Rainbows in the Mountains: Connecting, Celebrating, and Uplifting CTNC’s Mission Together 

This year’s Conservation Celebration was an inspiring evening made possible by our remarkable supporters, board members, and staff. Held at the picturesque Gideon Ridge Inn in Blowing Rock, NC, the event raised more than $70,000 in sponsorships to support CTNC’s mission.  

Special thanks to our hosts Cobb and Cindy Milner, owners of Gideon Ridge Inn, who generously donated their warm and remarkable Inn to host 85 of our closest friends. Once again, we were treated to amazing heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks thanks to Chef Hunter Womble and his team. We are very appreciative of the time and effort they dedicate to making this evening a night we all look forward to returning to year after year. 

We were fortunate to have conservation partners from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNR) present at the event. Secretary Pam Cashwell and Chief Deputy Secretary Maggie Thompson expressed their dedication to protecting North Carolina’s natural resources and underlined the importance of partnerships to safeguard the state that we all call home. CTNC is grateful for Secretary Cashwell, Chief Deputy Secretary Thompson, and Special Assistant Holly Nelson taking the time to join us in Blowing Rock and sharing their drive for conservation.  

We were grateful and excited to be joined by members of our conservation network spanning across the state, including George Ivey, Director at the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, Scott Elliot, Deputy Director for Engagement at the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), Will Morgan, Lobbyist with The Raleigh Group, and Toby Hampson, North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge. 

“Like you, I’ve watched North Carolina grow and change. I’ve also watched our climate change and our communities struggle to adapt. Of course, we want to welcome some of that growth and some of that change. But for me, knowing that there is an organization like the Conservation Trust for NC, working every day to protect these special places, does my heart good.” 

Bill Leslie, Board President 

We’re thankful to everyone who joined us to celebrate conservation, and we look forward to gathering with even more of our community next year. CTNC extends a heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, your generosity makes this work possible. 

2025 Conservation Celebration Sponsors

Join us for a Virtual Conservation Celebration Thursday, August 20.

REGISTER & START YOUR BIDDING NOW!

More than 100 young adults completed the Conservation Trust for North Carolina’s Emerging Leaders Program this summer. As the N.C. Youth Conservation Corps (NCYCC), Diversity in Conservation Internship Program (DCIP) and CTNC AmeriCorps members concluded their experience, CTNC partnered with the N.C. State College of Natural Resources to organize a two-day professional development conference that would offer pathways to conservation career opportunities.

By the numbers:

• 110 Emerging Leaders program members
• 64 host site supervisors and parents
• 18 job fair vendors
• 16 professional development workshop sessions
• 4 natural resources career panelists

Attendees gained professional development experience through a variety of college and career-readiness workshops designed for students at all education and career stages, from high school to post-college.

“I feel, as emerging leaders, these workshops are very important for us to understand and exhibit skills that will benefit us in the workplace,” said NCYCC member Fabian Martin-Bryan.

The conference featured a natural resources career panel, a campus tour and job fair, and keynote speakers who touted the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the conservation sector. Additional workshops allowed members to expand on skills ranging from financial literacy to communications, interview etiquette and best practices for networking. To conclude the conference, more than 20 interns from CTNC’s Emerging Leaders Program and the College of Natural Resources Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program presented their summer projects at an expo attended by conference attendees and their guests.

“The name of the conference definitely speaks for itself and the young adults who attended represented well,” Charles McCall, EDSI Solutions and job fair vendor.

The Emerging Leaders Program fosters future leaders in conservation, but it gives all members a truly unique experience in professional development.

DCIP participant Diamond McKoy said, “It brought so much gladness to my heart to see under-represented groups on the panel.”

The conference “provided a great networking opportunity for people on a variety of different educational and age backgrounds.” said Taylor Mebane, one of CTNC’s DCIP participants.

CTNC hired nearly 400 young adults over the past 10 years into paid conservation positions. CTNC and our partners are proud to cultivate and provide support to future conservation leaders.

See more photos from the Emerging Leaders Professional Development Conference on Facebook!

About CTNC’s Emerging Leaders Program

The Conservation Trust for North Carolina’s Emerging Leaders Program helps connect young people to the outdoors where they can establish a lifelong appreciation for the natural world and an understanding of the critical benefits that land and water conservation provides. Through the Diversity in Conservation Internship Program, CTNC AmeriCorps, N.C. Youth Conservation Corps and Future Leaders of Conservation advisory board, CTNC creates employment pathways by connecting young people to academic studies and careers in conservation.

Watch the video below to learn more about each program.

The Emerging Leaders Professional Development Conference is made possible by a generous grant from the Duke Energy Foundation as part of its focus on environmental education and conservation.

Conservation Trust for North Carolina partnered with Climate Stories NC for a special viewing, discussion and dessert with Director David Salvesen, PhD. The event highlighted local and regional voices impacted by our changing climate, showcasing how land conservation efforts can ensure a greater quality of life for all people and wildlife of North Carolina. Help us save the places you love.

Climate Stories NC is a series of short videos capturing the voices of North Carolinians who are impacted by the changing climate. Watch the videos here.

A special thank you to our Host Committee:

Megg and Robert Rader
Kelley and John Russell
John and Ashley Wilson
Carole and Rick Marcotte
Bob and Louise Orr
John and Margaret Ann Gonella
Brandon A. Robinson
John and Megan Stanback

See all the event photos on CTNC’s Facebook page!

The Climate Stories NC screening was the first in a series of spring and summer events. CTNC has arranged exclusive opportunities to hike on protected lands and we hope you’ll join us.

Climate Stories NC was made possible by the Institute for the Environment at UNC with generous support from the Z Smith Reynolds Foundation.  

New York Times bestselling author and Salisbury, NC native John Hart spoke of his love for the outdoors at our Meadow Society Reception on May 14th. John captivated the audience by sharing his childhood story of the loss of his family’s farm and how it shaped his love of land and passion for conservation.  He had spent countless hours as a boy roaming the 472-acre farm in Rowan County.  His message underscored the importance of conserving land before it is developed, because “once natural lands are gone, they’re not coming back.”

Good friends of CTNC, Josephine and Stuart Dorsett, hosted the event in their Raleigh home and gardens. Each year CTNC’s steadfast and generous donors gather for fellowship and to hear about CTNC’s latest work to advance conservation throughout NC.

This event also marked the beginning of our 25th-anniversary celebration, with a focus on what conservation can achieve in the next 25 years.

“We see a North Carolina 25 years from now where conserved lands provide every person with safe drinking water, clean air, healthy local foods, and a favorite outdoor place to recreate and restore,” said executive director Reid Wilson in his remarks. “To achieve this vision, we’re setting clear goals for the next 25 years.  We plan to ramp up over the next three years so that we double our impact throughout North Carolina.”

Many thanks to Mel Lewis of Audio Advice, FoodFWD, OrganicAMI, and Plates Neighborhood Kitchen for their partnership. This event was waste-free and plastic-free, and we collected food residuals for re-use.