North Carolina’s 24 local land trusts bestowed their annual awards May 15 on deserving winners during a lunch celebration at the land trusts’ annual meeting at the Kanuga Conference Center in Hendersonville, N.C.

The N.C. Land Trust awards are given annually to businesses, nonprofits, governments, and individuals who lead efforts to protect the state’s streams and lakes, forests, farms, parkland and wildlife habitat, thereby protecting clean drinking water and air quality, local food, and outdoor recreation.

Babs and Bob Strickland received an award called the Stanback Volunteer Conservationist of the Year for their inspiring commitment to protecting land and nature education. They were nominated by the Pacolet Area Conservancy (PAC).

Babs and Bob Strickland are inspirational advocates for education, conservation and the protection of natural areas. Working with PAC, the Stricklands have protected 1,554 acres of fields, beautiful views and forested creek valleys known as Walnut Creek Preserve, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Stricklands also opened the Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center in memory of their daughter. The 1,500-acre protected forest surrounding the Nature Center is a natural outdoor classroom for learning about native Southern Appalachian plants and animals. The center is the home to nature programs offered by Walnut Creek Preserve in a partnership with PAC, with a goal to further an appreciation by young and old of the importance of the forest in our daily lives.

In addition to being active conservationists of their own land, Babs is currently PAC’s board president, where her time and talents are making a great impact.

The Polk County Community Foundation made it possible for seven PAC staff members, board, and committee members to attend this Southeast Land Trust Alliance conference at Kanuga. Land trust professionals from all over North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia attended the annual conference.

PAC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation organization (land trust) founded in 1989 to protect and conserve natural resources with emphasis on the lands and waterways with scenic, ecological, and agricultural significance in the North Pacolet and Green River watersheds (PACs mission). PAC works with area landowners to ensure the long-term protection of their property through voluntary conservation easements (agreements) which enable landowners to maintain ownership of their property, preserving precious natural resources (open lands, forests, wildlife habitat, scenic vistas, farmland, stream banks, etc.), and potentially obtain significant federal, state, and local tax benefits. PAC’s vision is a community living and growing in harmony with our natural resources and the goal is to provide a legacy that will endure and be valued by generations to come. PAC works diligently to provide leadership to encourage conservation and provide educational programs, emphasizing native species appreciation and responsible land use practices.

– Submitted by Mary Walter