2023 HIGHLANDS NC EXPERIENCE GUIDE
Highlands is a place where one can occasionally see black bears crossing Main Street, spot Blue Warblers in the forests, watch snapping turtles and frogs along the rivers, see salamanders swimming below miniature waterfalls and admire the flowering of rare Piedmont rhododendrons. A special note about our salamanders: Highlands’ diverse population of these beguiling amphibians has earned our area the moniker “Salamander Capital of the World.” We take pride in the moniker, as their presence certifies the purity of our air, water and soil. All of this – the extraordinarily diverse wildlife and plant population, lush forests, a suite of rare habitats found at 4,118 feet – are hallmarks of what is one of the most biodiverse places on the continent. Stewardship of these sacred spaces is taken seriously. Conservationists, residents and community leaders alike have long recognized the threat of biodiversity loss. Understanding that the future for Highlands was contingent on preservation, town founders forged a belief in the
possibility of humans living in harmony with nature and underscored the dangers of overgrowth. From the start, grassroots efforts have helped protect the fragile ecosystem. Much of the land around Highlands is protected by the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust (HCLT), the country’s oldest such organization. HCLT owns approximately 300 acres associated with the town and is its largest landowner. With 3,800 acres in 130 places under its stewardship, HCLT has played a pivotal role In the community, the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust (HCLT) has played a pivotal role in the creation of Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park and as active partners in the development of the Highlands Plateau Greenway. Its local history is significant. In 1909, the Highlands Improvement Society purchased the top of Satulah Mountain, making its descendant HCLT. For more than a century, it has paved the way for conservation, protection, and restoration of wildlife and rare species habitat, public recreation opportunities, and water
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