2023 HIGHLANDS NC EXPERIENCE GUIDE
plants, providing nest sites, and advocating for the reduction of pesticides. To realize these goals, community partners have removed non-native species on the Highlands Plateau Greenway, helped the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust create two new habitats, and enhanced the pollinator garden at the Highlands Biological Station. As Highlands’ population soared and residents increasingly crossed paths with bears, the need to develop a strategy for educating the public on how to coexist with bears and avoid human- bear conflicts became paramount. In response, local photographer Cynthia Strain spearheaded a campaign that resulted in Highlands becoming the first town in the nation to receive BearWise
community recognition. In 2021, two ordinances were enacted aimed at reducing confrontation, by reducing the availability of food and installing bear-proof cans to prevent bears from wandering Main Street. “The whole community feels safer, and the bears are no longer being acclimated to human forces,” Strain says. This human commitment results in nature’s survival. And, as Highlanders understand, that benefits all living things .
19
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online