Fall 2019:13
The Conservation Exchange
at Warren Wilson College
Sharing Ideas, Passion and Resources
for Innovative Land Stewardship
Upcoming Events!
Tour of WWC Archaeology Site
November 19, 4:00pm
Dr. David Moore will give an introductory tour of the Warren Wilson College archaeology site where the Living History Village is currently being established. The site will be marked to show where several of the houses and palisades were located in the 15th-century. Participants will view the archaeological maps and talk about how the village was organized. This watercolor was painted by WWC faculty member Gwen Diehn and represents the largest of the villages dating to around A.D. 1550.
* Parking is limited so we ask everyone to meet at the WWC Farm and we will bus folks down to the site. The tour will last 30 - 45 minutes.
Presentation on Stream Mitigation Project
December 5, 7:00pm
Boon Hall
As many of you know, WWC has teamed up with Restoration Systems to implement a major stream restoration project on our agricultural lands. To date the majority of this work has taken place out of public view, but that will change soon as work begins in pastures along Riceville and Warren Wilson Roads. This project will have important beneficial outcomes for water quality, land aesthetics and wildlife habitat in the valley, as well as providing research and educational opportunities for our students. Dr. Dave Ellum, Dean of Land Resources, will give a public presentation on the project and answer questions from community members.
WWC Winter Sale!
December 6, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Bryson Gym
Come on out and do some early holiday shopping for unique gifts created by work crews, students and community members!
Items for sale include herbal remedies, salves and teas, wreaths, fiber and metal arts, paintings, clothing, jewelry, specialty meats, pottery, live plants and many other wonderful items that will be sure to leave a lasting impression on friends and family. This special event was begun over a decade ago by the WWC Herb Crew and has grown to become one of the most anticipate events of the year!
* This event is free and open to the public.
Winter Natural History Hike
December 7, 10:00am
Join Ecological Forestry Professor Dave Ellum for a leisurely hike through the Broyles Ridge Compartment of the Warren Wilson College Forest. This is one of the older tracts of forest at the College and is designated as a future late successional reserve. Logging is restricted from the area and it is the site of numerous research projects, mostly focused on wildlife and non-timber forest products. This will be a relaxed hike of about two miles during which we'll talk about forest dynamics, natural history and forest management. The hike is easy to moderate and will take about two hours.
*Meet at the Warren Wilson College Chapel
Some Winter/Spring Events to Look Out For:
  • Introduction to Spring Wildflower identification - Dr. Amy Boyd
  • Taxonomy and Ecology of Freshwater Fishes of the Swannanoa River - Dr. Patrick Ciccotto
  • Swannanoa Tunnel as a Place & a Song: Critical Regionalism, Race, and Retelling a Story of Appalachian Industrialization - Dr. Jeff Keith and Dr. Kevin Kehrberg
  • Phenology Monitoring on the Swannanoa River - Dr. Alisa Hove



The newest edition of The Owl and Spade focuses on "Power of Place" and has a feature article on Land Resources at the College. Click here to download a copy and enjoy reading about all the incredible work being done by incredible people at this incredible college!
For Your Autumn Enjoyment
The leaves around us have been changing colors and falling, and the Fiber Arts Crew has been enjoying collecting some of these leaves and using them as an inspiration for some recent dyeing projects. Eco Printing is a dyeing process that imprints dye and tannins from flowers and leaves, most recently popularized by an Australian fiber artist India Flint. A variety of leaves and plant materials are placed between two layers of cotton fabrics that have been soaked in various mordant solutions such as alum, tannic acid, and iron. The cloths are then rolled tightly and steamed. The mordants react to the leaves and the opposite layer of cloth creating vibrant imprints, colors, and negative space of the leaves. The process is a little bit of science, a little bit of magic, and a whole lot of surprise and wonder. Some leaves that have given the best results have been oak, maple, sumac, hemp, and sassafras. These fabrics will be used to make a collection of tote bags, purses, and shawls.
Visit The Conservation Exchange on both Facebook and Instagram to get more educational content and information on our events, programs and resources such as the wonderful " Noticing Nature" video series
Interested in Giving to The Conservation Exchange?
Your generous gift will go towards helping us maintain and improve the research and educational infrastructure of our land and will support continued outreach opportunities for the Warren Wilson College Conservation Community. To give, go to the link below, choose " Other" and designate " Conservation Exchange" on the form. Thank you for being part of our Conservation Community!