EcoForesters

EcoForesters: Forestry. Conservation. Education

Forestland owners and local communities benefit from EcoForesters’ ability to develop and implement forest management strategies that promote future forest sustainability and resiliency. Our methods emphasize sound ecological management over other profit and production driven forest management approaches. We are actively making positive impacts on our forests while always helping landowners achieve their individual management objectives. Long-Term Goals:
• Develop programs to increase landowner understanding and public awareness of sustainable forest management practices.
• Improve Appalachian forests by increasing the number of landowners with ecologically sound forest management plans and strategies.
• Improve Appalachian forests by implementing and demonstrating positive impact forestry practices through providing state of the art consulting forestry and mapping services to forest landowners.
• Utilize and develop state of the art forestry practices and mapping technology to monitor, sustain, and promote the ecological health of Appalachian forests.
• Support students and young natural resource professionals by offering service learning opportunities that will strengthen their understanding of positive forest stewardship and provide hands-on forest management experience.
• Partner with and provide services to conservation organizations, educational institutions, and natural resource professionals that share our mission and vision.
• Bring natural resource professionals and landowners of differing views, namely utilitarian vs. preservation views, together to find common ground by educating them about the benefits of sustainable positive impact forestry. Values:
• Positive Impact Forestry – our forest management approach simulates natural processes, while maximizing ecosystem values and ensuring future productivity.
• Sustainability – our forests should be managed in a way that meets society’s present needs, while still preserving their ecological integrity for future benefit.
• Community – our forests are natural, renewable resources to be managed for the good of all.
• Professionalism – our services and programs will be administered by only the most well-trained, experienced and professional individuals.
• Integrity – our team is committed to being honest, sincere, impartial and respectful in our actions.
• Service – our team goes above and beyond to meet our clients’ and stakeholders’ needs and deliver high quality services and programs.
• Teamwork – our team is dedicated to open, respectful communication, being supportive of each other and working cooperatively in order to achieve our mission.

10/16/2026

🎃 Leave your leaves to protect creepy crawlies (& biodiversity)! 🕷

Fallen leaves provide shelter for insects, salamanders, and other small critters through the colder months. And as they decompose, they return nutrients to the soil.

You can leave your leaves where they fall or move them into your garden beds to protect your plants’ roots, suppress weeds, and preserve soil moisture! Even a small patch of leaves can make a big difference for wildlife

10/14/2026

Group hike at Rumbling Bald!

We learned about fire ecology from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and brushed up on our tree ID skills with EcoForesters’ very own Forestry Director, Andy Tait!

Thank you to everyone who came out to hike with us and enjoy the lovely fall weather!

We host several hikes like this for our members each year, but this was the first time we opened one up to all our supporters. Want to join us for more? Become an EcoForesters member!

For just $35/year, you can support the restoration of Southern Appalachian forests, get invites to special events, and enjoy other member perks. We'd love to have you along for the next one!

10/09/2026

EF crew bucking up a blowdown.
The goal? To get downed wood as close to the ground as possible to encourage decomposition and reduce ladder fuels—downed wood and other vegetation that can help a wildfire spread from the forest floor into the tree canopy.
Learn how you can be FireWise this season! EcoForesters is hosting a webinar NEXT WEDNESDAY (10/14).
We'll explore wildfire risk in our region, post-Helene impacts and considerations, and the connection between the home and surrounding forest. We'll also discuss common vulnerabilities, how to prioritize mitigation actions, and resources available to help you take the next step.
Register here: https://forms.gle/YRSJ5bsN9Eyv8S2n8 by 5pm EST, Tuesday, Oct 13th.

10/07/2026

It's paw paw season! Swipe to learn more about North America's (secret??) tropical fruit!

10/01/2026

Two years after Hurricane Helene brought catastrophic flooding, landslides and damage to Western North Carolina, communities across the region continue to demonstrate what locally led recovery looks like in action.

Much of this work has been made possible through the generosity of the Truist Foundation Western NC Recovery and Resiliency Fund.

EcoForesters is one of 54 local organizations to recieve grant funding through this initiative.

This grant has supported outreach and education efforts centered on post-disaster management planning, wildfire mitigation, and non-native invasive species control, helping forest owners make their forests healthier and more resilient.

Thank you Center for Disaster Philanthropy

09/29/2026

Join EcoForesters for Understanding & Assessing Wildfire Risk, an informative webinar focused on understanding and reducing wildfire risk in Western North Carolina.

We'll explore wildfire risk in our region, post-Helene impacts and considerations, the connection between the home and surrounding forest, and how the Structure Ignition Zones can help you assess your property. We'll also discuss common vulnerabilities, how to prioritize mitigation actions, and resources available to help you take the next step.

Guest speakers will include Jason O'Neal, the Helene Mitigation Coordinator for North Carolina Forest Service, and Troy Harrison, Firewise Program Coordinator for Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D).

Wednesday, October 14
11:30AM-12:30PM

Register here: https://forms.gle/YRSJ5bsN9Eyv8S2n8 by 5pm EST, Tuesday, Oct 13th.

A recording will be sent to all registrants following the webinar. This is the first webinar in a 3-part series.

09/25/2026

Two years after Hurricane Helene, EcoForesters spent a day with Full Circle Forestry Collective, helping turn storm debris into firewood for their free firewood bank in Barnardsville.

Full Circle Forestry Collective (FCFC) formed in the wake of Helene , coming together to support their neighbors through the devastation. Their experienced forestry crew carries out fuels reduction work on landowners’ properties while helping make forests and communities more fire-ready.

As part of their long-term recovery work, FCFC turns woody debris into firewood for community members who rely on it to stay warm through the winter. They partner with local community centers, mutual aid organizations, and firewood banks to help provide warmth to families in need.

We’re grateful to spend this anniversary putting storm debris to work for our community.

Volunteer with FCFC! Visit fullcircleforestry.org to learn more

09/18/2026

Prior to Helene, the mountains of Western North Carolina were often referred to as a “climate haven”; Far from the rising seas of the east and high enough in elevation to maintain cooler temperatures.

Two years later, it has become increasingly clear that, as global temperatures continue to rise, nowhere is completely safe from climate threats.

While we don’t have the power to influence the number or severity of threats we face, we can increase our resilience to future events.
Healthy forests are the key.

The benefits that humans derive from nature are called ecosystem services.
Appalachian forests offer numerous ecosystem services that our region relies on, such as clean air and water, forest products, and space to recreate.
Forests also play an important role in flood mitigation, intercepting rainfall to reduce peak flow, and reduce extreme heat by providing natural cooling effects.

As flooding and extreme heat increase in frequency, conserving these benefits will be essential.

09/16/2026

Over the summer, we reached over 100 community members through our hands-on workshops.
These workshops trained participants to identify and manage invasive species, reaching over 100 participants, giving forest owners the tools they need to steward their land.

Non-native invasive species (NNIS) are the second greatest threat to biodiversity, after habitat loss. They outcompete native species for resources, altering ecosystems & disrupting food webs. This leads to declines & even extinctions of native plants and animals, causing even more habitat loss.

NNIS impact property values, public utility operations, fisheries, tourism, agriculture and forestry production, and outdoor recreation. A 2021 study estimated that invasive species have cost North America $2 billion per year in the early 1960s to over $26 billion per year since 2010 (Crystal-Ornela, R. et al. 2021). NNIS take advantage of disturbances. Post-Helene, it is more important than ever to be proactive in managing NNIS for the sake of our local ecosystem and the community and economy we’ve built around it.
These workshops were funded by a generous grant from the North Carolina Community Foundation.

Thank you to our partners at Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, the Pisgah Conservancy, and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission for collaborating with us. And of course, thank you to everyone who came out to learn with us

Missed it? Stay tuned on our social media and sign up for our e-newsletter (if you haven’t already) to learn about upcoming workshops.

We are grateful to the North Carolina Community Foundation for recognizing the importance of forest restoration in our region’s long-term recovery, and are excited to continue expanding our outreach and stewardship programming.

09/09/2026

We just crunched the numbers, and as of 8/31, our stewardship crews have treated 1,111 acres of invasives. As cool as it'd be to end the year on such a satisfying number, we've got 4 more months to go, and our crew is on a roll!

* This photo features an EcoForesters forest restoration technician foliar-spraying kudzu with a selective herbicide that translocates to the roots to prevent resprouting. Kudzu can grow as fast as a foot a day and can smother a habitat quickly without intervention. Invasive plant management rarely has a one-size-fits-all solution. Many project plans utilize a combination of mechanical and chemical techniques. We believe that carefully applied herbicide can be a powerful tool in our arsenal. Through careful monitoring and management, we can slow the spread of invasive species and promote healthier, more resilient forests across the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina.

Address

Asheville, NC

Telephone

+18284846842

Website

http://ecoforesters.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when EcoForesters posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to EcoForesters:

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Asheville?