Press Release:

LTLT (Land Trust for the Little Tennessee) and the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department present a series of six presentations throughout summer 2014 on topics related to nature in the Tuckasegee region and surrounding area.

The presentations will be held at 6:30pm in the Jackson County Public Library’s Community Room located at 310 Keener St. in Sylva, North Carolina. All presentations are free to the public and refreshments will be served.

Kicking off the series on Thursday, July 17 is Erika Zambello, Stanback Intern for The Conservation Fund, presenting “Plott Balsams Business Case for Conservation.” Her presentation will discuss the use and value of visitor and recreation surveys in estimating visitor spending per day in local communities, and how figures collected through these surveys can reveal tourist preferences, opinions on future expansion and development and likelihood of future visitation. The results can also be used to create a business case for protecting land in North Carolina.

The full schedule is:

Thursday, July 17 Plott Balsams Business Case for ConservationPage 2 of 2 Erika Zambello, The Conservation Fund

Thursday, July 24 The Ecological Recovery and Restoration of the Pigeon River: Can the ‘Dirty Bird’ Clean Up? Dr. Tom Martin, Western Carolina University

Thursday, July 31 Leopold Land Ethics Leaders Rob Hawk, North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Thursday, August 7 Golden Winged Warbler and Early Successional Habitat Patrick Farrell, NC Wildlife Resources Commission

Thursday, August 21 The Mountains-to-Sea Trail – 1,000 Miles Across NC Kate Dixon, Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail

Thursday, August 28 Conserving the Natural and Cultural Histories of the Southern Blue Ridge Paul Carlson, LTLT (Land Trust for the Little Tennessee)

For additional information about the Tuckasegee Nature Series please call LTLT at 828- 524-2711 or visit www.ltlt.org.

Press Release:

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) hosts its annual Stewartia hike with Jack Johnston on Thursday, June 26. This event is a wonderful opportunity to see the rare native Mountain Camellia, Stewartia ovata, in flower with an expert guide who has been hunting (and finding) native Stewartia in the southeastern United States for more than two decades.

The hike group will meet at 9:00am at the Queen’s Branch Property and will then carpool to different locations to look for the Stewartia. Participants are asked to wear sturdy hiking shoes, and bring a water bottle and a snack/lunch.

The hike is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register for the hike please contact Sharon Burdette by email at [email protected] or by phone at 828- 524-2711 ext 305.

Press Release:

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) is pleased to announce the addition of Molly Phillips as Advancement Coordinator. In this newly formed position, Phillips will coordinate the integration of LTLT’s fundraising, marketing and communications programs.

Phillips brings more than 10 years of non-profit development work to LTLT. She previously served as Regional Director of Development at Pursuant, a Dallas-based full-service fundraising firm that works with non-profits. Her clients included the University of Alabama, the University of South Carolina and Georgia State Athletics. Phillips also worked at her alma mater, Arkansas State University, where she was instrumental in implementing the transition to a dues-paying Alumni Association and the capital campaign for what is now the Cooper Alumni Center.

LTLT Deputy Director Sharon Taylor says Phillips is a great addition to the organization. “Developing private support for LTLT is critical as we continue to build a strong regional conservation non-profit to serve the people in this area. Molly’s experience, as well as her love of this area and passion to help keep it as beautiful as it is now for the next generation, makes her a great member of our team.”