Natural Resources

Elk and wild boar populations are growing along the Western North Carolina section of the Parkway. The Foundation will fund research to aid in good wildlife management decisions for these large mammals.

We are partnering with the Conservation Trust for North Carolina (CTNC) to support a crew with the group's North Carolina Youth Conservation Corps, allowing Parkway campgrounds and trails to realize improvements while young men and women learn about the wilderness and themselves.

Crayfish may be small, but they can send a big message, telling scientists a lot about the state of the environment in which they live. The southeastern Appalachian Mountains are one of two major crayfish hot spots in the world, yet little research has been done to catalog or understand the varieties of species along the Parkway.

Rock Castle Gorge is a significant biological area along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but much of these 3,600 acres in the Plateau District have yet to be explored. To survey the diverse array of flora and fauna, the Foundation will support a bioblitz, which will bring together leading scientists and volunteers to survey the various taxa. The result will be a clearer picture of the environmental significance and needs of this intriguing area.

In 2014, the Husqvarna Group of Charlotte, N.C., generously donated $10,000 in chainsaws and other equipment to the Park Service for use in clearing trees after severe weather events along the Parkway. The Foundation will provide funds for a trailer that will transport this equipment to sites in need of attention.

FUNDED! The Blue Ridge Parkway’s old growth Carolina hemlock trees, a rare endemic species, and eastern hemlocks are at serious risk due to the hemlock woolly adelgid. Hemlock is the dominant species in many Parkway forests and its demise would result in cascading effects to other species such as migratory birds and aquatic resources.