HRI will be leading a hike in partnership with the North Carolina Arboretum around the Arboretum grounds on Saturday, October 21 at 10 am. The hike will take 3-4 hours and traverse mostly flat paths, totaling around 2.5 miles. HRI staff will showcase hemlocks that we have treated around Bent Creek Road and the Carolina Mountain Trail. We’ll discuss the importance of our native hemlocks and the threat they face from hemlock woolly adelgid as well as methods and precautions used near streams.
This hike is a great opportunity to learn about hemlock conservation in the region and see the natural and recreational value that hemlocks provide. Many of the other trees in the Arboretum will be in their fall color, meaning the hemlocks will stand out nicely with their evergreen needles showing well against autumn forest.
The hike is eligible for 3 hours elective credit in the Arboretum’s Blue Ridge Naturalist and Blue Ridge Eco Gardener Certificate of Merit credit. Also eligible for NCEE (NC Environmental Educator) Criteria II credits.
Free for Arboretum members. Non-members need to pay the $20 parking fee per vehicle. To sign up, please email outreach@savehemlocksnc.org or call 828-252-4783 by Monday, October 16.
For more information on visiting the NC Arboretum and all it has to offer, see their website. The Arboretum also offers many exciting Adult and Continuing Education Programs throughout the year, including the Blue Ridge Naturalist and the Blue Ridge Eco Gardener Certificate of Merit programs.