My Study Area

I have chosen Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation located in Linville, North Carolina for my study area. Currently, I work as a ticket attendant at Grandfather and am very knowledgeable and passionate about the conservation and preservation of the local area. Grandfather Mountain is divided into two sections. One side of the mountain is the Grandfather Mountain State Park which is solely hiking and camping accessed via NC HWY-105 or the Blue Ridge Parkway. On the other side is the privately owned, non-profit Stewardship Foundation, where the famous Mile-High Swinging Bridge is located. Our park also has hiking trails, wild animal exhibits, a nature museum, gift shops, and a restaurant.

Our park holds many educational programs and special events throughout the year. Students come from all over the state to learn about the mountain's biodiversity, ecology, natural history, flora, fauna, and geology through our naturalist program. The wildlife habitats consist of elk, otters, bears, cougars, and American bald eagles, all animals that have been rehabilitated and are non-releasable for various reasons. For this project, I plan to attend special events on the mountain including special guest talks and interviewing members of our admin team to learn more about the plans for promoting biodiversity and expanding Grandfather Mountain’s conservation efforts in the future.

I thought Grandfather Mountain would be a great subject area as it is a place I am familiar with but also excited to learn more in-depth about. North Carolina is very diverse, split into three sections: the mountains, the Piedmont, and the coast and I am lucky to have grown up surrounded by so much biodiversity.