In mid-May, the trail contractor and his crew started on the upper trail leading to Pearson’s Falls.

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Recovery efforts ongoing after Hurricane Helene damages Preserve   

 

TRYON—For 97 years, the Tryon Garden Club has been committed to preserving and conserving Pearson’s Falls and Glen, a biological preserve and Natural Heritage Site. With that in mind, restoration efforts to help Pearson’s Falls heal after sustaining damage during Hurricane Helene have not used heavy equipment; instead, most restoration work has been done by hand, utilizing chainsaws and wheelbarrows. 

Pearson’s Falls staff is busy working on the lower trail, focused on replanting affected areas in a way that protects the integrity of the preserve. The board unanimously committed that no outside plants, even native species, would be brought into the glen. Therefore, plants needed to stabilize and revegetate restoration areas are being transplanted from impacted areas on the property. 

Staff member Janice Fishman has taken the lead in planting one of the slides using plants from the living roof of the green restroom, which were originally transplanted from the footprint of the restroom. Small hemlocks and rhododendron clippings are being replanted, and the plants are thriving.  

In mid-May, the trail contractor and his crew started on the upper trail leading to Pearson’s Falls. This phase has focused on tackling the enormous pile of tree and rock debris that slid into the pool at the base of the falls. Large trees are being cut into more manageable pieces that will be dispersed and left to decay. This area, along with the stone pathways broken up by the storm, will be rebuilt to reestablish the trail to the falls. 

The Tryon Garden Club’s goal is that this contractor’s work will be completed by the end of summer. Pearson’s Falls and Glen will reopen, we just don’t know when. 

The Club is deeply grateful to the community for its support through donations and encouraging messages as recovery efforts continue. The Tryon Garden Club extends a special thank you to the Polk County Community Foundation for its Disaster Recovery grant funding and to the Community Foundation of Henderson County for funding from its Western North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund. 

 

Submitted by Tryon Garden Club