Tag: ATC

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Trail Value Assessment Completed for TEHCC Section

Vic Hasler and Carl Fritz reporting

ATC worked collaboratively with the APPA NPS office to develop a system for assessing the value of the A.T. and its associated facilities. The results are to help the APPA (Appalachain National Scenic Trail) better compete for funding relative to other National Parks in our region by accurately accounting for the true worth of the extensive work provided by the volunteer corps. The monies help support A.T. relocations, trail rehab, and facility improvements.

Continue reading “Trail Value Assessment Completed for TEHCC Section”

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Welcome Amy Snyder as ATC SORO Resource Management Coordinator

Vic Hasler reporting

Amy received a B.S. in Biology from Armstrong Atlantic State University in 2006. As a graduation present to herself, she decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. During her hike, she witnessed the dramatic devastation of the forest caused by the gypsy moth invasion. This experience inspired her to pursue a M.S. in Entomology from Virginia Tech. Since graduation in 2011, she has been working towards forest protection in the natural sciences and natural resources fields. In her free time, Amy enjoys hiking, whitewater kayaking, and mountain biking. She can be reached at asnyder@appalachiantrail.org.

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ATC Phenology Program

Are you interested in exploring nature and helping out a good cause? ATC is seeking volunteers for their Phenology program. If you’re like me, the quote below should resolve your current question.

What is Phenology?

The term Phenology is derived from the Greek work “phaino”, meaning to show or appear. Phenology is the study of the reoccurring life cycle stages of plants and animals; such as bud break, leaf-out, hibernation, bird migrations an insect emergence. Phenology also includes the study of how the timing of these events relate to biotic and abiotic forces, such as weather and climate.

Read more about it at ATC’s website or download their brochure.

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A Biennial Celebration at ATC Cullowhee 2013

Plans have been underway for over a year for the biennial celebration at ATC Cullowhee 2013. It will be held at Western Carolina University (WCU) July 19-26, 2013, in Cullowhee N.C.  The five AT trail maintaining clubs in North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee have been working on all aspects of this event. TEHCC is responsible for organizing the workshops while other clubs are handling volunteers, hike selection, excursions, entertainment, housing, etc. We expect near 1000 people to attend this week long event. Continue reading “A Biennial Celebration at ATC Cullowhee 2013”

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Appalachian Trail Community designation event in Abingdon

The Town of Abingdon joins the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Mount Rogers Appalachian Trail Club in cordially inviting you to participate in the official designation of Abingdon as an Appalachian Trail Community™.  This event will take place in Abingdon, VA on September 11th at 6pm at the Abingdon Farmer’s Market.  Come out early to the Higher Education Center for a “Hikers and Bikers” presentation and hear from ATC’s Executive Director, Mark Wenger, about his Appalachian Trail section hike.  The presentation begins at 4pm.  We’d love to celebrate with you and hope to see you on Tuesday, September 11th!

The Appalachian Trail Community™ program recognizes communities who are taking extra steps to promote and protect the Appalachian Trail.  Designation as an Appalachian Trail Community™ is intended to:

  • Engage community residents, Trail visitors, and stewards
  • Thank communities for decades of service to hikers
  • Catalyze sustainable economic development
  • Aid local municipalities and regional areas with conservation planning
  • Raise local awareness of the Trail as a community resource and asset

Please RSVP by September 1, 2012 to Tenille Montgomery (tmontgomery@abingdon-va.gov) 276-676-2282.

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Grants from Tennessee Appalachian Trail License Plate Revenue

Joe DeLoach reporting

A committee consisting of members of the Tennessee Eastman Hiking & Canoeing Club, the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) has been formed to advise the ATC on use of funds from the Tennessee Appalachian Trail license plate.  Funds from this program must be used to support management of the Appalachian Trail in Tennessee and along the North Carolina border.  Continue reading “Grants from Tennessee Appalachian Trail License Plate Revenue”

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Appalachian Trail Conservancy Hosting Environmental Monitoring Workshop on May 26

On May 26, 2012 ATC will be hosting a training workshop for environmental monitoring efforts on the A.T. The workshop will be held at Chestoa, near Erwin, and will commence at 9 am. The morning session will provide an overview of ATC’s efforts to monitor the seasonal life or phenological cycles of common plants including leaf-out, flowering, fruiting, and leaf-drop in the fall. The workshop will provide instruction on how to collect and report observations from established sites in the A.T. corridor. Phenology monitoring is a very intuitive exercise that does not require technical experience or botanical skills. People of all ages are encouraged to participate. The afternoon will be spent discussing rare plant monitoring. The workshop will serve as an introduction for new monitors and a refresher for past and current rare plant monitors. Participants will discuss how to locate monitoring sites using GPS technology, how to collect monitoring data, and how to report findings. For those interested in monitoring this field season, there will be a brief discussion of site assignments. There is no cost for the workshop and ATC will provide handouts and other training materials. Equipment will be provided by ATC staff, but participants are encouraged to bring their own GPS, binoculars, compass, or other equipment which may be used in the field. Participants are also asked to provide their own lunch and water, wear long-pants, boots, and layer appropriately for variable weather. To register for the workshop or get more information, please contact ATC’s Resource Management Coordinator John Odell, telephone (828) 254-3708, jodell@appalachiantrail.org.

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Volunteer Opportunities at the 2013 Appalachian Trail Biennial Conference

Joe DeLoach and Steve Perri, atchair@tehcc.org, reporting

In 2013 the five Deep-South Appalachian Trail-Maintaining clubs will host the biennial national meeting of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The meeting will be held July 19-26 on the campus of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, about a 2½ hour drive from Kingsport. We are one of the host clubs along with the Carolina Mountain Club, Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, Nantahala Hiking Club, and Georgia Appalachian Trail Club. More specifically, we are responsible for workshops at the conference. We’d welcome anyone who is interested in presenting a workshop, and we will need volunteers to moderate the workshop sessions which are currently scheduled for Saturday and Sunday July 20-21. Volunteers are also needed to lead hikes; around 170 hikes will be offered during the week, and a leader and a co-leader is needed for each hike. Bruce Bente from the Carolina Mountain Club is leading the hiking program. If you’d like to help with the hikes, please contact Bruce at bbente@bellsouth.net. Any volunteers with interests in artwork and/or photography are invited to help organize and judge digital photography and children’s artwork competitions. Finally, volunteers are needed to work at the registration, housing, hikes, excursion, and information desks. If you are willing to help in this fashion, please contact Peter Berntsen of Smoky Mountain Hiking Club (rennur99@bellsouth.net) who is in charge of volunteer recruitment. It takes hundreds of volunteers to make a meeting like this happen. We certainly need more than two TEHCC people to help with the conference and with the workshops, so please consider volunteering. For questions about the Biennial meeting, contact Joe or Steve.