Planting Hope
It was only days after wildfires burned our preserves in Polk County that our team was out in the charred woods, planting white oak saplings. We had already planned to introduce some young oaks, and we knew that the fire—which was damaging in some ways—would also be good for oak regeneration.
Our whole year was like that—planting hope in times that felt like one disaster after another. We came into the year reeling from Hurricane Helene, which devastated our communities, closed our trails, and cost us a building. In the spring came the wildfires. Then, federal funding was slashed for AmeriCorps Project Conserve. In the summer, much-needed debris removal brought its own emergency. When handled poorly, this process caused more harm to our rivers than the storm itself.
And yet—thanks to you—even through extreme challenges, we achieved conservation successes that will bear fruit for generations to come. Want to see how you are planting hope? In our 2025 Annual Report, we share stories of the ways that you are helping to bring a brighter future:
We have faith that when you plant something good, goodness will grow.
Thank you for planting hope with us.
Here are just a few of the ways that you are bringing a brighter future. In 2025:
- You protected over 250 acres at the Fairview Community Forest and WORX Project campus. On this protected land, the Fairview community will enjoy new hiking and biking trails. And students will discover how they come alive in nature, engaging in new ways with learning and career paths.
- You added 483 acres to the vast Joel Ridge Nature Preserve. Now, 2,669 acres are protected in an astonishing wilderness connected to Chimney Rock State Park. Rare salamanders and many other animals will find a much-needed haven in these protected forests.
- You helped open the first six miles of the Ecusta Trail! And you helped us buy the 31-mile Saluda Grade Trail corridor. On these new trails, many people of all ages and abilities will get more exercise, have more fun, and spend more time outdoors.
- You helped open three new places to the public—Kings Bridge, the Ecusta Trail, and Little White Oak Mountain. And you helped us buy six more places for parks and trails—bringing back trails by the hospital in Polk County, expanding the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail, and much more. All of these are places for awe, curiosity, and joy.
- You are restoring nature along rivers, with six new projects moving forward. At these hopeful places, you will see a resurgence of life—more fish, ducks, beavers, frogs, turtles, songbirds, and more.
- You are offering people opportunities to protect and restore nature. The hope is that through these acts of stewardship, we can move toward healing our relationship with the living world, so we can be worthy caretakers.
Map of Places Where You Made a Difference
Updated through 2025, this map shows all the places that Conserving Carolina has helped protect, with your support.
Your Impact By the Numbers
