Balsam Mountain Preserve

They are writers, teachers, historians and mentors. They keep busy writing reports, creating brochures about nature and wildlife, and sometimes visiting schools. And, of course, they make sure our feathered friends are well fed. For as long as they can remember, they simply wanted to help leave the Earth in better shape than how they found it.

They are Balsam Mountain Preserve’s staff Naturalists and they make up the Balsam Mountain Trust.

The natural and cultural resources in Balsam Mountain Preserve and the Blue Ridge Mountain region tell stories about western North Carolina’s people and landscapes. Telling stories is what a naturalist does. Helping people understand why the stories are important, and how to protect the places where the stories happened, is what their job is all about.

Click here to view the Sept/Oct Edition of RIDGELines, dedicated to the Balsam Mountain Trust and flip to pages 7-9 to read our special interview with Michael Skinner, Blair Ogburn and Ron Lance of the Balsam Mountain Trust.