On Friday, June 24, 2011, The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) and the Little Tennessee Watershed Association (LTWA) will be co-hosting a hike led by Jack Johnston to see the rare Mountain Camellia (Stewartia ovata) in bloom.  Join members of LTLT and LTWA on the annual quest to find the rare mountain camelia which is known to exist in only a few mountain locations; this member of the tea family produces one of the most spectacular blooms found in the region. 

Jack will have a few Stewartia plants for sale and will give us a brief education about the growing habitat for this rare and beautiful species.  We will meet at LTLT’s Queen Branch property on Hwy 28 (11 miles north of Franklin) at 9:30 to carpool to various bloom locations.  Participants will want to wear appropriate clothing for hiking although the hikes will not be strenuous; bring snacks, water, and definitely your camera.  Space is limited to protect this rare beauty so please RSVP to reserve your spot.

The Franklin-based Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT) works to conserve the waters, forests, farms and heritage of the upper Little Tennessee and Hiwassee River valleys which includes all of western North Carolina west of the Balsam Mountains.  Since 1999 LTLT has helped conserve over 12,000 acres of land including 35 miles of Little Tennessee River frontage, multiple headwater streams in the Balsam, Cowee and Nantahala Mountains, and a number of family farms including the largest working farm in NC west of Asheville.  We strive to protect land that is important for its value as wildlife habitat, productive farmland, recreational area, scenic beauty, or historic significance. Everyone who lives in our project areas benefits from the permanent conservation of these resources.

The mission of the Little Tennessee Watershed Association is to protect and restore the health of the waters of the Little Tennessee River and its tributaries upstream of the Fontana reservoir through monitoring, education, habitat restoration and citizen action.  LTWA is best known for its Biomonitoring Program (lead by Dr. William O. McLarney) which has been monitoring the health of the Little Tennessee watershed since 1990 and has involved over 2,000 citizen volunteers in that time. Other core program areas that focus on water quality include streambank habitat restoration activities, stormwater runoff prevention and land use issues. The organization’s water quantity work centers on promoting water conservation and protecting our river from interbasin transfers.

For more information please contact Jill Wiggins at LTLT 524-2711 x209 or outreach [at - replace with symbol] ltlt [dot] org or Sharon Willard at LTWA 369-6402 or via email here.