Triangle Land Conservancy

Today is ! 🌳

With more than 59 miles of walking and mountain biking trails at our public preserves, as well as hundreds of events each year designed to get people outside, TLC strives to connect people with nature. Time spent outdoors can lower blood pressure, enhance the immune system, increase self-esteem, and reduce anxiety. 🚴‍♀️🥾

Visit https://triangleland.org/get-outside to discover your new favorite hiking trail at one of TLC's eight public nature preserves! Where will you explore next?

🌿 Last week, members of our team had the opportunity to attend the Land Trust Alliance RALLY Conference in Denver, Colorado. 🌎✨

This incredible event brought together land conservation professionals from across the country to learn, connect, and strengthen our shared mission. Members of TLC's staff presented on the innovative work we are doing in the Triangle, and our team came back energized, full of new ideas, and inspired by the powerful work happening nationwide.

We’re excited to put what we learned into action as we continue protecting the lands we all love. 💙

🍂 Happy Fall Equinox! 🍂

As we welcome the beginning of autumn tonight, consider planning your next fall hike. Join TLC next week to explore Williamson Nature Preserve for "Fall Line Harvest Time." Located along North Carolina’s Fall Line, the geological zone separating the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, Williamson offers a unique look at where these two regions meet. On this 4-mile moderate hike, you’ll learn about the preserve’s history, discover common species found throughout the Neuse River basin, and walk toward the Johnston County line while taking in the sights of early fall. 🍁

📍 Williamson Nature Preserve
📅 Monday, September 28 | 4-7 p.m.
🎟️ Pre-registration is required at https://triangleland.org/event/fall-line-harvest-time

📷 Don Kinney

When you look at a turkey vulture, what do you see? To Melody Scott, these birds represented beauty, individuality, and uniqueness. Along with their critical roles as a scavenger species, vultures are also known to hold great significance in many cultures around the world.

To honor Melody and her love of vultures after her passing last year, Melody's husband Ron donated a bench to TLC along Horton Grove Preserve's Holman Loop. This month, Melody's friends and family gathered to dedicate the bench and the poem plaque that accompanies it. "Ode to a Turkey Vulture" was beloved by Melody, whose mother wrote it after being inspired by her daughter's love for the birds.

From the bench, visitors can sit and admire the grassland habitat and sweeping view of open sky where turkey and black vultures are frequent flyers. So, take some time to sit, relax, and admire these magnificent soaring creatures on your next hike at Horton Grove.

Read more about Melody and her love for nature and vultures at https://triangleland.org/news/an-ode-to-melody-and-the-avians-she-adored

📸Photos by TLC Staff

Looks like we’ve got some very special visitors at the office! 🦋🌿

We’ve been spotting monarchs in all stages of their life cycle: tiny caterpillars munching on milkweed, chrysalises tucked away as they transform, and beautiful adult butterflies fluttering by! And that incredible transformation from caterpillar to butterfly happens in just about 10–14 days inside the chrysalis! 🤯

Did you know monarch caterpillars eat milkweed? 🌱 As they munch, they store toxic compounds from the milkweed in their bodies, making them unappealing to many predators. From caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, we’re lucky to have a front-row seat to one of nature’s most amazing transformations.

Fall is just around the corner! 🍂 Join us on September 22 for an evening Autumn Equinox Hike at Williamson preserve. Walk with naturalist, Julie Hall on a 2.5-mile nature investigation along Two Ponds Loop and Pine Warbler Trail. This family-friendly hike will end with an opportunity to view the sunset over the fields as the autumnal equinox approaches. ☀️

📍 Where: Williamson Nature Preserve
⏰ When: Tuesday, September 22 | 6-8 PM
✅This event is free, but spots are limited, so be sure to register at https://triangleland.org/event/autumn-equinox-hike.

📷 Dragonfly at Williamson Preserve by Don Kinney

It's that time of year again! College life can be busy, but nature is closer than you think. 🌿✨ TLC preserves offer the perfect escape, whether you need a quiet study spot, a weekend hike, or just some fresh air to recharge. We’ve highlighted the closest four colleges to some of our preserves so you can see which wild spaces are right in your backyard. 💙🎓 Learn more about our public preserves at the link in our bio. Which preserve will you explore next?