High Country Wild

High Country Wild A chapter of North Carolina Wildlife Federation serving wildlife & wild places in North Carolina’s High Country ⛰️Join us!

Conserve 🌎 • Restore 🌱• Protect 🐾 • Educate 📖

09/04/2026

📰🌿 Field Notes | August 2026 is here!

Our latest issue of Field Notes is packed with what’s happening behind the scenes at High Country Wild, the people and partners who make our work possible, and a few things to get you outside and looking a little closer at the wild world around you.

Here’s a peek at what’s inside:

🌱 A BIG welcome to our newest High Country Wild member, Laura Kiefer!

💧 Community Spotlight: Hannah Woodburn
As MountainTrue’s Upper New Riverkeeper, Hannah works to protect the headwaters and tributaries of the New River across the High Country. Learn more about her work—and her connection to one of our region’s most fascinating creatures, the Eastern Hellbender.

🛣️ The Blue Ridge Parkway: Drive a While, Stop a While
We’re taking a look at the history of this incredible landscape and High Country Wild’s new partnership with other local conservation groups to help care for the Parkway and our adopted trails.

🦅 Wildlife Challenge: LOOK UP!
Thousands of birds may be migrating overhead while we sleep. This month, we’re challenging you to explore BirdCast and find out just how much migration is happening over your own corner of the High Country.

📅 And of course, we’ve got upcoming events and ways to get involved, from community adventures and habitat workdays to the Hellbender Bike Ride.

👉 Read the August issue of Field Notes and see what’s happening in your High Country!

🌎 Wildlife. Wild things. Wild places. That’s High Country Wild.

https://highcountrywild.org/field-notes-august-2026/

08/31/2026

What an incredible day on the Watauga River! We located several cool river creatures, met some like-minded nature lovers and drank in the expert knowledge of the folks at MountainTrue.

08/29/2026

What if your next workday came with views like THIS? 🥾⛰️

Today, we took our conservation efforts to the Blue Ridge Parkway and spent the day giving a little love back to one of the most beautiful places in the High Country.

Transition Blue Ridge + Blue Ridge Group of the Sierra Club + High Country Wild + Audubon teamed up for a Blue Ridge Parkway workday filled with good people, fresh mountain air, beautiful trails, and a little sweat for a good cause.

And guess what? Another Blue Ridge Parkway workday is coming up soon!

Come get outside. Meet some great people. Help care for these incredible public lands. And yes… enjoy those views while you’re at it. Trust me, there’s no better place to do a workday!

👉 Watch for the next workday and sign up to join us!

PLOT TWIST: A FEW SNORKEL SPOTS JUST OPENED!Our Community Snorkel Adventure with MountainTrue has been FULL for weeks, b...
08/26/2026

PLOT TWIST: A FEW SNORKEL SPOTS JUST OPENED!

Our Community Snorkel Adventure with MountainTrue has been FULL for weeks, but 4️⃣ cancellations happened today. 👀

So, if you’ve been wishing you’d grabbed a spot sooner, you now have a second chance!

Come get in the water, explore our local waterways, and see what’s swimming beneath the surface with us!

First come, first snorkel. 😉
Grab a spot before they disappear again! Registration link in the bio!

07/27/2026

Yum yum yum! These delicious treats by Mattie Snyder will be making their debut at tomorrow night’s Summer Social! Limited supply. First come, first served….so you might want to show up early! Register now and let us know you’ll make it out to New River Brewing (taproom) tomorrow night. Visit https://highcountrywild.org/event/summer-social

Join us for an upcoming Summer Social & Board Meeting! This is an opportunity to learn more about NCWF High Country Wild...
07/20/2026

Join us for an upcoming Summer Social & Board Meeting!

This is an opportunity to learn more about NCWF High Country Wild Chapter, meet NCWF staff and local chapter leaders, and get involved with conservation at the grassroots level.

Bring your ideas, curiosity, and maybe a few random wildlife facts.

All are welcome!

When:

Tuesday, July 28th
Board Meeting @ 5PM
Social Starts @ 6PM

Where:

New River Taproom
833 U.S. Hwy 221 Business
West Jefferson, NC

To Register:

https://highcountrywild.org/event/summer-social/

It doesn’t really matter in what geographic region you pitch in to serve wildlife and its habitat! This week two leader...
07/11/2026

It doesn’t really matter in what geographic region you pitch in to serve wildlife and its habitat! This week two leaders from NCWF local chapters High Country Wild (Debby Hanley) and LNWC (Sara Wylie) got together (via paddle board and kayak!) to clean up debris along the shoreline of one of Lake Norman’s many islands. The clean up was undertaken as part of the Island Habitat Program run by Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists (LNWC), in partnership with Duke Energy and NC Wildlife Federation To learn more about this great program, visit https://lnwc.org/island-habitat-program/

07/03/2026

The latest volume of our newsletter, FIELDnotes is now available! Visit www.highcountrywild.org/field-notes-june-2026 to view. A downloadable pdf if also available.

What's Inside:

🦌 Wildlife Tip of the Month

🧝‍💁‍♀️ New Member Welcome

🔦 Community Spotlight featuring Board Member, Hannah McCarraher

🍰 Wild Pumpkin Cake Recipe from our Foraging Guide, Brenda Smith

📸 Past Event Photos

🕐 Registration and other Info on Upcoming Events

Address

2892 Broadstone Road
Banner Elk, NC
28604

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