Save the Hemlocks

06/01/2026

Thank you to Canaan Land Retreat and all those who came out to learn how to economically, efficiently, and environmentally responsibly treat your hemlocks! Thanks to your care and efforts, the hemlocks at Canaan Land and the hemlocks you care for will continue to provide invaluable resources to the ecosystems they inhabit.

If you're interested in attending an event like this, visit our website to view the upcoming events or to get on our mailing list to get alerts.

05/27/2026

Are you looking to learn more about hemlock chemical treatment? Join HRI for a Hemlock Treatment Demonstration at Warren Wilson on June 13, 2026. We will cover everything you need to know to treat your own hemlocks to protect against invasive hemlock woolly adelgid - from assessing your hemlock's health to the process of insecticide mixing and application.

CE credits available for pesticide applicators, ISA members, and SAF Certified Foresters.

For more details and to register, visit the events page at the link in our bio or at savehemlocksnc.org/events.

05/22/2026

Now is the time to look for signs of new growth on your hemlocks! During the spring, healthy hemlocks grow new needles that are bright green and lush. They almost look like tips of paint brushes! It is a good sign that your hemlock is healthy, happy, and recovering after treatment.

If you treated your trees sometime within the past year and aren't seeing this yet, never fear. This lush new growth may not appear until this fall or next spring, as it can take a year or two after initial treatment.

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05/11/2026

Last week's rain moistened the soil, and the air temperature will remain low this week. Take advantage of these conditions, before temperatures rise next week.

If you or someone you know has hemlocks on their property that are in need of treatment, this week is the perfect time to do so.

If you have questions about how to perform a hemlock treatment, follow the link in our bio to our website to learn more.

If you are interested in a more hands-on approach to learning about these topics,
we regularly offer workshops and demonstrations that provide detailed instruction and information about hemlock treatment for HWA.

05/07/2026

Earlier this winter, HRI put on a hemlock treatment demonstration at Warren Wilson College. Our crew enjoyed the opportunity to share our knowledge and love of hemlock trees, and educate the future of forestry on the methods that we use to treat them for HWA.

We are passionate about the work that we do. So it is always rewarding to collaborate with a group of individuals who share our passion for western Carolina's forests, and our desire to conserve what makes them special.

Thank you to the Forestry Crew and the Ecological Landscape Crew at Warren Wilson College, and to everyone else who helped to make this event happen!

If this hemlock treatment demonstration at Warren Wilson sounded interesting to you, you're in luck! We are holding another one- this time, for the public- same place, different time: June 13th at 9am. See our Events page for more information.

05/04/2026

Trout don’t just need clean water—they need healthy forests upstream.

Eastern hemlocks shade cold headwaters, stabilize stream banks, and protect the insects that trout depend on. When hemlocks decline, streams warm, habitat shrinks, and fisheries suffer.

Right now, eastern hemlocks need our help.

As the spring season progresses, anglers are in the forests enjoying the unique trout waters of Western North Carolina. These fisheries, used by hundreds of thousands of anglers each year, are a resource worth protecting.

Protecting fisheries starts in the forest. Join us in protecting the forests that protect our fisheries by treating your hemlocks to keep them healthy, making a donation, or joining us at an upcoming event to learn more about the issue.

Visit our events page at the link in our bio for more information and to register.

photos courtesy of: .zimmerman.photography

04/29/2026

HRI regularly hosts interactive hikes, where we share our knowledge and love of the forest with members of the public. Earlier this month, we led a wonderful group of hikers along the Little Bradley Falls Trail, observing and discussing spring ephemerals along the way.

If you're looking for a way to engage with the natural world, learn more about the forests we all love, and spend some time outdoors with passionate conservationists, consider signing up for one of our hikes!

You can find the dates to these hikes and information about how to sign up on our website, at the link in our bio.

04/29/2026

04/22/2026

Today, we celebrate our Earth and the wonderful ecology we are surrounded by. Did you know there are only 10 hemlock species in the entire world? We have four species in North America and six species in Asia, each loving cool temperate forests.

04/19/2026

Hemlocks are extremely important for bird habitat, especially for species such as the Black-throated green warbler, the Blackburnian warbler, the Blue-headed vireo, and the Acadian flycatcher. Join us on this early Sunday morning hike to learn more about hemlocks, HWA, and how you can help- all the while seeing which birds are living in their canopies!

Visit our events page at the link in our bio to learn more and register.