Peak Protection

Tasked with preserving the land, ensuring the flow of clean, healthy water, and safeguarding the cultural heritage of the Southern Blue Ridge communities, Mainspring Conservation Trust has been an instrumental leader in the preservation of Western North Carolina lands in the last thirty years. MCT continues to preserve the water, forests, farms, and heritage of the Little Tennessee and Hiwassee river basins, which protects approximately 1.8 million acres along those watersheds in Cherokee, Clay, Swain, Macon, Jackson, and Graham Counties and Rabun County in Georgia. 

Molly Phillips, communications director for MCT, notes that the organization is involved in many projects that protect, conserve, and restore native plants and habitats. Notable achievements of the nonprofit, with its wide-ranging initiatives, “include our flagship project of conserving what is now more than 5,000 acres in the Needmore Gamelands, conserving Cowee and Watauga Mounds, conserving what is now Pinnacle Park in Jackson County, conserving working farms like the Darnell Farm in Swain County and Wood Farm in Cherokee County,” and many others.

This summer, Mainspring is jumpstarting its latest initiative: the WNC Wildseed Library program, a native seed library offering free starter packs to the public. The organization is currently collecting donations of native seed packs so that distribution can begin this winter. Native plants, which are often easier to grow and require less maintenance, provide many ecological benefits, including water conservation, soil protection, and a supply of food and habitats for animals and insects.     

Get Involved
Mainspring Conservation Trust
(828) 524-2711
mainspringconserves.org