0325-GCG-FoothillsConservancy_ESG25_12-18 (2) - Flipbook - Page 20
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina
Ryan Sparks
Stewardship Director
County records began moving online, simplifying
From Compass to
Cutting Edge Tech
Even with these advances, stewardship remained
In the early years of FCNC, stewardship work was
rooted in determination, intuition, and a deep
understanding of the land, long before modern tools
reshaped conservation. Staff navigated forests with
paper maps and compasses, relying on landforms, old
landowner research.
time intensive. Field notes were still taken on paper,
photos downloaded manually, and GPS data
transferred into reports by hand. At the same time,
FCNC expanded its role as a land manager, holding
an increasing number of preserves and conducting
a broader range of stewardship activities such
as invasive species removal, ecological timber
management, and habitat restoration.
boundary markings, and hard-earned 昀椀eld skills to stay
The period between the mid-2010s to now
oriented. Without GPS, digital mapping, or cell phones,
represents FCNC’s transformation into a modern,
monitoring expeditions required careful planning,
specialized stewardship program. Staf昀椀ng has
highly-tuned senses, and self-reliance. A 昀椀eld day often
grown from one to two full-time positions, supported
meant being truly alone in the woods, hoping you could
each summer by stewardship interns who bring new
昀椀nd your way back to the spot you parked the truck.
energy and capacity.
Documentation was slow and analog. Field notes were
Technology has become fully integrated into every layer
handwritten, then typed back at the of昀椀ce. Photos
of our stewardship activities and process. FCNC adopted
were taken on 35mm 昀椀lm and developed off-site
conservation project management software that allows
before being sorted into albums. With no dedicated
staff to collect data in the 昀椀eld and generate reports in
stewardship staff, monitoring responsibilities were
the of昀椀ce from a single system. iPads replaced paper
shared across a small team of employees. Despite the
forms, remote monitoring software made it possible to
challenges, these years built the foundation of FCNC’s
spot issues from high-resolution satellite imagery, and
commitment to permanent land protection.
drones added a new perspective for observing large or
The decade from 2005-2015 ushered in standards,
dif昀椀cult-to-access landscapes.
structure, and a leap forward in technology. In 2006,
This decade also marked signi昀椀cant expansion in
the Land Trust Alliance established the Accreditation
FCNC’s active land management. The organization
Commission, formalizing national expectations for
launched its prescribed burn program, conducting
excellence and conservation permanence. Guided by
the 昀椀rst burns on FCNC-owned properties to restore
those standards and policies, FCNC began aligning
昀椀re-adapted ecosystems, improve habitat, and reduce
stewardship processes with emerging best practices.
wild昀椀re risk. Public access sites—including Possum Rock
During this era, FCNC hired its 昀椀rst full-time
on FCNC’s Henry Fork River Preserve, the Bob Benner
stewardship staff member—now Executive
Director, Andrew Kota—marking a major milestone
in organizational capacity. Technology rapidly
transformed 昀椀eldwork: handheld GPS units, digital
cameras, cell phones, and early GIS software made
monitoring more precise and more connected.
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Trail on our South Mountains Headwaters Preserve, and
Oak Hill Community Park & Forest—were developed.
New initiatives such as an Incubator Farm Program and
Wild Clay Program at Oak Hill Park broadened FCNC’s
community reach. Investments in equipment, from
ATVs to forestry tools, enable staff to care for thousands
of acres more ef昀椀ciently and effectively.
