Catawba Lands Conservancy

Calling all nature lovers!

Join us in partnership with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library on Thursday, June 4th from 6:00-7:30 pm, for a fun evening of trivia, ice cream, and prizes at the 7th Street Market in uptown Charlotte!

This event is open to older teens and new adults, ages 16 to 24, who are environmental enthusiasts or just curious minds looking to meet others and learn more about the local sustainability community and opportunities.

Play environmental trivia, enjoy a free scoop of ice cream from The Social Cow, win giveaways from CLC and the Library, and learn about local organizations like Catawba Lands Conservancy, The Carolina Thread Trail, Black Girl Environmentalist, and more.

Spaces are limited, and registration is required. This program will be provided by ImaginOn and Founders Hall staff members, Tiana H. and Kristin R., and is best suited for ages 16-24.

Special guest speakers include:
- Rani Greer of Catawba Lands Conservancy/Carolina Thread Trail (Davidson Fellow)
- Maya Espinosa, leader of Black Girl Environmentalist Charlotte Hub

For directions and parking:
www.themarketat7thstreet.com/visit

Register at:
https://cmlibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/6a05f935e8af4a2f00727e27

A huge shout out to Pond and their great trail work!

Dedicated Pond team members joined us on the Pharr Family Preserve Trail in Cabarrus County, rolling up their sleeves for some serious trail restoration. This crew tackled years of sediment buildup — the slough and berms that slowly creep in over time — and recut the backslope to widen the tread back to its original width.

The result: a beautifully refreshed 300‑foot stretch of trail that’s safer, more accessible, and ready for many more miles of adventure.

Pond has been a longtime partner of Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail and a proud sponsor of Trail Forum, one of our biggest annual gatherings for trail planners, advocates, and outdoor enthusiasts. Their commitment shows — not just in sponsorships, but in the sweat equity their team brings to the ground.

Thanks to this hardworking group of trail lovers for helping us care for the places our community loves to explore.

Sunset Paddle on the Catawba River

This event is for you, kayakers! Join the Carolina Thread Trail for a relaxing end-of-day sunset paddle on the Catawba River on Saturday, June 6 for National Trails Day sponsored by TowneBank.

This paddle is made possible by Riverside Paddle & Row, who will be supplying single or tandem sit-on-top kayaks, paddles, life jackets, and headlamps. Take an approx. 2-mile leisurely paddle down the Catawba River and soak in the views while learning about all the cool blueways and hiking trails coming to the region. The paddle will finish right after sunset.

This is a paddle oriented for beginners. No prior paddling experience is required. All participants must be comfortable on the water and able to swim. Children 12 and under must be in a tandem kayak with an adult.

Cost: $35 adult / $10 child (ages 5-12)
Address: 1500 River Dr, Belmont, NC 28012
Time: 6:30 pm - 9 pm
Age restrictions: 5+, tandem kayaks available (all children ages 17 and under must be supervised by an adult)

Save your spot at www.carolinathreadtrail.org/ntd

*Hurry! Registration ends Wednesday 6/3/26

Park-to-Park Roundtrip Bike Ride in Gastonia

Get on your bikes and ride! Join us for an exciting roundtrip bike ride featuring three beautiful public parks in Gastonia, connected by the city’s growing network of greenways and local street routes on Saturday, June 6 for National Trails Day sponsored by TowneBank.

This is a free event. Meet at Ferguson Park and ride Avon & Catawba Creek Greenways to Lineberger Park, then continue into downtown via the on-street bike route, and from there ride Highland Rail Trail and Highland Branch Greenway to picturesque Rankin Lake Park where we will rest before returning to Ferguson Park. Once you get back to Ferguson Park, you may choose to explore more of Catawba Creek Greenway to the southeast on your own, for an additional 5.2 mile out-and-back ride.

Address: Ferguson Park, 1401 Golf Course Dr, Gastonia NC 28054
Time: Meet at 9:30 am. Ride will start at 9:45 am and conclude at approx. 11:30 am.
Distance: Approx. 12 miles roundtrip (not including an optional 5.2-mile out-and-back add-on on your own at the end)
Age Restrictions: 16 and up. Must be able to bicycle up hills and on low-traffic streets, in addition to the greenways.

Save your spot at www.carolinathreadtrail.org/ntd

*Hurry! Registration ends Friday 6/5/26

Your next adventure is closer than you think!

At Baker’s Mountain Park in Catawba County, the trail climbs through a shaded forest, surrounded by trees and the sounds of wildlife. The higher you go, the more the view begins to unfold, until you can see across miles of foothills from the highest point in the county.

At Lake Whelchel in Cherokee County, the trail traces the edge of the water, moving between quiet stretches of forest and open views across the lake. It follows a historic route once traveled by patriot militia during the Kings Mountain campaign of 1780, now part of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.

Our region is full of hidden gems waiting to be discovered. A new trail to hike. A stretch of river to paddle. A place in nature that feels like a retreat. And the more you explore, the more you realize just how much there is to experience right here at home.

This summer, you can help make sure the places we explore today are still here for future generations. Thanks to the generosity of our Board of Directors, every gift made now through June 30 will be matched up to $45,000, helping to conserve more land and expand access to the outdoors.

Make your gift today to help protect these places for future generations at https://catawbalands.org/donate

Heroes Hike with Veterans Bridge Home at Duke Kimbrell Trail

Carolina Thread Trail and Veterans Bridge Home are teaming up for a hike dedicated to our nation's heroes on Saturday, June 6 for National Trails Day sponsored by TowneBank.

Veterans and the veterans community are encouraged to join us for a relaxing hike along the Duke Kimbrell Trail and Stowe Connector, adjacent to Daniel Stowe Conservancy in Belmont, NC. This is a free event and excellent opportunity to connect with fellow veterans and community members while enjoying the peace and beauty of nature.

We will hike a loop around Stowe Conservancy using the Duke Kimbrell Trail and Stowe Connector Trail. After our hike the Trailhead Store will be open for refreshments.

Address: 6500 S New Hope Rd, Belmont, NC 28012
Time: 8 am
Distance: 4-4.5 miles
Age Restrictions: None

Save your spot at www.carolinathreadtrail.org/ntd

*Hurry! Registration ends Friday 6/5/26

National Trails Day Hike at Falcon Trail

Join the Carolina Thread Trail as we explore the historic Falcon Trail in Stanly County on Saturday, June 6 for National Trails Day sponsored by TowneBank.

This is a free event and will be a group hike on a largely flat, gravel trail through forest and open fields. A nice feature of the trail is two bridges (a swinging bridge and a covered bridge) which cross Richfield Lake within the park. Bring your camera as a variety of plants along the trail may be in bloom. We will meet at Richfield Park at 8 am and hit the trail around 8:20 am.

Address: Richfield Park, Richfield, NC 28137
Time: 8 am
Distance: 4 or 10 miles
Age Restrictions: None

Save your spot at www.carolinathreadtrail.org/ntd

*Hurry! Registration ends Friday 6/5/26

🌿 Have you ever seen a leaf the size of your arm?

The bigleaf magnolia—native to North America—holds the record for the largest simple leaves and the largest flowers of any tree on the continent. And right now… it’s blooming.

Recently, Catawba Lands Conservancy welcomed donors on a guided hike through Redlair Preserve in Gaston County, where these incredible trees grow alongside:

🍃 Ecologically rich hardwood forests
💧 Pristine, flowing creeks
🌱 Rare and threatened plant species found nowhere else in the Piedmont

Redlair is more than beautiful—it’s protected forever, thanks to the generosity of the Rankin family and partnership with the NC Plant Conservation Program.

💚 This is what conservation looks like in action—and you can be part of it.

When you become a Nature Sustainer, you’re not just making a donation—you’re ensuring that places like Redlair Preserve continue to thrive for generations to come.

Join us. Protect what makes our region extraordinary.

👉 Make your impact today: https://catawbalands.org/donate

🐝 Bee a Scientist! 🐝

Join us for a hands-on adventure in nature and help support real conservation efforts! Learn about the Xerces Society’s Bumble Bee Atlas Project and work alongside Terry Loeb—retired American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) landscape architect and biologist (MS)—to identify bumblebee species and collect valuable citizen science data.

🌿 What to expect:
We’ll take a short ½-mile hike to a savannah area with tall brush, where you’ll get up close with bumblebees and contribute to meaningful research.

📅 When: Friday, May 22
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Where: Buffalo Creek Preserve
📬 Address: 7911 Malibu Rd, Mt Pleasant, NC 28124

What to wear/bring:
• Long pants
• Closed-toe shoes
• Water

We’ll provide:
• First aid kits
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray

⚠️ Please note: Participants must be comfortable interacting directly with bees. This event is not recommended for anyone with bee allergies or sensitivities.

👉 Reserve your spot:
https://volunteer.bloomerang.co/volunteer/ #/join-party?k=bzsae93c9mvl0e

Catawba Lands Conservancy is proud to be one of the founding members of the Piedmont Prescribed Burn Association (PBA), a collaborative effort focused on advancing the use of good fire across the Southern Piedmont of North Carolina.

The PBA is a community-based organization that connects landowners, practitioners, and community members through training, shared equipment, and educational programming. Its mission is to improve the safety, effectiveness, and accessibility of prescribed fire while helping landowners better steward their properties. By ensuring proper planning and preparation before each burn, PBAs also play an important role in reducing risk and building local fire capacity.

This BlueSky Playground Workshop is a rare opportunity for North Carolina Certified Burners to gain hands-on experience with smoke modeling and smoke management tools, helping practitioners better predict smoke movement and conduct safer, more effective prescribed burns. Join us on Wednesday, May 27 from 8:30am – 3:30pm at Latta Nature Preserve for a full day workshop combining both classroom instruction and field-based learning on prescribed burning, smoke modeling, and more.

Date:
Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Time:
8:30am – 3:30pm

Location:
Latta Nature Preserve
6345 Sample Road
Huntersville, NC 28078

Register at https://bit.ly/4ufp6MK

Space is limited. $20 Workshop fee. Fees go to the Piedmont PBA as a donation.

Questions? Email [email protected]

Carolina Land and Lakes RC&D