Innovative Partnership Protects 191 acres for Future Generations

In a landmark moment for conservation and education, Warren Wilson College and the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) finalized an agreement to permanently protect 191 acres of cherished forest, pasture, and creekside land in Swannanoa, N.C. This partnership ensures that the land will remain a living classroom and sanctuary—owned by SAHC, stewarded in collaboration with Warren Wilson, and open to the community for generations to come.

Preserving this ecologically and culturally valuable property near the Sovereign Oaks neighborhood marks a major achievement for both organizations.

“This innovative partnership between a college and conservancy breaks new ground for higher education and environmental sustainability,” said Damián J. Fernández, Ph.D., President of the College. “Further, it improves the College’s financial sustainability by providing $4.7 million to deepen our investment in the programs and experiential education practices that make our students world-ready. Warren Wilson College is leading the way in redefining education for our times, and this partnership advances our efforts.” 

The property, to be known as the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s Bull Creek Preserve at Warren Wilson College (see the SAHC announcement), consists of a beautiful cove and mixed forest, an open 17-acre pasture with stunning views of the Black Mountains, and picturesque sections of Bull Creek with rocky streambanks and wading pools.

 “This acquisition adds to a highly visible legacy of conservation in Swannanoa,” said Carl Silverstein, SAHC executive director. “We are deeply grateful to the generous conservation leaders who made it possible for SAHC to purchase and permanently protect this important community resource with hiking trails through the working farm and forest.”

Jess Laggis, SAHC’s farmland protection director, said, “This property on Bull Creek is beloved in the Swannanoa community. SAHC’s purchase of the land provides exciting potential for a long-term relationship with Warren Wilson College and continues to make the land available for people to enjoy and wildlife to thrive. SAHC will own the land for the long term and partner with Warren Wilson College in a cooperative management agreement.”

The College and SAHC are establishing conservation easements on another 600 acres of College land, which would take the total number of acres conserved in the Swannanoa Valley to nearly 800. The Preserve was the first of the two projects to be completed.

“The Preserve is a major win for the College, our neighbors and the natural systems that will be protected from development in perpetuity,” said Dave Ellum, Dean and Director of the Center for Working Lands at Warren Wilson. “The Center for Working Lands will continue to serve our mission of providing students with hands-on, applied learning, skill-building and research in forest management and regenerative agriculture. Our neighbors in the region will still have access to recreational activities on the Preserve and will benefit from increased engagement with Warren Wilson College and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. It is not often that a single effort provides this many wins!”

Contributing to Land Stewardship and Climate Change

The announcement about the Preserve was made as Western North Carolina prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. Warren Wilson College will go beyond rebuilding to the way things were. Instead the College is focused on increasing environmental resilience through the recovery process. 

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, water dispersed across ½-mile on either side of a portion of the Swannanoa River that runs through Warren Wilson’s campus.

“The water spread out along our pasturelands slowing the velocity of water raging downstream, which reinforced the role undeveloped land has in the ecosystem as a contributor to climate resilience,” Ellum said. “The storm underscored the urgent need to prepare for the effects of climate change through stewardship, research, innovation and partnerships.” 

Following post-flood remediation work by the Army Corps of Engineers, much of the Swannanoa River and its banks were left severely devegetated, increasing concerns of further river bank erosion and impacts to critical fish, mussel, and amphibian habitat. The student Forestry Crew took action, working for days after Helene to cut willow and dogwood live stakes, which are dormant cuttings of trees and shrubs that are planted directly into the ground. The crew planted thousands of live stakes up and down the Swannanoa River that cuts through campus. Outside of campus, where sections of the river were impacted most severely, Dr. Leisl Erb facilitated a community effort that included eight different Warren Wilson classes, the Conservation Biology Crew, the NC Wildlife Commission, neighboring landowners, and other community partners to plant the remaining live stakes. Between both efforts, over 18,000 live stakes were planted on the Swannanoa River- and many can be seen today leafing out by the riverside. 

In the months following Helene, students conducted research projects on its impacts. 

Liam Wagner, an Environmental Science and Filmmaking major was creating a documentary on lichens in fragile ecosystems when Hurricane Helene devastated the region. He changed his approach to the documentary when he realized that lichens can serve as a metaphor for communities. “Just like lichens in extreme conditions, our communities had to rely on mutualistic actions in order to survive.” He says Warren Wilson taught him “that meaningful change comes through collaboration, that rigorous learning often includes real-world difficulty, and that community matters—in both human and ecological terms.”  

This summer the College launched a Masters in Applied Climate Studies, a two-year, low-residency graduate program. Students are addressing the impacts of climate change, developing a thorough understanding of how climate data, society, policy, and governance influence decision making, and gaining practical experience in leadership, management, and data science.

“The recovery has been a smart recovery—a recovery that is future looking, future proof to enhance resilience,” Fernández said. “That’s the kind of place we are. We want to be a test site, a hub, for learning about how to become better at dealing with natural disasters.”

SAHC Bull Creek Preserve at WWC Trails

The trails along the Bull Creek Preserve property that have been created and maintained by the College will continue to remain open to the public for daytime recreation. Warren Wilson College will continue to use the pasture area in their rotational grazing program and the forest as part of the “living laboratory” of their campus.

Access to the trails will be through existing entrances, with a small parking area at the Dam Pasture Trailhead off Riceville Road. Parking at the trailhead is limited, and visitors are asked to be considerate of the surrounding community and neighboring church and businesses. Please park only in designated areas, or return to visit another time if these are full. 

As the trails wind through pasture and forest, they invite reflection, recreation, and connection— with nature, with community, and with the values that define Warren Wilson College. Visitors are welcome to hike and bike during daylight hours, but are asked to respect the land and its neighbors: no fires or camping, and please park only in designated areas. 

“This land tells a story of resilience, of partnership, and of hope,” said Fernández. “It’s a story our students will help write, and our community will help preserve.”