Today’s Email Announcements

TODAY: Agritourism in the High Country: A Lees-McRae College Stephenson Center for Appalachia lecture

Agritourism has found a place in the Appalachian Mountains at Apple Hill Farm. Discover how owner Lee Rankin created this High Country attraction as part of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia lecture series on Wednesday, June 20.

Starting at 7 p.m. in Evans Auditorium of the Cannon Student Center, Lee Rankin will present her talk titled, Farm Family. A story that began almost two decades ago, Rankin’s talk is about following a dream, building a unique farm and learning life-changing lessons along the way.

Arriving to the High Country from Louisville, Kentucky, Rankin’s vision and capacity for hard work over the years has built a thriving agritourism site that draws a steady stream of visitors throughout the summer months.

“I have watched [Rankin] develop her enterprise over the years and have marveled at what she has created,” Director of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia, Michael Joslin, said. “My students love visiting her farm, and several of them have worked for her over the years, learning important lessons in both stock nurturing and people pleasing. We invite everyone to join us on Wednesday evening for this fascinating program.”

Stephenson Center Lectures are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Michael Joslin at joslin@lmc.edu.

Carolina Panthers Hosting Heads Up Football Clinic for Football Moms at Appalachian State this Thursday, June 21

The Carolina Panthers and Appalachian State University will host area football moms for a free Heads Up Football Clinics at Appalachian State’s Kidd Brewer Stadium in the Mountaineer Room. The clinic will be held in conjunction with USA Football, the national governing body of the sport and the Panthers’ youth football development partner.

Each clinic will help provide mothers whose children are interested in, or already playing tackle football, with the latest information about player safety and other important information. Each event will include a $250 donation to the school or organization with the highest number of participating moms.

The App State athletic training staff will discuss concussion recognition and a parent’s role, while also covering hydration and prevention of heat-related illness. USA Football master trainers will educate moms on proper helmet and shoulder pad fitting while a Panthers alumni player will discuss football basics including rules and player positions.

Following classroom instruction, the clinic will move out to the field for hands-on instruction from the USA Football master trainers regarding the latest tackling.

Participants will receive an official Carolina Panthers Moms’ Clinic event t-shirt. Snacks and water will be provided.

Registration space is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Interested participants are encouraged to register HERE at a Moms’ Clinic site convenient to them.

Conservationist Tom Butler to speak at Grandfather Mountain this Thursday, June 21

This June, Grandfather Mountain is encouraging folks to embrace their inner eco-hero.

To assist, celebrated conservationist, activist and writer Tom Butler will present at Grandfather Mountain on Thursday, June 21.

His presentation is part of Grandfather Mountain’s after-hour lecture series, Grandfather Presents.

“On the mountain, we like to bridge outdoor fun with education,” said Frank Ruggiero, director of marketing and communications for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that oversees and operates the Linville, N.C., nature park. “With our Grandfather Presents series, guests can enjoy presentations from some of the country’s foremost experts on conservation, including professors, naturalists, scientists, photographers, writers, historians and artists.”

With Butler, however, one could add “wilderness defender” to that list, as the activist author currently serves as vice president for conservation advocacy for the Foundation for Deep Ecology, an organization dedicated to supporting education and advocacy on behalf of wild nature.

He is also the board president of the Northeast Wilderness Trust and the former longtime editor of Wild Earth journal. His books include “Wildlands Philanthropy,” “Plundering Appalachia” and “Energy: Overdevelopment and the Delusion of Endless Growth.”

In his presentation, Butler will discuss the role of private initiative and funding to save natural areas, ranging from North Carolina to Patagonia. He’ll also describe the evolving arguments for wilderness protection in American conservation history, as well as a vision for rewilding the landscape and human communities in the coming centuries and beyond.

“It’s going to be a very positive, photo-illustrated talk about some of the most scenic and wildlife-rich places that have been saved by people who simply loved the land — and used their time, energy and wealth to protect it,” Butler said.

Butler hopes audience members will be inspired to take steps of their own.

“There are so many ways, large and small,” he said. “Almost everywhere in the U.S., there is a local or regional land trust to help support, to volunteer for, to donate to — or an activist organization working to protect wild places and wild creatures.”

Environmental activism has always played a part in Butler’s life. His father, a biologist, taught at the university level, and his mother was an environmental activist, as well as a teacher. “But I really was inspired to become a conservation activist after college by friends who were engaged in defending wilderness and wildlife,” Butler said.

As such, people of all ages can step up to make a difference, and they can start in Appalachia.

“Protecting native forests from logging for woodchips/biomass energy and working to end mountaintop-removal coal mining are key issues,” Butler said. “Getting involved with groups working on those issues is a great place to start.”

Grandfather Presents Tom Butler will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, at the Nature Museum on Grandfather Mountain. Cost is $20 for general admission and free for members of the Grandfather Mountain Bridge Club. The event is limited to 165 guests, meaning registration is required. To RSVP, email judi@grandfather.com, or call (828) 733-2013.

Upcoming Grandfather Presents Events

Julia Roberson, The Ocean Conservancy
Thursday, July 19
Julia Roberson is the vice president of communications for The Ocean Conservancy. Her passion is taking complex issues that affect our ocean and figuring out how to make them real and relevant to people. Her favorite sea creatures? On any given day, it could be oysters, fishermen or manta rays. This lecture will find connections between the global systems that define our ocean and mountain ecosystems.

Amy Greene, Best-Selling Appalachian Novelist
Thursday, Aug. 16
Amy Greene was born and raised in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains and began writing stories about the people of Appalachia from a very young age. Her debut novel, “Bloodroot” (2010), was named among Booklist’s Top 10 Debut Novels and received the Weatherford Award for fiction. Greene will speak about her writing process and what gives character to her Appalachian novels. 

Registration and More

Each Grandfather Presents event runs from 6 to 8 p.m., with refreshments being served at 6 p.m. and the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $20 per person and free for members of Grandfather Mountain’s Bridge Club program. Lectures are limited to 165 attendees each, and registration is required by contacting Judi Sawyer at judi@grandfather.com or (828) 733-2013.

The not-for-profit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, call (800) 468-7325, or visit www.grandfather.com to plan a trip.

Watauga County Gospel Singing Returns Saturday, June 23

WHAT: Watauga County Gospel Singing

WHERE: Mountain Dale Baptist Church
Mountain Dale Road, Vilas
Pastor – Eric Cornett

WHEN: June 23, 6 p.m.

CONTACT: Clint Cornett – 828-297-3270
Neil Oliver – 828-297-3653

Singing will be from the Red Book Hymnal and the new Jeffress/Phillips book.

Fort San Juan Field Day Open to the Public on June 23 in Morganton

The site of the first European inland settlement in the United States will be open to the public during the annual Field Day at the Berry site, the location of the historic Native American village of Joara, on Saturday, June 23.

Last year marked the 450th anniversary of Spanish explorers establishing Fort San Juan at Joara, located near present day Morganton. The Spanish settlement, founded in 1567, predates Jamestown by 40 years. The Spanish fort co-existed with the village of Joara for 18 months before being destroyed by the natives.

This year, at our annual Field Day at the Berry site, the Exploring Joara Foundation (EJF) celebrates our 10th anniversary of sharing this amazing history. Field Day visitors get a chance to see the ongoing archaeological site excavation, interact with researchers from Warren Wilson College, explore the Native American culture of that period, and learn more about EJF during this special anniversary year.

During the activities of Field Day, visitors can have access to the archaeologists who have been researching this site for the past three decades. This is also one of the few days when the site is largely uncovered and the archaeologists describe the dig as they host tours.

“This is the 18th year for our Field Day. It began informally with two tables in the middle of the field and I was there with a few crew members to talk to anybody who came by,” says Dr. David Moore, lead researcher. “It’s grown since then and we’ve had as many as a thousand people. We kind of create a museum for a day around the excavation and let the public come in and show them as much as we can about what’s happening and what we’ve learned at the site.”

The event is family friendly with many exhibitors, as well as historical demonstrations representing primitive skills and Catawba Indian crafts. There are also on display many new artifacts uncovered at the dig during the past year. Children will be able to pick up a passport which has symbols leading them to fascinating locations across the site.

The field day runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free and parking, with a suggested donation of $5, is available. Concessions provided by a local church group will be on site.

Everyone is also encouraged to visit the exhibit detailing Joara and Fort San Juan at the History Museum of Burke County in Morganton. Admission to the museum is free.

For directions and more details, call 828-439-2463 or go to: www.ExploringJoara.org.

BRAHM Summer Concert Series Continues on Sunday with Robert Young and Emma Lin

Head to the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum on Sunday, June 24 at 4 p.m. for a performance by saxophonist Robert Young with Emma Lin.

The Summer Concert Series brings touring artists for intimate performances in the museum. Programs range from classical to old-time, traditional Appalachian to jazz – with something for all ages. The concert series runs monthly from June to September, as well as special events.

Concerts are on Sundays from 4 p.m. until approximately 6 p.m. They take place in the intimate Atrium, which seats 60 guests. Seating is first come, first served and the museum opens at 1 p.m. on Sundays during the summer. Each concert will have a brief intermission.

Tickets for the 2018 season are now on sale and can be purchased online or in person at BRAHM’s front desk during regular museum hours.

Advance Purchase: $13, members, students, seniors, military, EBT cardholders / $18 all others

Day of Show: $15, members, students, seniors, military, EBT cardholders / $20 all others

Appalachian State University High Country Alumni Chapter Networking Social Returns on June 26

Join your local High Country Alumni Chapter every fourth Tuesday of the month for the regular alumni social at Appalachian Mountain Brewery! Come out in your App State black and gold to connect with other High Country alumni and share information about local happenings and community events.

At the June 26 event, the Alumni Affairs staff will be in attendance to celebrate and thank Assistant Alumni Director Summer Wisdom ’08 who is moving to another position at the University in July. Summer is the alumni chapter staff liaison and has been instrumental in the growth of the chapter programs around the country. Please join in celebrating Summer and her commitment to the Alumni Association, the High Country Alumni Chapter, and chapters across the US!

For more information, please contact High Country Alumni Chapter President Rebecca Murray ’14 at murrayrk@appstate.edu.

Village Cafe Presents An Evening for the Middle Fork Greenway on June 28

The Village Café will be hosting an evening of creative cocktails, local beer and wine, and heavenly hors-d’oeuvres on June 28th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm for the Middle Fork Greenway. This is the Round Up for the Middle Fork Greenway Kick Off Event!  

Tickets must be purchased in advance and there is a limited number.  The Village Café is typically not open during evening hours, so this will truly be a treat for our community. Please call The Village Café at 828-295-3769 with your credit card information to make your reservation.

More information about the Middle Fork Greenway Round Up Initiative can be found here.