Conservation Trust for North Carolina

First and foremost, we hope this note finds you safe and well. We’re also grateful to report that while impacted, Aaron Flannery, our Western Conservation Manager based in Burnsville, and John Noor, our Asheville-based Board member, are okay. CTNC’s four Resilience Corps NC service members stationed across Western North Carolina are also safe and accounted for. We’re doing all we can to support them while gathering information about other colleagues, partner organizations, and members of CTNC’s extended family. Our hearts are breaking for our friends and neighbors in the mountains. Even as things come into sharper focus, it’s hard to comprehend the scope of the storm’s damage to western North Carolina’s people, their livelihoods, and the environment. There are no words. We know folks are hurting and, like many of you, want to do all we can to help. If you are able to support their efforts, please consider donating to one of these funds, linked in the comments below: Gifts to The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina’s Emergency and Disaster Response Fund will support ongoing recovery needs. Gifts to North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Relief Fund will support long-term recovery and resilience. Place-based community foundations like these know the state and region; they also know the organizations on the ground and can direct dollars to the communities that need it most. When at a loss for words, we can sometimes find hope in the words of others. The late Fred Rogers once said: “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors — in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.” We’ll share more resources and information as time goes on, but for now, know that everyone at CTNC is holding Western North Carolina close to our hearts. With faith in the resilient spirit of our state and brighter days ahead for our neighbors in Western NC, Bill Leslie, Board President Cynthia Satterfield, Executive Director

Introducing the 2024-25 Resilience Corps NC Cohort. This year, Resilience Corps NC includes 21 host sites and 24 members, with 6 members returning for a second year of service. Our members are stationed across the state, from the mountains of Sylva to the coast of Wilmington. Learn more about the 2024-25 cohort in the link below: https://buff.ly/3TG20zb

CLIMATE ALERT: Last week, an unnamed storm hit Eastern North Carolina dumping as much as 20 inches of rain on a small section of two counties, over the course of only 12 hours. For our team, this event underscored the urgent need to help communities across the state prepare for and mitigate the catastrophic effects of our changing climate, including flooding. Our thoughts are with the communities affected and we encourage everyone to read their own accounts of the storm in the article below.

Meet the 2024-2025 Resilience Corps NC Cohort! From Sylva to Wilmington, members are building capacity in their communities to create a more resilient North Carolina. Learn more about Resilience Corps NC: https://buff.ly/3FtZ8gV

Last week, Resilience Corps NC gathered in Wilmington, NC for an End of Year Summit to reflect on and celebrate the past year's accomplishments. While in Wilmington, members attended a salt marsh excursion led by the NC Coastal Federation, visited the New Hanover County Arboretum, checked out Wrightsville Beach, experienced the Wilmington Color Black History Tour, and shared presentations with an overview of their service year. We are grateful for our incredible Resilience Corps NC members and their dedication to building a more resilient North Carolina!

Earlier this month, three Resilience Corps NC members, Haley Bock, John Sugg, and Charlie Robinette, and CTNC's Program Impact Field Manager, Beth Mullenberg, traveled to Asheville to join other members of the Resilience Service Network and VolunteerNC staff in hosting Josh Fryday, Chief Service Officer of California. The group gathered to share AmeriCorps service year highlights and assisted with removing non-native species through RiverLink's Southside Community Stormwater Project.

Member Highlight Monday! Rae Cohn serves as an Environmental Educator at the Durham Public Schools Hub Farm. Rae's priorities include K-12 field trips, internships, and summer camps at the Hub Farm, and stewardship responsibilities of the Hub Farm’s 30-acre property, which includes a garden, orchard, wetland, and forest habitats, with chickens, rabbits, an apiary, farm cat, and plenty of wildlife. Rae also facilitates several community collaborations including a tri-yearly plant giveaway for school and community gardens in Durham (UCAN, El Futuro, etc.), the Farm to School initiative with the Durham County Department of Public Health, a collaboration with the Latin American Consortium of Duke/UNC, and a collaboration with the Resilience Curriculum project at Duke/NCSU. Rae is excited to use the Hub Farm's resources to support their local community’s growth, both through food and environmental education as well as physical garden resources.

Member Highlight Monday! On the coast of North Carolina, Lauren Waibel serves as the Stewardship & Volunteer Coordinator at North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (NCCLT). During her service year, Lauren has dedicated time to community conservation projects, running NCCLT's volunteer program, leading guided hikes, and many other priorities that work to protect the land along North Carolina's coast. Lauren’s role has afforded her invaluable insights into the ecosystems, history, and community dynamics of Coastal North Carolina.

Member Highlight Monday! Grace Sigmon is a SENIOR MEMBER wrapping up her second year with the North Carolina Zoo. In her role as Natural Areas Conservation Educator, Grace focuses on educating the public about North Carolina's biodiversity. Her responsibilities include leading guided hikes for local groups in Asheboro, conducting environmental education programs for after-school groups, and participating in wildlife surveys within the Zoo. Beyond educational efforts, Grace actively contributes to trail and land management projects at NC Zoo-owned nature preserves. Grace also assists her supervisor in monitoring salamander populations during breeding seasons at offsite properties.

Member Highlight Monday! Christopher Perdomo is a SENIOR MEMBER serving his second year with Piedmont Environmental Alliance (PEA). As an Environmental Educator at PEA, Christopher oversees the scheduling of Education Programs, participates in community event tabling, recruits and manages volunteers, and instructs 7th and 9th-grade students on Energy and Water conservation. During his serving year, he has assisted in educating over 2000 Title 1 students on critical environmental topics and successfully orchestrated an Environmental Debate Tournament for high school students, engaging 93 participants from 12 schools across three counties.