The Dirt Blog

First-grade students from Trinity School in Durham hiked at Johnston Mill and designed a special map for other visitors their age.

In June, TLC permanently conserved 248 acres of undeveloped, forested land located between Fearrington Village and Jordan Lake. This beautiful property contains wetlands, streams, and steep slopes that are unusual for the area and critical to the region. The property directly abuts the B. Everett Jordan Dam and Lake, one of the largest sources of […]

On Saturday, October 21, TLC welcomed over 100 community members and 15 local outdoor organizations to Brumley Nature Preserve in Chapel Hill for a day of outdoor exploration and activities. Part of TLC’s popular Wild Ideas series, Wild I.D.E.A.s Gets Outside was the first iteration to be held at a nature preserve, with guided hikes […]

By Laura Warman, Grants Manager Spooky season might be past us, and we’ve even had the first freeze of the year, but as the growing season winds down late summer and fall are great times to spot spiders and their webs. Spiders, overall, are a fascinating group of creatures that have been around for about […]

By Cara Lewis, Senior Communications Manager Often described as an urban oasis, Swift Creek Bluffs Nature Preserve is a hidden gem inside the rapidly growing Triangle metropolis of Cary, NC. One of TLC’s smallest preserves, this precious and protected space is bound by housing developments, a golf course, and the increasingly busy Holly Springs Road.  […]

The Triangle is home to many peoples and cultures, and this is reflected in the wide variety of local farms and the diversity of crops they grow. Here is a spotlight of two local farms (in Orange and Wake counties) where Karen (ka-REN) farmers (an ethic minority from Burma) grow both food and community.   Karen […]

The end of summer brings the start of shorter days and eventually cooler weather. It’s also the beginning of fall migration! Twice a year, billions of birds across North America embark on journeys of varying lengths and destinations to find plentiful food and nesting resources. In the fall, many birds will be leaving their summer […]

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: […]

By Laura Warman, Grants Manager “Oh the cuckoo, she’s a pretty bird. She warbles as she flies.  She never says cuckoo, ‘till the fourth day of July”.  Cuckoos and their calls are the subject of a surprising number of songs, poems and stories, and they feature heavily in different mythologies (from ancient Greece to the […]

One of TLC’s most popular public properties, Brumley Nature Preserve is home to 673 acres of mature hardwood, young pine, and alluvial forests that surround streams, wetlands, and ponds. It is also home to thriving populations of invasive species under its forest canopy. From Japanese stiltgrass to tree of heaven, these invaders and others continue […]