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For Immediate Release
May 13, 2010


(Charlotte, N.C.) – Catawba Lands Conservancy, lead agency for the Carolina Thread Trail, will host the 3rd annual Redlair NatureFest on Saturday, June 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival will be held at Redlair Farm & Forest in Gaston County, a fitting location to celebrate National Trails Day by inviting visitors to enjoy more than 70 miles of hiking trails and blueway access.

Located just 30 minutes from downtown Charlotte and 20 minutes from the heart of Gastonia, Redlair is a pristine 730-acre nature preserve with 4.5 miles of protected land along the scenic South Fork Catawba River. The NatureFest site is part of Gaston County’s adopted corridor for the Carolina Thread Trail, a fifteen county network of multi-use trails connecting communities throughout the central Carolinas.

NatureFest is free and offers family-friendly fun for all to enjoy, including live music, food and refreshments, local artisans, animals, face painting, crafts and hayrides. Canoeing and float trips along the Carolina Thread Trail blueway are available for a small fee to those who pre-register at catawbalands.org.

Visitors are invited to explore miles of hiking trails or sign up for guided nature walks to learn more about the unique habitat and legacy of Redlair. Hikes will be led by educators, botanists and environmental stewardship experts. Following is a sampling of the many hikes that will be available:

Redlair Odyssey: Explore the landscapes and diverse habitats that make Redlair Farm & Forest a conservation treasure.

Wildflower Wonder: Stop and smell the flowers. Several hikes offer information about the vast variety of wildflowers in Redlair and their traditional uses.

Twitter and Tweets: Leave your computer at home and turn off your smart phone — but remember to wear your walking shoes. You’ll learn how to identify the birds of Redlair by their songs and field markings.

Chicken of the Woods and Other Edible Delights: If you’ve been curious about the fungus among us, this adventure is for you.

Little Sunflower on the Prairie: Redlair is home to the federally endangered Schweinitz’s sunflower. Join the botanist who discovered it and learn more about the sunflower and the Adam Hunter Prairie.

A full listing of guided hikes is available at catawbalands.org. Hikers are encouraged to reserve their space online in advance.

This year’s festival will kick off with the first annual Race for the Land. Runners will have the rare opportunity to take to the trails at Redlair for an 8k or half marathon race beginning at 7:30 a.m. The race benefits Catawba Lands Conservancy’s local conservation projects. To learn more or register, visit catawbalands.org.

The day at Redlair Farm & Forest will include the Conservancy’s 19th Annual Meeting at 10 a.m. when Catawba Lands Conservancy’s leadership team will review last year’s successes and share an overview of priorities for 2010. The meeting also serves as a venue to recognize recent land donors, announce the 2009 Conservation Volunteer of the Year and vote for new board members. All are encouraged to attend.

Directions to Redlair NatureFest:
Take I-85 to Exit 26 (Belmont Abbey College exit.) Turn left (north) at the light on to Old NC 273. Turn left at the first stop light onto Woodlawn Street. Take Woodlawn until it ends at Hickory Grove Road and turn right. Take Hickory Grove past North Belmont Park on the right, passing Rankin Road on the left. Take the next left on Redlair Lane, and parking attendants will direct you – 144 Redlair Lane, Gastonia, NC.

About Catawba Lands Conservancy

Catawba Lands Conservancy is a regional land trust that permanently protects land, water and wildlife habitat to enhance your quality of life. The Conservancy protects more than 8,000 acres in Catawba, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg and Union counties and is one of 24 land trusts serving North Carolina. Catawba Lands Conservancy is the lead agency for the Carolina Thread Trail, an initiative that links more than two million citizens with hundreds of miles of trails that wind through fifteen counties in North and South Carolina.

About The Carolina Thread Trail

The Carolina Thread Trail (The Thread) is a 15-county, two state initiative designed to inspire and facilitate the creation of a regional network of trails, blueways, and conservation corridors that is growing over to link more than 2.3 million citizens. With technical resources and catalytic funding from The Thread, local communities plan and implement their portions of this green interstate system. Catawba Lands Conservancy is the lead agency for The Thread, working in partnership with the Foundation For The Carolinas, and many local partners.

Additional Resources:
• www.catawbalands.org
• www.carolinathreadtrail.org