Arc of Appalachia

Land Acquisition & Nature Preservation - In 2022 The Highland's Nature Sanctuary, Inc. (HNS) (dba the Arc of Appalachia) expanded its preserve holdings by 1685 acres thus bringing the total natural project areas acquired by fee simple or conservation easement since the organization's inception in 1995 to 10,272 acres to further the mission of wildlands preservation; most of which remain actively monitored and managed by HNS. Total natural area acquisitions through 2022 by the organization total 158 separate land acquisitions over 28 years in 28 preserve regions. New land acquisitions that were purchased in 2022 with the aid of private donations and grants included 513 acres in Hocking Hills called Resilience Woods, the 99-acre Quiverheart Preserve in Adams County, the 6-acre entrance to Kamama Prairie Preserve in Adams County, the 194-acre Killbuck Swamp (Crane Lake Tract)in Holmes County, the 568-acre Simon Farm Preserve in Scioto County, the 19-acre Old Oaks Grove in Scioto County, and the 17-acre expansion of Cliff Run Preserve (Crystal Springs tract) in Ross County. Four properties were donated to HNS: the 10-acre Walworth Pond in Highland County near Fort Hill, the 6-acre historic farmstead at Simon Farm in Scioto County with retained life estate, the 62-acre Turtlehead Swamp in Knox County, and the 87-acre Elf Ear Barrens in Adams County (by Dayton Power & Light Co.). In addition, HNS accepted three conservation easements on adjacent lands in Hocking County on Buena Vista Road totaling 101 acres. Land Stewardship & Hiking Trails. A significant priority for the staff of HNS's Land Stewardship Team in 2022 was the development of hiking trails that was in a large part funded by the Clean Ohio grant program. These included development of trails at Ohio Hanging Rock, Kamama Prairie, Quiverheart, Cliff Run, and Cline Farm/Honeycomb Rocks, which will add a total of over 11 miles of new hiking opportunities for our visitors when they are complete. Non-native invasive plant control is a year-round task across the preserve system, focusing primarily on bush honeysuckle, multiflora rose, autumn olive, and Chinese lespedeza. HNS staff continue to track and treat the hemlock woolly adelgid, a non-native invasive insect in five of our preserve with stands of Canadian hemlock. Tree removal at Plum Run Prairie was undertaken to release and expand the native prairie areas in 2022. HNS continues management of an Ohio History Connection-owned site, Fort Hill, in Highland County. Research: Arc of Appalachia staff and volunteers continued to engage in several research studies across its preserves. These included an annual week-long bird survey at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary; an on-going timber rattlesnake habitat study at its Tobacco Barn Hollow preserve; and a three-day-long acoustic bat monitoring survey at its Tobacco Barn Hollow preserve. Researchers from University of Cincinnati also completed a two-week long survey monitoring a population of tri-colored bats at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary in 2022.

Education - In 2022 The Highlands Nature Sanctuary, Inc. (HNS) (dba the Arc of Appalachia) was committed to teaching citizens about the value of Ohio's natural landscapes through its outdoor education courses, through displays and staff contact at the Appalachian Forest Museum, and via nature immersion opportunities presented to visitors on HNS's 50-plus miles of hiking trails. Calculated through head counts, registration data, and car counters, HNS attracted 89,948 visitors in 2022. Notable attendance includes: 9239 visitors to the Appalachian Forest Museum, 16,081 visitors to Fort Hill Preserve, 24,220 visitors to Junction Earthworks, and 17,214 hikers at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary. In addition to the nonprofit's usual large annual events: Wildflower Pilgrimage, Mothapalooza, and Tree People, a new major event was sponsored in 2022 - the Simon Farm Sorghum Festival which was held the first full weekend of October and is expected to become an annual event.