23/10/2024
It was a tough day, sharing this message yesterday:
Message from the Owner:
Eight years ago, I dreamed up a business where I could join other naturalists in sharing the wonders of our National Forest and Blue Ridge Parkway. I wanted to create a company that focused on the love of our region, and the conservation of its plants and wildlife. I wanted to donate a portion of revenue to a local land trust, to help protect vulnerable but remarkable species existing in gorgeous mountain lands. We've had eight wonderful years of doing just this, and I know many of you have joined us on our engaging tours of the most scenic areas in the Appalachians.
Now, my heart hurts for Southern Appalachia, as the level of catastrophe caused by Hurricane Helene is not one that any living person had seen or even imagined. Myself, friends and family have endured three weeks of a trauma we hadn't known. Our lives are forever changed, and places we called home no longer exist. We woke up in the mornings, hoping it was all a bad dream. The grief process has been sometimes overwhelming.
As a conservation biologist, I am certainly concerned about the hurricane's impact on our native species. A major disturbance like this is so rare in modern time that it's effects on flora and fauna won't be well understood. Some questions the scientific community will try to answer: Will the fish and otters withstand pollutants poured into the rivers? Will the blue ghost firefly populations survive severely scoured riverbanks? Will the developed land around creeks support frogs and salamanders displaced from their riparian homes?
Fortunately, our federal agencies recognized the importance of the National Forests to our ability to heal. This past Friday, Pisgah National Forest reopened, despite hazards existing in the form of washed out roads and downed trees. When I visited the day after it opened, I was relieved to see that some areas showed little damage, and some trails and waterfalls felt exactly "the same." There were moments when I forgot that the "nightmare" had happened at all. Looking up in the trees during peak leaf season, the oaks, maples and sourwoods displayed the comforting and familiar assemblage of reds, oranges and yellows that characterize fall, as they always do.
At this time, Asheville Hiking Tours must close, because our town cannot support visitors. The county water system is compromised, and most lodging is occupied by the recovery workers we so desperately need. However, I envision a time when we can reopen, and again share this gorgeous region with all of you.
Any small donation you could make will help us in this difficult transition. Funds will go both to our tour guides and to our recovery and reopening costs. If everyone who received this message donated just $10 to $100, then we could dig ourselves out of an unfortunate situation. Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you to once again share our magical mountain peaks and waterfalls with you. With your support, we will again celebrate on tours our wildflowers and birds, elk and fireflies, and give back to our local land trusts, letting my dream of a hiking and nature tour company continue. Donation link: https://gofund.me/0f3299e2
