Dear Friends, January always brings a flurry of promise, of hope, and often a pressure to reform or improve upon our performance in the previous year. But today as I look out at the snowfall blanketing the garden, I’m reminded we are part of, not separate from,...
Dear Friends, I began writing this letter to you on the autumn equinox, Sunday, September 22, looking forward to a new season at Southern Highlands Reserve. Little did I know what would befall our beloved mountain region less than a week later. With our staff,...
Every year since 2021, Garden & Gun Magazine honors 10 Champions of Conservation. These are “scientists, advocates, and groundbreakers” doing their part to save the natural world. This year, Executive Director Kelly Holdbrooks received this incredible honor. Read...
Storm water mitigation in action last winter Gardener Kody Stanley stayed on site at Southern Highlands Reserve with his young family while Hurricane Helene roared through our region. I’d like to start by expressing my gratitude for SHR and our team. I’m...
A Report from Southern Highlands Reserve Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented devastation to the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, and the aftermath of this natural disaster is still unfolding. It destroyed lives, homes, and businesses and changed the shape of rivers...
With Kelly Holdbrooks Fall carries similar energy felt in spring, creating a sense of urgency. As conditions change in the environment, we humans shift just like the plants and animals in wild spaces. Cold nights, first freeze, and fall color signal winter is coming....
