Clean Water team gets EPA invite to Land Trust Alliance Rally!

Every year the Land Trust Alliance hosts Rally: The National Land Conservation Conference where, typically, our Land Conservation staff networks with other passionate people working to protect our precious natural resources.

But this year was a special year! Upstate Forever's very own Clean Water team was invited to Rally 2025 in Cleveland, OH, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Clean Water & GIS Manager Katie Hottel and Clean Water Specialist Rebecca Wade gave an excellent presentation about water-quality-focused land conservation. Well done, Clean Water team!

While our team worked very hard to get to the conference, they had a little fun, too! Katie and Rebecca were joined by UF's Glenn Hilliard Director of Land Conservation Scott Park and Land Conservation Manager Chris Starker for some fun in the city.

Snag your limited-edition t-shirt

From the tiny bunched arrowhead to the mighty great blue heron, the Upstate is home to rare and wonderful flora and fauna. Give $50+ in support of our work — like protecting the habitat and water resources these precious species depend on — and we’ll send you a limited-edition UF tee featuring custom artwork. It's a win-win. Snag your tee!

"Stewardship" event success

Land Policy Grassroots Specialist Tre'Dessa Smalls hosted a successful advocacy training for faith-based communities last month at Mt. Sinai Baptist Church. Attendees enjoyed a presentation by Pastor Stacey Mills and an informative panel facilitated by Pam Adams. Join our e-lists to stay informed about upcoming trainings in your area.

Spartanburg showed up!

Thank you to everyone who came out for our Brews & Big Ideas event in Spartanburg earlier this month. It was a wonderful evening of connecting over great beer, great conversation, and even greater ideas! We love hearing from the people we serve about their vision for conservation and advocacy in the Upstate.

Thank you, Mast General Store

We were honored to receive nearly $11,000 from Mast General Greenville as a result of this year's Land Trust Day and over $2,000 from their July round-up campaign. These gifts support the permanent protection more of the Upstate's farmlands, forests, and special places for generations. We are so grateful!

Staff updates & anniversaries

Exciting changes are underway at UF — two of our staff members were recently promoted to Director roles!

State Policy Director Megan Chase-Muller has accepted a fantastic opportunity in Columbia, where she will continue to connect with state legislators on conservation initiatives in her new role. While we are sad to lose her daily collaboration, we are excited to announce that Energy Advocate Michael Coleman will soon assume the role of State Policy Director. Since joining Megan's Energy & State Policy team four years ago, Michael has played an essential role in advancing UF's energy policy work, building relationships with key stakeholders, and serving as Co-Chair on the South Carolina Conservation Coalition Steering Committee. Congratulations, Michael!

We are also happy to announce that Assistant Director of Stewardship & Land Management Lauren Ulich will move into a director role as Director of Stewardship & Land Management. Lauren has built the Land Management program from the ground up very quickly. In just four years, she has created a thriving team of three who serve landowners by sharing expert knowledge on how to maintain conservation values on their land. Lauren has also secured funding for extensive land management projects that improve habitat for local flora and fauna as well as protect water resources in our region. Congratulations, Lauren!

Last, but certainly not least, please join us in celebrating Director of Development Morgan Martin's first anniversary at UF. Morgan hit the ground running the moment she joined our team and her expertise in major gift fundraising, planned giving, annual giving, prospect management, and donor relations has elevated the Development team's work over the last year. Thanks for all you do, Morgan!

Your tax-deductible gift to Upstate Forever will go directly toward protecting critical lands and saving special places in the Upstate.