Dear Friends,
Autumn arrives early at elevation. The ridgelines are turning, the meadows are softening into gold, and the first crisp mornings have settled over Toxaway Mountain. It is a season of transformation, and a reminder that change is a necessary and beautiful part of renewal.
This month we welcomed our final visitors of the 2026 season. Thank you to every guest who made the trip up the mountain, and to the staff and volunteers who welcomed them. It was a season of firsts, from Nature Sketchbook Journaling workshops and two Labyrinth Meditation Walks to a community day for our Lake Toxaway neighbors and another joyful Nature Play Day. Each one reminded us that this place is meant to be shared.
This fall we also reached a milestone made possible by you. As we shared recently, our first-ever capital campaign is complete, raising nearly $3 million. Because of your generosity, the Bunny Mellon Greenhouse is now a working home for the propagation and research that sustains red spruce restoration. Thank you to every donor, partner, and friend who contributed. And as one chapter closes, another begins: we are honored to be partnering with Nelson Byrd Woltz to develop a long-term, comprehensive landscape plan for the Reserve.
This fall also reminded us why our work matters. Partners from across the Southern Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative (SASRI) toured a 25-acre stand of spruce-fir forest devastated by Hurricane Helene. Standing in that blowdown, we felt both the stakes and the motivation. Every seed we collect and every seedling we grow is part of the answer.
Looking ahead, our friends at Noblebräu will soon release SOS IPA, a seasonal beer made with spruce tips from our own red spruce trees. SOS stands for Save Our Spruce, a name Noblebräu generously let us share, and a wonderful example of community in action. I would love to see you at the release on Saturday, November 7th, 2026, from 2:00 to 5:00 PM at 185 King Street in Brevard to raise a glass to a remarkable year.
Thank you for your continued support. The work we do here is only possible because of you.