Pisgah Forest, NC – Pisgah Project Day, which is hosted by The Pisgah Conservancy (TPC) each spring in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), will return on Saturday, April 26, 2025.
The event, which was first held in 2016, allows community members to have hands-on involvement in caring for the Pisgah Ranger District. Last year, more than 425 volunteers helped to accomplish 25 improvement projects in a single day.
Last year’s projects included work on the Estatoe trail to kick off a multiphase rehabilitation project (completed in March 2025), improvements and maintenance on twelve different trails, invasive plant removal at three different sites, and graffiti removal.
The timing of the event complements the upcoming peak visitation window for the forest (May through October), and it’s especially timely as recovery from Hurricane Helene continues throughout our region, including on our public lands.
“I volunteered at the very first Pisgah Project Day in 2016 and I remember being amazed at the number of people and partner organizations that showed up,” said Marielle DeJong, TPC’s Donor Engagement Officer. “Those numbers continue to grow and really add to the fun and sense of community. Whether you’ve loved the forest your whole life, or you’re just beginning to explore all that it offers, we hope you will sign up for Pisgah Project Day 2025.”
This year, volunteers will assist with trail maintenance, fence repair, invasive plant removal, trash clean up, native planting, and gardening. Projects will be led by TPC’s trails and invasive plant management staff, USFS personnel, and staff and volunteers from a variety of partner organizations that support the forest.
The event is also supported by dozens of local businesses and agencies, including its returning lead sponsor, the Transylvania County Tourism Development Authority (TCTDA).
The TCTDA has participated as the event’s lead sponsor since event sponsorships were first offered in 2022, and their support of TPC’s work ranging from trail rehabilitation and new trail construction to the addition of safety and informational signage on key trails to the Pisgah River Rangers outreach and education program dates back to 2016.
“The TCTDA is thrilled to return in 2025 as the lead sponsor of TPC's annual signature event, Pisgah Project Day,” said Virginia Watkins, TCTDA’s Operations & Outreach Specialist. “Through our Transylvania Always sustainability initiative, we want to always encourage safe use of our public lands to ensure that they will be enjoyed for generations to come. And with $230,000+ invested in Pisgah Project Day and major TPC projects since 2016, our partnership with TPC provides us a unique opportunity to help ‘Leave It Better’ alongside our community members and protect what we and our visitors love so dearly... our public lands.”
After a morning of hard work in the forest, the official event after-party will take place at Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, NC that afternoon.
Volunteer registration is now open on TPC’s website and will remain open until Monday, April 21. For full event details and to register, please visit: https://www.pisgahconservancy.org/pisgah-project-day/
The Pisgah Conservancy is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) whose mission is to work in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to provide key resources for the benefit of Pisgah and its visitors for generations to come. For more information, visit www.pisgahconservancy.org.