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 10/31/11
Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) will host a 1.2-mile, easy hike on the PAC protected Weaverbarton Shuford Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary on Nov. 4. This will be the forth hike of PAC’s Fall Hiking Series.
PAC Land Protection Specialist, Pam Torlina, will lead hikers on an educational interpretive hike of the Sanctuary, identifying native (and non-native) flora and fauna found in the Sanctuary. The group will enjoy a leisurely walk along one of the many nature trails on the property, the Outer Loop. The 88.58-acre Weaverbarton Shuford Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, located near the Town of Columbus, was officially dedicated on April 29, 2000 in honor of the late Dr. Robert L. Shuford’s mother, Helen Gottfried Shuford Brown.
In 1931, 170 acres of land was purchased by Dr. Shuford’s maternal grandfather, Carl M. Gottfried. Later, Dr. Shuford’s mother, Helen, began and operated the successful Weaverbarton Dairy on the property. After her husband passed away, Helen decided to donate a portion of the property to the Carolina Bird Club (CBC), with the intention that the land become a wildlife sanctuary.
Later, Dr. Shuford learned that the family land, now owned by the CBC, was fated to be sold for development. Dr. Shuford quickly moved to purchase his family’s property from the CBC and worked with the Pacolet Area Conservancy to fulfill his mother’s wishes. On December of 1999, Dr. Shuford donated a conservation easement to the Pacolet Area Conservancy which forever protects his family’s property, honoring Helen Shuford’s original intentions for the land.
Finally, in October of 2007, after establishing several nature trails on the property, PAC held a grand opening and dedication of the Weaverbarton Shuford Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary Trails, opening the Sanctuary (during daylight hours) for public enjoyment.
Those interested in attending the PAC hike at the Weaverbarton Shuford Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, please contact the PAC office to sign up by phone at (828)859-5060 or e-mail, landprotection@pacolet.org.
Hikers should wear appropriate clothing and footwear; bring a bag lunch and/or snack and plenty of water. Please be sure to bring any personal medication that you may require. In case of inclement weather, please contact the PAC office by 9:30 on the day of the hike to see if the hike will take place.
Hikers will be meeting at the Columbus Bi-Lo at 9:45 a.m. If you cannot make this hike but would like to attend other hikes, please visit PACs website, www.pacolet.org, or go to PACs Facebook page, “Pacolet Area Conservancy,” for information on upcoming hikes. The next, and final hike is scheduled for November 11th at PAC protected Walnut Creek Preserve, where Walnut Creek Preserve owner, Babs Strickland, will lead hikers on a 4-mile, moderate hike.
-article submitted by Pam Torlina
PAC hikers on the trails at Weaverbarton Shuford Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary during the Grand Opening and Dedication of the Weaverbarton Shuford Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary Trails on 10/20/07. (photo by Jade Blakey)
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PAC hike to visit Pisgah National Forest Oct. 28
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 10/24/11
Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) will host a 5-mile hike at Pisgah National Forest, the third hike of PAC’s Fall Hiking Series. PAC Land Protection Specialist, Pam Torlina, will lead hikers to John Rock. The 5-mile hike is a strenuous loop with a total ascent of approximately 1,000 feet. The trailhead is accessed from the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Fish Hatchery. The highlight of this hike is John Rock, a large granite dome which offers views of the fish hatchery, Looking Glass Rock, and Pilot Mountain.
The Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Fish Hatchery, operated by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), was originally the site of a logging community and then a Civilian Conservation Corps camp during the Great Depression. The theme at the Center for Wildlife Education is, "Mountain Streams-Where Water and Life Begin." The Center conducts statewide environmental education programs for educators and youth leaders and offers informative exhibits that focus on wildlife conservation, geology, unique NC habitats, preservation of streams and wetlands, the ecology of wetlands, and ways to get involved in wildlife conservation.
The Center’s theme is directly in line with that of the work conducted at the Fish Hatchery. The NCWRC raises thousands of trout at this site annually. These trout are destined for release in Western North Carolina streams, providing recreational opportunities, as well as an important component of the food chain.
If you are interested in attending the PAC hike at Pisgah National Forest, please contact the PAC office to sign up by phone at (828)859-5060 or e-mail, landprotection@pacolet.org.
Hikers should wear appropriate clothing and footwear; bring a bag lunch and/or snack and plenty of water. Please be sure to bring any personal medication that you may require. In case of inclement weather, please contact the PAC office by 8:15 on the day of the hike to see if the hike will take place.
Hikers will be meeting at the Columbus Bi-Lo at 8:30 a.m. to start the approximately 1 hour drive to the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education and Fish Hatchery. If you cannot make this hike but would like to attend other hikes, please visit PACs website, www.pacolet.org, or go to PACs Facebook page, “Pacolet Area Conservancy,” for information on upcoming hikes. The next hike is scheduled for November 2nd at PAC protected Weaverbarton Shuford Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary, where PAC Land Protection Specialist, Pam Torlina, will lead hikers on a fall interpretive hike.
-article submitted by Pam Torlina
View of Looking Glass Rock from John Rock, taken 10/25/11...come see yor yourself THIS Friday! (photo by Pam Torlina)
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Presentation on American black bear set for Oct. 22
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 10/14/11
The Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) and Walnut Creek Preserve invite you to an informational presentation about the American Black Bear on Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. to be held at the Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center at Walnut Creek Preserve. Naturalist Tim Lee will discuss the natural history of Black Bears, including their range, behavior, and the adaptations that help the American Black Bear survive in its forest habitat. Children and adults are welcome and there is no charge for the event.
To get to Walnut Creek Preserve’s Nature Center from the Tryon and Columbus area, take N.C. HWY. 108 E and turn left on to N.C. HWY. 9 N toward Lake Lure. Follow N.C. HWY. 9 N for 5 miles and turn right onto McGuinn Rd. (at the Exxon Station). Go 1 mile to the intersection with Big Level Road; turn left, go 2/10ths of a mile and take the first right onto Aden Green Rd. Follow Aden Green for 4/10ths of a mile and turn left on Herbarium Ln. and into Walnut Creek Preserve. Take the first left onto Conservatory Ln. which takes you to the parking area for the Nature Center.
For more information or directions from another location, please contact the Pacolet Area Conservancy at 828-859-5060 or e-mail at landprotection@pacolet.org.
-article submitted by Pam Torlina
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Walker leaves PAC after years of service
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 10/11/11
By Carole Bartol, president, PAC board of directors
Sally Walker, who began serving the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) in July 2004, has left her position as executive director as of September 2011, according to Carole Bartol, president of the PAC board of directors.
Bartol said PAC is grateful to Walker for her years of service as the executive director. During her tenure, Bartol said, PAC grew from its founding by a small group of visionaries who were passionate about conservation into a full-fledged land trust with state and national affiliations. Lands under protection increased from 3,000 to more than 8,000 acres.
Walker added to the staff a land protection specialist, a professional educated and trained to implement the mission of the land trust. She also began the process of accreditation with the Land Trust Alliance, a continuing process that includes updated land files, policies and procedures.
“PAC is grateful to Walker for her seven years of leadership,” Bartol said. “We wish her well as she continues her career.”
PAC is a local land trust founded and dedicated to “saving the places we love.”
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Friday's PAC Hike to visit Montreat Wilderness Area
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 10/11/11
The Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) for a 4.7-mile hike at Montreat Wilderness Area, the second hike of PAC’s Fall Hiking Series. PAC Land Protection Specialist, Pam Torlina, will lead hikers to Lookout Rock.
The 4.7-mile hike is a moderate to strenuous loop with a total ascent of 1,040 feet. The trailhead is accessed from the historic Montreat Conference Center. The highlight of this hike is Lookout Rock, a stone outcrop which offers views of the Montreat and Swannanoa valleys and the Seven Sisters range (or Middle Mountain).
If you are interested in attending the PAC hike at Montreat Wilderness Area, please contact the PAC office to sign up by phone at (828)859-5060 or e-mail, landprotection@pacolet.org.
Hikers should wear appropriate clothing and footwear; bring a bag lunch and/or snack and plenty of water. Please be sure to bring any personal medication that you may require. In case of inclement weather, please contact the PAC office by 8:15 on the day of the hike to see if the hike will take place.
Hikers will be meeting at the Columbus Bi-Lo at 8:30 a.m. to start the approximately 1 ¼ hour drive to Montreat.
If you cannot make this hike but would like to attend other hikes, please visit PACs website, www.pacolet.org, or go to PACs Facebook page, “Pacolet Conservancy,” for information on upcoming hikes.
The next hike is scheduled for October 28th at Pisgah National Forest, where PAC Land Protection Specialist, Pam Torlina, will lead hikers to John Rock.
-article submitted by Pam Torlina
The group (Patsy Panther, Barbara Hall, Mark McCall, Carol McCall, Ann DuPre, Beatriz Estape, Carolyn Parker, Peggy Burke, Lois Torlina, and Mary Savard) at the Lookout on Lookout Rock. (photo by Pam Torlina)
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Friday’s PAC Hike Goes to Bent Creek Experimental Station
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 9/29/11
Join the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) for the first of five hikes offered this fall. Hikers will enjoy a 6-mile hike at Bent Creek Experimental Station in Pisgah National Forest, the first hike of PAC’s Fall Hiking Series. PAC Land Protection Specialist, Pam Torlina, will lead hikers on the Hardtimes Loop in the northern area of Bent Creek. The 6-mile hike is easy to moderate and begins by following the course of Bent Creek.After crossing the creek, the trail ascends gently and intersects with the Mountains-to-Sea Trail for a short while and briefly parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway. Eventually, hikers reach and enter the North Carolina Arboretum through the back fence. While in the NC Arboretum, hikers follow the Old Mill Trail back to the Bent Creek Trail and out of the NC Arboretum. This trail also offers distant views of the Biltmore Estate and the Asheville skyline.
Located in Pisgah National Forest, Bent Creek Experimental Forest became an experimental site for forest management in the 1920s. The nearly 6,000 acre Experimental Forest is the oldest federal experimental forest in the east. It was established to conduct research on silvicultural practices, initially to experiment with ways to rehabilitate cutover and abused lands, but also with the intention to find ways to promote sustainable forestry, and provide a site for field demonstrations of forest management practices. Bent Creek Experimental Forest houses the headquarters and a research laboratory for the care of Southern Appalachian hardwoods, the North Carolina Arboretum, and Lake Powhatan Recreation Area. The Experimental Station has been used for many studies, including: Oak ecosystem restoration, hardwood regeneration, fire ecology, growth and yield, forest stand dynamics, acorn and native forest fruit production, invasive plant species, American Chestnut restoration, wildlife response to forest management practices, ecosystem classification, ground water quality, and tree thinning, and it continues to conduct research on current issues that threaten or enhance the health and productivity of forests. Though research is the primary purpose of Bent Creek Experimental Forest, it also functions as a recreational facility, offering trails for hiking, equestrian use, and mountain biking, as well as swimming and camping (at Lake Powhatan Recreation Area).
If you are interested in attending the PAC hike at Bent Creek Experimental Station, please contact the PAC office to sign up by phone at (828)859-5060 or e-mail at landprotection@pacolet.org.
Hikers should wear appropriate clothing and footwear; bring a bag lunch and/or snack and plenty of water. Please be sure to bring any personal medication that you may require. In case of inclement weather, please contact the PAC office by 8:15 on the day of the hike to see if the hike will take place.
Hikers will be meeting at the Columbus Bi-Lo at 8:30 a.m. to start the approximately 45 minute drive to Bent Creek Experimental Station. If you cannot make this hike but would like to attend other hikes, please visit PACs website, www.pacolet.org, or go to PACs Facebook page, “Pacolet Conservancy,” for information on upcoming hikes. The next hike is scheduled for October 14th at Montreat, where PAC Land Protection Specialist, Pam Torlina, will lead hikers to Lookout Rock.
-article submitted by Pam Torlina
From back to front and left to right: Mary Savard, Faith Weathington, Barbara Hall, Dixon Harris, Carol McCall, Beatriz Estape, Clare Chandler, Gail Stockdale, and Lois Torlina. (photo by Pam Torlina)
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PAC Kicks off its Fall Hiking Series Friday, September 30th!
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 9/23/11
Join the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) for five Friday hikes offered this fall, starting September 30th! PAC’s first hike will be heading to Bent Creek Experimental Forest for a 6-mile, easy to moderate hike on the Hardtimes Loop. October 14th, hikers will head to Lookout Rock, located on the grounds of Montreat College. Here, hikers will enjoy a 4.7-mile, moderate to strenuous hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains. On October 28th, hikers venture to John Rock, in Pisgah National Forest, for a 5-mile strenuous hike with views of Looking Glass Rock. November 4th, PAC offers a 1.2-mile easy to moderate, interpretive hike at the PAC Protected Weaverbarton Shuford Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary located near the Town of Columbus. The finale of the Fall Hiking Series, November 11th, takes hikers to PAC Protected Walnut Creek Preserve for a 4-mile, moderate hike on the private preserve.
If you are interested in attending the PAC Hikes this fall and would like more information, please contact the PAC office by phone at (828)859-5060 or e-mail at landprotection@pacolet.org. You can also find information on PAC’s website, www.pacolet.org, and on PAC’s Facebook page, “Pacolet Conservancy.”
-article submitted by Pam Torlina
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PAC Warriors Declare War on Kudzu
By Pacolet Area Conservancy Intern, Nathan Bartlett
from Tryon Daily Bulletin, 7/1/11
Every Monday morning since February 7, a team of Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC) “Kudzu Warriors” have met at PAC’s Wilder Forest on Scenic Byway 176 outside of Tryon. Their mission: to cut out the kudzu crowns, which is known to be the most effective way of preventing the regrowth of this invasive plant once it is destroyed. These Kudzu Warriors have chopped, dug and dragged the tenacious vine off an entire hillside, giving beautiful native plants like Sweet Betsy Trillium, Solomon’s Seal, and Jack-In-The-Pulpit a chance to grow.It’s grueling work on a steep hill where getting dirt in your hair, sweat in your eyes, and all-over bug bites is par for the course.But the Kudzu Warriors take great care to preserve what is natural about Wilder Forest by relocating turtles and other animals that have made temporary homes under the Kudzu and refraining from using herbicide so that native plants can regrow.
Kudzu kills native undergrowth and even large trees by smothering them under the shade of its large leaves.In addition to damaging our natural environment, Kudzu can cause economic damage through downed power lines and loss in tree harvesting productivity.
Kudzu originated in southern Japan, Korea and China. The name kudzu is a mispronunciation of the Japanese word for it, kuzu. Today, kuzu is recognized in the kitchen as a thickening agent derived from the plant; and in Asia, kudzu is considered an essential herb for medicinal teas.Because the Asian winter kills much of the vine, Asia does not experience the extreme growth kudzu enjoys in the Southern US.
American businessmen brought the vine back to the United States from Japan in the mid-late 1800s after U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry forced Japan to open to trade with the outside world in 1855.Entrepreneurs marketed kudzu at the 1883 New Orleans Exposition as an ornamental plant to cover porches.In the first half of the 20th Century, the federal government saw it as an answer to the problem of soil erosion in the Southeast and launched a kudzu seedling planting program. The plant wasn’t a nuisance so long as farmers looked after it, but when the boll weevil epidemic of the 20s and 30s caused successive cotton crops to fail and forced southern farmers off their farms and into the cities for work, the plant began to grow unchecked.The winters of the American South were mild enough that much of the vine survived each year, altering the kudzu’s life cycle and allowing it to spread rapidly.Ever since, the Southern landscape has had a serious problem with the invasive pest.
Kudzu prefers to reproduce by sending runners under the ground to found new crowns from which a vine will grow. It is exceptional at rapidly re-growing from just the crown, which stores nutrients for this purpose.The only way to permanently kill a kudzu plant is to dig up this crown and cut it away from its roots.Crowns are typically the size of a fist, but can grow to the size of a basketball.The older and more successful the plant is, the larger and deeper its crown will be.Once the crown is removed, it must be destroyed.Discarded intact crowns can, if discarded along with soil and plant materiel, reestablish and grow a new vine in a new location.This common mistake leads to the further spread of the plant.The PAC Kudzu Warriors have successfully removed a significant number of kudzu crowns by hand in PAC-protected Wilder Forest. The Warriors’ goal in removing the kudzu is to allow Wilder Forest to re-claim its natural state. Each year a large number of outdoor enthusiasts from throughout the area visit Wilder Forest to hike its beautiful and primal trails. Wilder Forest is a nature preserve and designated North Carolina Birding Trail which represents one hundred eighty-five of the 8,000 acres which the Pacolet Area Conservancy has helped protect. To learn more about PAC’s conservation work, call 828.859.5060 or go to www.pacolet.org.
Kudzu Warriors (from left to right): Greg Miner, Bill Jackson, Alex Salley, and Pam Torlina
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Run for the Hills Joins PACWalk for Preservation
Tryon Daily Bulletin, 4/22/11
For the first time in its seven-year history, the Pacolet Area Conservancy’s PACWalk for Preservation has incorporated a 5k run called “Run for the Hills.” Held on the beautiful grounds of Tryon Estates in Columbus, NC, the inaugural “Hills” is the first of its kind in the foothills area—a 5k, or approximate 3.1 mile, Trail Run. Participants will start the 5k at 8 a.m. in front of the lobby entrance to Tryon Estates, then run along the woodland and lakeside trails before coming to an exciting finish in front of the main building. Run for the Hills will be an officially-timed event with 48 division awards for various age groups and male-female categories.
“The idea for a 5k race came from our speedier PACWalk participants who wanted a third event to compliment the two-mile PACWalk and half-mile Sam White Stroll around the lake,” says PAC Executive Director Sally Walker. “This is a very exciting addition to a wonderful morning of events which honors the work PAC does to preserve our land and water.” To register on line for Run for the Hills, go to www.strictlyrunning.com , click on “Register Online,” then click on “Select a Race” for “Run for the Hills.”
Beginning with “Run for the Hills,” the morning’s events include PACWalk for Preservation at 10:00 a.m., the Sam White Stroll at 10:05, and a participants’ and sponsor awards luncheon at 11:30 a.m. “As the area’s local land trust, PAC is gratified that so many local sponsors support PAC’s conservation work,” adds Walker. “ In addition to the residents and staff at Tryon Estates, Allstate in Columbus, Edward Jones, First Citizens Bank, Owen’s Pharmacy, and Costco in Spartanburg stepped up to make this family-oriented, community event happen.”
For information about PACWalk and Run for the Hills, visit www.pacolet.org or call the PAC office at 828.859.5060.
(Photo on the left taken by Sally Walker, photos in the center and to the right taken by Chris Bartol.)
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