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.

Balsam Mountain Preserve has a compelling story to tell and what better way to deliver our message than through the world’s largest online video community.

We have our first owner testimonial posted on our new YouTube channel and hope to be adding several more in the coming weeks. Subscribe today!

Architect Shawn Leatherwood of the Architectural Studio in Waynesville, North Carolina designed this timber vacation home which embodies the power of family. This 6,000 square foot house is comfortable, yet not ostentatious, accommodating as many as two dozen people from four generations. Click Here to Read The Article >>

The Environmental Educators of North Carolina are pleased to announce that Blair Ogburn, senior naturalist and education coordinator at the Balsam Mountain Trust at Balsam Preserve in Jackson County, is the winner of the 2010 Outstanding Newcomer Award from The Environmental Educators of North Carolina. Click here to read more>>

D&J Properties, a green consultancy group, is bringing together a panel of green building experts from a variety of disciplines to discuss green building practices and options in a Trust Talk, Thursday October 28 starting at 5:30 at the Balsam Mountain Boarding House. Additionally, D &J Properties will host an open house Saturday, October 30, between 2:00 – 6:00 pm at their Balsam Mountain Preserve residence and office. Click here to read more>>

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — They are called the Blue Ridge Mountains, but in Asheville in the autumn, they might as well be called the orange, red and yellow.

The city of 76,000 in Western North Carolina, with its small-town, artsy feel, has become a big-time fall foliage destination, not just for the leaves but also for festivals celebrating the area’s arts culture, beer and bluegrass music. The mix of things to see and do is especially appealing for autumn travelers looking for an alternative to New England’s better-known but sometimes crowded autumn byways. Click here to read more>>

On Friday, September 24th at the Boarding House, our regular wine tasting from 6-7:00 in the evening will be hosted by Siduri Vineyards Owner, Adam Lee and followed by a five course meal paired with fine Siduri wine. Siduri produces single vineyard Pinot Noir from 20 different vineyards stretching from Santa Barbara north to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The Wine Advocate calls Siduri, “One of California’s top Pinot Noir producers,” and Wine Spectator quotes, “To Taste Siduri is to taste some of the best Pinot Noir made in America today.”

Attendance for this event, arranged exclusively for Balsam Mountain Preserve members, will be limited to 60 people. Cost is $65 per person. Please Call 828.631.1000 to RSVP.

The September/October issue of Robb Report Exceptional Properties boasts Balsam Mountain Preserve as one of just three featured Shared Ownership communities where one can enjoy a Slice of the Links Life. Click here to read more.

You won’t want to miss this Trust Talk on October 28th. Join us at the Boarding House where Balsam Mountain Preserve homeowner David Walters will moderate a discussion with a panel of experts from different areas within the green building disciplines. This will be an opportunity for other Balsam owners to create a dialogue with these resources to develop a knowledge base about what green building is and how it might work in their home. Bar will open at 5:30pm, the Trust Talk begins at 6:00pm.

The Futrells from Atlanta broke ground on their new home today at Balsam. Congratulations!!  That’s the 4th home to start construction this year, bringing the total of homes either completed or under construction to 66.  There are several more homes slated to start this fall, exciting times!!