CTNC honarary board member Eric Montross developed love for his adopted home state
From time to time we invite a CTNC supporter to write a note to our friends to explain why the work of North Carolina’s land trusts is so important to them. Here’s one from Eric Montross, a member of CTNC’s honorary board of directors.
All of us are drawn to specific places that embody North Carolina’s natural beauty. Whether it’s the coast, the Piedmont or the mountains, something has triggered a deep appreciation in us towards this great state. Only through the preservation of these natural wonders – rivers, forests, farms, wetlands and vistas – can we be certain that others will be able to develop the same emotional bonds we have.
My love for this state began in the fall of 1990 as a freshman student athlete at the University of North Carolina. Although I was recruited to play basketball, it wasn’t long before trips home with my roommates who lived in Shelby, Angier and Mocksville exposed me to the state’s natural treasures. As we traversed the countryside in search of flounder, red drum, trout streams and bass ponds, I began to take in the natural beauty of this state, a place my family and I would eventually call home. Yes, there was something intoxicating about the splendor of this land and its people, and my wife, Laura, and I wanted to make sure our children were able to experience this richness.
As the years have passed, I have become vitally aware of the need to preserve the natural resources and physical beauty of our state, and to take a more active role in its preservation. The Conservation Trust for North Carolina acts as an informed liaison for landowners who also believe they can play a critical role in the preservation of the state’s land and water. CTNC’s board and staff are a trusted team who seek out opportunities to assist in conservation decisions that benefit landowners and future generations.
CTNC is like no other organization that works to protect our land and water. As a land trust, CTNC has safeguarded more than 30,000 acres of natural wonders along the Blue Ridge Parkway. And as a champion for the 23 local land trusts across the state, CTNC provides essential funding, advocacy and outreach so that those groups can conserve more land in the communities they serve.
Most of us have an innate desire to protect the places we love, but we don’t know how to make this wish a reality. By financially supporting CTNC, you can promote the well being of our state and ensure that future generations have the chance to see, hear and feel the magical touch of North Carolina from its coastal waters to its mountain landscape.
Thank you for joining me in helping preserve this place we love.
Sincerely,
Eric Montross