Conservation Trust for North Carolina

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.

Member Highlight Monday! Resilience Corps NC member Jordan Pilcher, Environmental Education and Volunteer Coordinator at North Carolina Coastal Land Trust (NCCLT), has been instrumental in continuing projects initiated by former Resilience Corps NC member Bryce Tholen, who is now a full-time staff member. NCCLT's environmental education program has expanded significantly, with Jordan personally instructing students on topics such as pollination, carnivorous plants, and longleaf pine ecosystems along the North Carolina coast. Jordan regularly participates in outreach events in Wilmington, fostering a connection between local youth and their surrounding ecosystems. This outreach is vital for cultivating future conservation leaders who will safeguard Wilmington's biodiversity for generations to come.

"Since the 1980s, North Carolina’s 24 local land trusts have saved more than 371,000 acres of land in 2,300 different locations statewide. Often, that land is either given or sold to state or federal land managers. If you’ve hiked at Eno River State Park in the Triangle, for instance, you’ve likely hiked on land acquired by the Eno River Association. Likewise, if you’ve explored at South Mountains State Park you’ve been on land made public courtesy the Foothills Land Conservancy. Even the National Park Service benefits from the work of local land trusts: the Blue Ridge Conservancy, Conservation Trust for North Carolina, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina are all involved in protecting the esthetic and recreational value of the Blue Ridge Parkway." Read the article --> https://lnkd.in/eCsyRwc8

Member Highlight Monday! CTNC and the Town of Princeville have partnered to host an AmeriCorps member to focus on engaging residents on conservation and community agriculture. Tykia Lewis has spent time constructing and cultivating a community garden in Princeville, NC. After conducting a thorough needs assessment, Tykia organized community meetings to introduce the benefits of community gardening and to distribute fresh produce. After hard work and dedicated time, the garden is almost ready for its grand opening. The community garden will impact the town and its residents for years to come, serving a key role in removing the barriers to food access that towns like Princeville experience.

CTNC's AmeriCorps Program Director, Michaella Kosia, has been traveling all over NC for the past few months to check in with Resilience Corps NC members. Michaella recently checked in with Jessica Blackburn, serving at Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust. During their visit, they also caught up with Resilience Corps NC Alum, Stephanie Dillingham, who also served at Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust from 2021-2022. Michaella enjoys connecting with our current and past members and visiting host sites statewide. Are you interested in serving with Resilience Corps NC? Applications are still live for the 2024-2025 service year! Learn more: https://buff.ly/35FLXaq