Equinox Environmental

06/12/2026

Our Community Planner, Brad Spiegel, recently sat down with the Exploration Local Podcast as part of his role with Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS) about their work to explore the possibilities of a greenway in Swannanoa and how our firm is helping achieve this vision. Take a listen!

NEW EPISODE: The Swannanoa Greenway: More Than a Trail | Bradley Spiegel & Carol Groben (Link in Bio)

When most people hear “greenway,” they think of a trail.

But what if it could also help a community become more resilient?

After Hurricane Helene, the conversation around the proposed Swannanoa Greenway took on new meaning. In this episode, I sit down with Bradley Spiegel and Carol Grobin to explore how a greenway could support flood mitigation, safer connections between neighborhoods, and the long-term future of Swannanoa.

This one is about much more than a trail.

🎙️ Link in bio, or listen on your favorite podcast platform.

Equinox
Great Trails NC
Connect Buncombe
RiverLink
Equinox
MADE X MTNS

06/03/2026

Where does the water from your downspouts go?

During the rainfall event that has a 50% chance of occurring in any given year, a 100-square-foot of rooftop in Asheville will generate approximately 225 gallons of stormwater runoff. Directing this runoff to a vegetated area, such as a garden bed, instead of across your yard or straight offsite, helps water soak into the ground, which can reduce erosion, recharge groundwater, and decrease the amount of water entering stormwater systems.

Adding a small bed of rock at the end of a downspout can help slow the flow before it spreads into your yard or garden. Replacing a downspout with a rain chain can slow water and direct it to a catchment or planted area. You can also bury underdrains to guide water to areas where it can be safely absorbed. Another option is to connect downspouts to a rain barrel, rain tank or underground cistern allowing you to collect and reuse water for irrigation.

These simple strategies support three key benefits: they slow water to minimize erosion, filter runoff before it leaves your property, and reduce the total volume of water entering storm drains. This means more water stays on your land and if you are a city or suburban dweller puts less strain on our public infrastructure. As you evaluate your own stormwater systems, always make sure water is directed away from your home’s structure and foundation!

Images
1: downspout releasing onto rock
2: garden where water is directed to from downspout in image 1
3: rain chain with rock and planting below
4: rain barrel with overflow to rock and garden
5: downspout into connected rain barrels
6: aboveground cistern
(all images by Equinox or permitted for use with Adobe Stock license)

05/26/2026

We are very excited to share this critical work that our Community Planner, Bradley Spiegel, will be supporting over the next two-years with the Town of Canton, Haywood Waterways Association, Inc., Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, and Haywood Advancement Foundation!

He'll be convening the necessary stakeholders and guide a thoughtful planning process that integrates flood resilience, outdoor recreation, economic development, and quality of life that sets Canton up for sustainable future.

See this recent article from the Mountaineer on the project:

A new grant-funded project manager will help lead Canton’s growth and development over the next two years.

05/15/2026

Lisa Raleigh the Executive Director of RiverLink did an excellent job sharing the importance of riparian zones, the state of our rivers after TS Helene, and protecting the French Broad River. Give it a listen.

Rivers, Floods, and a Human Reckoning | Lisa Raleigh, PhD | TEDxAsheville

05/14/2026

Yesterday, two of our staff, Alex and Owen, headed down to Raleigh to join a cohort of folks from across the state to participate in NC Farmland Preservation Advocacy Day.

NC has now surpassed Texas in percentage of farmland loss to residential development - the clock is ticking.

The goal was to schedule face-to-face meetings with legislative representatives and urge them to support farmland preservation through raising state funding levels, enhancing the conservation tax credit, and providing matching dollars for federal grants.

We were able to schedule meetings with regional and local representatives and add our voices to the collective. our message was well received, and we are hopeful that lawmakers can work to effect positive change and provide meaningful support for farmland preservation.

We ran into many of our friends: WNC From the Ground Up, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Conserving Carolina, and others.

We care about the future of farmland in North Carolina!

(PS, on our way back we made the obligatory stop at Keaton’s BBQ, home of the best chicken you’ll ever eat - a true NC hidden gem!)

05/01/2026

Have you noticed mayapples blooming in our local forests lately? These plants share an interesting mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship with the eastern box turtle. The flowers you see now will develop into fruit, and by late summer, box turtles happily snack on the soft, ripe pods—undeterred by compounds that discourage other animals from browsing them. As the turtles roam, they disperse the seeds through their droppings, helping new mayapples sprout far from the parent plants. In return, dense patches of mayapples create cool, shaded, moisture‑rich habitats that box turtles rely on for shelter in hot weather.

04/07/2026

Spring ephemerals are the sprinters of the forest understory—leafing out, flowering, and setting seed in the narrow window before the canopy closes. They fuel early-emerging pollinators when few other nectar sources are available, then vanish underground by early summer. Many even enlist ants for seed dispersal (myrmecochory), trading nutrient-rich seed coatings for a ride to new ground.

Images:
1. Bloodroot
2. Trout lily
3. Star chickweed
4. Trillium
5. Mayapple

All photos taken by Equinox employees!

03/22/2026

What a huge W for Buncombe County!

We feel so fortunate to have worked with our long-term conservation partners at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy to help turn this dream into a reality!

It started with early planning work to understand appraisal values, and explore what a conservation easement would be worth. We then conducted environmental due diligence ahead of the acquisition of the property.

Once under SAHC ownership, we spent many hours documenting the flora, fauna, natural communities, and anthropogenic features contained within the property, then authored the document that established the conservation values to be protected by an easement. 

Having such intimate knowledge, we can confidently say that this new county park, when finally complete, will be an incredible asset for the communities and the ecology of Buncombe County.

Buncombe County’s largest public park yet is one step closer to reality after officials closed on the purchase of 342 acres atop Deaverview Mountain. Details: https://bit.ly/4bD4tCu

03/17/2026

Share your thoughts on a future Woodfin to Weaverville Greenway Connector.

Our team is actively working on this project and would love your involvement! Join us to share your thoughts, connect with the team, and learn about upcoming opportunities. Equinox folks won't be able to attend — we will be at our company retreat — but come say hello and make your voice heard!

March 19 from 5 -7 at the Weaverville Town Hall Community Room

If you can't come in person, please take the survey here: https://app.maptionnaire.com/q/woodfin2weaverville

03/06/2026

Equinox has long partnered with clients to cultivate ecological landscapes, with meadows as a cornerstone of that work. Today, that commitment came to life as Equinox’s David Tuch conducted a controlled burn of his meadow under the expert guidance of Tory Nergart of Conserving Carolina (828.697.5777), with support from Patchwork Meadows (828.545.6826).

Prescribed fire is one of nature's most powerful land management tools. A carefully executed burn suppresses invasive plant species, reduces the spread of harmful insects and pathogens, and encourages native plants to flourish — resulting in a more resilient, biodiverse meadow ecosystem.