New NWTF North Carolina Chapter and Partners Host Habitat Cleanup
The NWTF Avery County Ridge Runners Chapter recently partnered with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and students from Freedom High School Future Farmers of America to host a cleanup day on the North Bend Game Land in Burke County, North Carolina.
This event served as the new chapter’s first conservation event, showcasing the NWTF Avery County Ridge Runners’ dedication to conservation and quality public hunting access. The collaborative event was also a significant step for the local NWTF chapter to build a strong relationship with the NCWRC.
North Bend Game Land is over 1,500 acres that was recently donated to the NCWRC from Duke Energy. The property has several overgrown areas crowded with dense understory brush that are littered with debris from Hurricane Helene. Looking to improve the health of the landscape, the NCWRC started making plans to build wildlife food plots and clear out areas for wheelchair-accessible hunting stands.
Certain areas of the North Bend property are protected by a conservation easement which means the department cannot use heavy machinery to clear out those areas. Paul Thompson, NCWRC’s Northern Mountains land management biologist, knew the department needed many helping hands to get the work done, and he connected with Shane Poore, Avery County Ridge Runners Chapter president, about hosting a collaborative conservation cleanup event. Poore and his chapter were happy to help and knew where they could recruit more volunteers.
Poore reached out to Freedom High School’s FFA program and asked students to help in exchange for volunteer hours they’d need to graduate. School buses brought over 100 students to the property to help clean up debris left by Hurricane Helene that had washed onto the area bordering the Catawba River.
“The students did a wonderful job,” Poore said. “It was so important to get some of these kids out in the woods, too. One girl said this was not her element, but got to see wildlife, blooming trees and wildflowers, and was asking questions by the end. It was awesome exposure. A football player got excited about finding a deer skull. We moved a lot of material, and it was amazing to watch everyone working together; we got a lot accomplished.”
Thompson was able to attend and work directly with students answering questions about the property, the NCWRC and the outdoors. This was a major step for the NCWRC to get a habitat project started on newly acquired land.
As for the NWTF Avery County Ridge Runners, they are gearing up to host their first chapter banquet in April. A few faculty and staff members from Freedom High School and NCWRC will be attending, further strengthening their partnerships. Poore hopes this is only the beginning of his chapter’s legacy, one that is dedicated to conserving wild turkey habitat and preserving the nation’s hunting heritage.
“Since the first meeting with this group of volunteers, I could sense the passion they had for conservation and their love for the outdoors,” said Tim Draughon, NWTF regional director. “The energy and excitement they show is humbling to me on how they can get involved and how they do get involved in their area and the local community. They are always looking for ways to fulfill the mission and vision of the NWTF, and I am excited to see the great things they will do in the future.”