Plateau Magazine June-July 2023

species, preserve watersheds and restore
connectivity between ecosystems.
This site will be HCLT’s first public
hiking trail in Cashiers and is a potential
site for a pocket meadow, a sustainable
approach to gardening for wildlife. Pocket
meadows are small, native plantings
inspired by the natural landscape that
offer the same ecological benefits of wild
meadows but on a smaller, more manageable
scale. This type of gardening supports
insects and recreates an ecological web as
it rebuilds a sustainable habitat. In addition,
headwater seeps on the property provide
wetland habitat, which is abundant in
animal and plant life.
The property will also serve as a buffer
to developed spaces, critical at this time
of proposed development in Cashiers, and
preserve green space, which positively impacts
all communities. This site could well
become our own mini-Central Park, preserving
what we so love about living here.
Satulah Mountain
As the first purchase of HIA, which would
eventually become HCLT, one could argue
that it all started here. This land had been
slated to become a hilltop hotel, but HIA
knew it could serve a better, long-term
purpose, and it raised $500 to purchase
the 56 acres outright. This purchase protected
the right of people “to behold the
beauties of the sunset, starlit heavens, and
the glories of the sunrise.”
At 4543 feet, Satulah Mountain is one of
the tallest peaks of the Blue Ridge Escarpment
and is often referred to as an “island
in the sky.” It is also home to a number of
rare and unusual plant species including
granite dome goldenrod, Hartweg’s locust
and dwarf juniper. The trees at the ridgetop
forest are likely close to 300 years old
even though conditions have dwarfed them
to deceivingly small heights and girths. In
addition, the land is dominated by ericaceous
shrub species including rhododendron,
azalea, huckleberry and mountain
laurel.
The trail on Satulah Mountain is over
100 years old, and visitors can explore the
old stone house used by the earliest hikers.
In fact, there is much history here, for this
is where Highlands was born. The rock at
the summit, where the Forest Service Fire
Tower once stood, is the very spot where
Samuel Kelsey, founder of Highlands, was
inspired to found the town.
As a registered North Carolina National
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Pink lady slippers
(Cypripedium acaule)
in bloom on hiking
trail in Edward Baker
Preserve.
Stag's-horn clubmoss
(Lycopodium clavatum)
found in abundance
at Edward Baker
Preserve.
Heritage site, the property holds historical
and future cultural significance. The
North Carolina National Heritage Program
is a program of the Division of Land
and Water Stewardship within the North
Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural
Resources. By gathering and sharing
information about rare species and natural
Boys & Girls Club teens volunteering
at Edward Baker Preserve to help
build hiking trails.
communities, this program ensures public
access to information needed to weigh the
ecological significance of natural areas and
to evaluate potential ecological impacts of
conservation and development projects. In
other words, it helps us grow in a way that
is sustainable and preserves the spirit and
integrity of these mountains.
Dixon Woods
Dixon Woods is one of the flattest hikes in
Highlands, allowing those who cannot or
do not wish to tackle the rougher terrain
to enjoy our beautiful landscape. Located
at the headwaters of the Cullasaja River,
the site is lush with vegetation and animal
life and has an on-site pond that serves as
a breeding site for salamanders, a species
critical to the ecosystem.
In addition, HCLT is developing a
wildlife pocket meadow that will provide
pollinator habitat, vegetation for wildlife
and respite for two-legged visitors. Once
complete, the pocket meadow will provide
a beautiful clearing next to a stream. With
picnic tables and abundant wildflowers,
this will no doubt become a favorite site for
locals and visitors alike.
These are only four of the many sites
over which HCLT acts as steward, but they
are good examples of why HCLT’s work is
critical here on the plateau. We need to protect
our wild places. These places support
the web of life by protecting flora and fauna
of all make, including our precious pollinators.
The connected parks and green spaces
offer innumerable health benefits by promoting
physical activity and connecting us
with nature. And let’s not forget the birds.
The National Audubon Society and Bird
Life International have designated the plateau
as one of the most important bird areas
of the world. Birds of high conservation
priority, including the Black-throated blue
warbler, Canada warbler, Golden-crowned
Kinglet hooded warbler, Rose-breasted
Grosbeak and the Red-breasted nuthatch,
thrive in these mountains.
If the mountains speak to you, speak
back by supporting HCLT. Whether it is
time, land or resources, we can all do our
part. Think of this as a gift to your children
and grandchildren—and their children and
grandchildren. It is a promise to future
generations that the beauty and integrity of
the plateau will endure. It is a gift that will
outlast us all. It is a legacy of love. P