Photo by Travis Bordley, courtesy of SAHC
By Emma Castleberry
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s (SAHC’s) annual Grassy Ridge Mow-Off will take place Saturday, August 15, through Sunday, August 16. Volunteers can participate for a single day or backpack to the mountaintop for an overnight campout while helping remove invasive threats to the region’s globally rare grassy and shrub balds. The event has been running for 32 years.
Photo by Travis Bordley, courtesy of SAHC
“People return year after year to stay involved with the mow-off because of their connections with both people and the place,” says Marquette Crockett, Roan stewardship director for SAHC. “After the work day ends, volunteers gather around the group camp site to experience the natural beauty of the open Appalachian grassy balds, swap stories, learn about each other’s lives and enjoy breathtaking views and starry skies from atop Grassy Ridge (weather permitting). They gain a sense of camaraderie from sharing both the hard work and the satisfaction of a job well done on top of a truly incredible mountain.”
The grassy balds atop the Roan Highlands are considered boreal relics, once maintained by large grazing animals like woolly mammoths and, later, domestic livestock. Today, without regular grazing, blackberry thickets and woody vegetation can overtake the open mountaintops, crowding out rare native plants.
Photo by Travis Bordley, courtesy of SAHC
“SAHC and our partners work to mimic natural ‘flash’ grazing by removing blackberry from different sections of the balds each year,” says Crockett. “Volunteers use weed-whackers and hand tools to clear shrubs, maintaining both the rare ecosystems and views from the open mountaintop balds that so many people love.”
The worksite is located about 2.5 miles from the Appalachian Trail access at Carvers Gap, requiring a strenuous hike across several balds. Volunteers will work Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Campers remain overnight and resume for a shorter workday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Photo by Travis Bordley, courtesy of SAHC
David Smith has been volunteering at the Mow-Off since 1997 and has watched firsthand how the annual effort improves habitat for native plants and wildlife.
“I’m sure certain folks are skeptical that cutting down blackberries once a year is enough to actually make a difference; I’ve been doing this long enough, I can promise you it does,” Smith says. “In addition to this, it’s just a great group of people that get together on an annual basis, do a lot of hard work, have a great time fellowshipping with each other and eat delicious food while camping in one of the prettiest places on the planet.”
Pre-registration is required and carpooling is encouraged. Learn more and register at Appalachian.org/events.
