{"id":77497,"date":"2025-01-29T18:00:30","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T23:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/?p=77497"},"modified":"2025-01-29T18:12:37","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T23:12:37","slug":"conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/outdoors\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\/","title":{"rendered":"<strong>Conservation:<\/strong> Restoration of Graveyard Fields  Begins with Red Spruce"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_77500\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-77500\" class=\"wp-image-77500 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5477-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5477-copy-2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5477-copy-2-300x172.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5477-copy-2-1024x586.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5477-copy-2-768x440.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5477-copy-2-810x464.jpg 810w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5477-copy-2-1140x653.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-77500\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">TPC Invasive plant management crew co-leaders Sam Byars, left, and Will Coffee plant red spruce trees<\/p><\/div>\n<p>By Emma Castleberry<\/p>\n<p>In December 2024, a multi-year restoration effort commenced at Graveyard Fields, one of the most beloved hiking destinations along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Spearheaded by The Pisgah Conservancy (TPC) and its partners, this initiative aims to rehabilitate the area\u2019s ecosystems, enhance recreational experiences and safeguard habitats for rare wildlife species. The first phase of the project involved the planting of red spruce trees, a species native to the region.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis planting was the first phase because the red spruce trees we planted have been growing for several years and were ready to go into the ground,\u201d says Nina Ardle, TPC\u2019s chief administrative and development officer. The original planting, scheduled for early October, was delayed due to Hurricane Helene.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_77499\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-77499\" class=\"wp-image-77499\" src=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5471-copy-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5471-copy-2.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5471-copy-2-248x300.jpg 248w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5471-copy-2-846x1024.jpg 846w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5471-copy-2-768x930.jpg 768w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5471-copy-2-810x981.jpg 810w, https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5471-copy-2-1140x1380.jpg 1140w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-77499\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">TPC board member Peter Barry plants red spruce trees<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For decades, Graveyard Fields has been a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, but its high foot traffic has had negative environmental impacts. \u201cUnfortunately, trails in the area have been heavily degraded over time and stream banks have been impacted,\u201d says Ardle. Planned improvements include trail rehabilitation, new trail construction and stream restoration at six critical sites. These efforts will not only reduce congestion but also improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitats.<\/p>\n<p>Kelly Holdbrooks is a champion of the red spruce and the executive director of Southern Highlands Reserve, where the red spruce trees used in the first phase of this project were propagated. \u201cGraveyard Fields was once a spruce-fir forest that was lost to logging and wildfires in the first part of the 20th century, so we\u2019re helping to restore the original ecosystem,\u201d says Holdbrooks. \u201cWe\u2019ve been talking about this project for almost 10 years, and it\u2019s a great place to start because of its high use as one of the most popular hiking spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Holdbrooks also emphasizes the project\u2019s broader significance, noting the nearby habitat of the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel. \u201cWe want to extend that habitat,\u201d she says. \u201cThe biggest impact will be seeing the spruce-fir forest rebound. The desired outcome of the planting is a mixed canopy including both deciduous trees and evergreens, so we\u2019re actually building back an ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The project\u2019s early phases will not disrupt access to the area. \u201cInitial construction will take place on new connective trails that don\u2019t exist yet,\u201d says Ardle, \u201cmeaning there shouldn\u2019t be any impacts to users as a result of construction in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hike there with my family on a regular basis, and we hope one day to walk there with our grandchildren,\u201d says Holdbrooks. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of hope and resilience built into restoration projects, and our region needs that right now. Our efforts help the forest system return to its original health and beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>The Graveyard Fields Overlook is located at Milepost 418.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Learn more about the restoration project at <a href=\"http:\/\/PisgahConservancy.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PisgahConservancy.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In December 2024, a multi-year restoration effort commenced at Graveyard Fields, one of the most beloved hiking destinations along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The initiative aims to rehabilitate the area\u2019s ecosystems, enhance recreational experiences and safeguard habitats for rare wildlife species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":77500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[105,62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conservation","category-outdoors"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Conservation: Restoration of Graveyard Fields Begins with Red Spruce - The Laurel of Asheville<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In December 2024, a multi-year restoration effort commenced at Graveyard Fields, one of the most beloved hiking destinations along the Blue Ridge Parkway. 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The initiative aims to rehabilitate the area\u2019s ecosystems, enhance recreational experiences and safeguard habitats for rare wildlife species.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/outdoors\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Laurel of Asheville\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thelaurelofasheville\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-29T23:00:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-01-29T23:12:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thelaurelofasheville.com\/updatestage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5477-copy-2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"687\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Amy Pryor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@AshevilleLaurel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@AshevilleLaurel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Amy Pryor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/outdoors\\\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/outdoors\\\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Amy Pryor\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13d76582350fe4093b37d2b69174af00\"},\"headline\":\"Conservation: Restoration of Graveyard Fields Begins with Red Spruce\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-29T23:00:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-29T23:12:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/outdoors\\\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":526,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/outdoors\\\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/01\\\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5477-copy-2.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Conservation\",\"Outdoors\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/outdoors\\\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/outdoors\\\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/outdoors\\\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\\\/\",\"name\":\"Conservation: Restoration of Graveyard Fields Begins with Red Spruce - The Laurel of Asheville\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/outdoors\\\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/outdoors\\\/conservation-restoration-of-graveyard-fields-begins-with-red-spruce\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/01\\\/Conservation-Graveyard-Fields-IMG_5477-copy-2.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-01-29T23:00:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-01-29T23:12:37+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/thelaurelofasheville.com\\\/updatestage\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13d76582350fe4093b37d2b69174af00\"},\"description\":\"In December 2024, a multi-year restoration effort commenced at Graveyard Fields, one of the most beloved hiking destinations along the Blue Ridge Parkway. 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