The Bailey and Sarah Williamson Nature Preserve will be the host site for two days of outdoor activities and conservation projects led by Leave No Trace. Located at the timber-framed, open-air agriculture pavilion, these events are free for the public and open to all ages:
Friday, September 22, 2023 (6 to 8 p.m.)
Community Outreach Evening: Meet & Greet/Trivia Night
Attendees will enjoy a fun evening of trivia and mingling at Williamson’s Agriculture Pavilion. Free pizza, non-alcoholic drinks, and beer provided by Crank Arm Brewing Company will be available.
Saturday, September 23, 2023 (9 a.m. to 12 p.m.)
Stewardship Project-Invasive Plant Removal
Volunteers will work in teams to weed out invasive plants and participate in educational activities. We’ll also help to improve and maintain the trails, and learn how practicing Leave No Trace principles can help preserve Williamson and other outdoor spaces.
Saturday, September 23, 2023 (2 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
Foraging with Steel String Brewery
Participants will forage for edible plants which will be crafted into a fall brew from Steel String and Fullsteam Brewery. We’ll also learn more about best practices for foraging and how to minimize our impacts in the greater ecosystem.
Leave No Trace provides innovative education, skills, research and science to help people care for the outdoors. Their Spotlight program involves sending a traveling team to sites around the United States to recognize community-led conservation efforts and provide tools to foster healthy lands and people. The Bailey and Sarah Williamson Nature Preserve was selected by Leave No Trace as a 2023 Spotlight sight, one of just 21 sites selected across the country.
“Our Spotlight initiative highlights the great steps a community can take to protect an area that they cherish,” shared Dana Watts, the Executive Director of Leave No Trace. “It’s clear that Williamson Preserve is a special place with a rich history and TLC is honoring the region’s past and connecting the community with nature for generations to come.”
Opened to the public in 2020, the Bailey and Sarah Williamson Nature Preserve is located 15 minutes from downtown Raleigh. The preserve provides thousands of people with outdoor recreation opportunities each year. The preserve currently has 15.3 miles of single-track trails and is one of the largest trail systems in the Triangle. It also functions as a resource for local farmers to practice sustainable agriculture and safeguards water that flows into the Neuse River.
“We are honored to have one of our eight nature preserves selected as a Spotlight site,” said Sandy Sweitzer, Executive Director at Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC). “Williamson Preserve is located in one of the fastest growing areas of the country and there are numerous stakeholders eager to work with us to protect outdoor spaces and provide people with opportunities to enjoy nature.”
About Leave No Trace
Using the power of science and research, education for all, and stewardship to support and protect nature, Leave No Trace is on a mission to ensure a sustainable future for the outdoors and the planet. Learn more at www.LNT.org.
About Steel String Brewery
Founded in 2011, Steel String Brewery is a small production brewery that serves the community of Carrboro, North Carolina and distributes with a local reach. Inspired by the agricultural bounty of the region, Steel String adopts modern American brewing styles and techniques into something that is uniquely North Carolinian. Learn more at steelstringbrewery.com.
