Planning your visit to the Asheville area? (If not, you should be!) The Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau just released their official 2011 travel guide. It’s chock full of all the details you’ll need to know to plan the perfect trip, like where to stay, what to do and where to eat. Whether you’re after a relaxing weekend full of scenic views or an exhilarating adventure you won’t soon forget, your first stop (after Navitat’s website, of course) should be the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau website, where you can order their new 2011 travel guide for free: www.exploreasheville.com.
Once you have it in hand, be sure to check out the beautiful full-page photo of Navitat in the “What To Do” section! We’re looking forward to seeing you soon.
The Eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is the most shade tolerant and long-lived tree in Eastern North America. The dense, evergreen canopy of mature hemlock forests provide important habitat for white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse, turkey, songbirds, and other wildlife. In addition, a variety of aquatic species, including North Carolina’s only native trout, the brook trout, is more likely to be found in streams drained by hemlocks than those drained by hardwoods. Hemlocks help moderate stream temperatures and regulate water flow. They are also an important commercial tree to rural communities.
Eastern hemlock forests have significantly declined since the accidental introduction of the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) to the Eastern U.S. in the 1950’s. Native to Asia, this aphid-like insect consumes precious nutrients from hemlock needles and causes the tree to drop its leaves. Without needles, hemlocks cannot grow or produce new shoots, which can result in tree death within just a few years. The hemlock woolly adelgid attacks trees of all ages and sizes, and infested trees seldom recover without intervention.
The loss of eastern hemlocks is expected to have dramatic and long-term ecological impacts on southern Appalachian forest structure and function, including the loss of wildlife habitat and changes in hydrologic processes. Moreover, the reduction in shading may increase stream temperatures and produce conditions unsuitable to the survival of the brook trout and other cold water species. Increased nutrient inputs as a result of erosion following extensive hemlock mortality can result in the deterioration of water quality in watersheds that provide public drinking water.
The small white balls, seen here, are easily identifiable as egg sacks of the hemlock woolly adelgid.
Nearly all of the hemlocks in Moody Cove are infested with the hemlock woolly adelgid. Navitat is committed to saving as many of our trees as possible, and we have established a long-term hemlock woolly adelgid management plan. We have identified priority trees for treatment and have begun control using soil injection methods. Our hope is to preserve the character of Eastern hemlock forests here in Moody Cove and raise awareness about this ecologically important species.
You’ll often hear those of us at Navitat rave about what an amazing home we have. Moody Cove is a 242-acre slice of solitude and beauty that we love sharing with folks. It really is special.
We’ve intentionally built our business, from the canopy tour to our Welcome Center, in the least invasive way possible so that we can preserve the natural beauty we find here. We’re serious about minimizing our impact on the land and, in fact, Navitat is busy finding ways to be good stewards to the home we’re so fortuante to have. We want to someday leave this place (hopefully many years from now!) better than we found it.
One of our main goals at Navitat is to create a place where people can learn about our natural environment in a new and totally different way. A second goal is to create a place where respect for the land translates into deep care for the plants and animals that call this place home. To that end, our Environmental Programming Leader, Sarah Marcinko, is leading the way for Navitat in terms of environmental education and land management.
From plans to erradicate harmful invasive plant species in Moody Cove to treating the Eastern Hemlocks currently affected by the hemlock woolly adelgid, Navitat is investing in our home in ways that will positively affect the environment for years to
As our first season comes to a close, reviewing the media attention we’ve had is an amazing treat! Of course, we all love Navitat, and most of our guests have come to love it as well. But when respected members of the national media highlighted us (over and over again) in their publications and websites, it was an incredibly thrilling feeling! We’ve met some wonderful people as a result of the media attention, and look forward to meeting more, both in the few weeks we have left in this season, and next year.
Most recently, Navitat was featured in the New York Times Sunday travel section, in the article “36 Hours in Asheville,” where we were pegged as one of the city’s must-do activities. This national exposure, coupled with the buzz we received a few weeks ago from USA Today’s coverage, has exploded our customer base! We’re now getting calls from across the country as people plan to include Navitat in their upcoming travels.
If you’ve learned about us through some of this national press, or even through the exciting coverage we’ve had locally, don’t hesitate to call and book your adventure! There are still a few more weeks to participate in a Navitat tour before we close for the season!
As we built Navitat, we tried very hard to be intentional about everything we did. We thought long and hard about any change we made to the natural environment. And now that we’ve lived with our decisions for a season, it’s easier to reflect back on the choices we made. The Welcome Center is a great example of what we were trying to do, and it has been a big success.
One of the things we loved about the property was that there was already a large, empty meadow, which allowed us to build the Welcome Center and parking lot without plowing down any trees. (Though we did have to relocate a cranky, old horse to a new home.) The only thing on the site was an old barn, and we used that as our inspiration for the new Welcome Center. We built in its footprint, and even used quite a bit of the wood that was salvaged from the barn during our construction.
We worked with a LEED accredited architect from right here in Asheville, Mark Allison, to design a building that would use as little material as possible. The Welcome Center features an open plan that allows for maximum air flow and light circulation, which is very important since we chose not to use climate control or much artificial lighting, except in a few back office rooms. The result is a center that fits in seamlessly with the environment, just like the rest of our course.
Meet Sarah Marcinko, Navitat’s Environmental Programming Leader. We’re pleased to announce the recent addition of Sarah Marcinko to the Navitat team. As Environmental Programming Leader, Sarah will lead Navitat in further developing interpretative educational programming for Navitat guests, and providing environmental resource analysis and management of our home, Moody Cove.
Sarah is a great addition to our team. She brings expertise in conservation, environmental management and education, which is a perfect complement to our commitment to provide an authentic tree canopy tour experience with as little impact on the natural landscape as possible.
Prior to joining Navitat, Sarah was a plant ecologist and project manager with Equinox Environmental Consultation and Design in Asheville. She holds a master’s of science in ecology from UNC-Chapel Hill, a bachelor’s of science in biology from James Madison University and a diploma of horticulture from Haywood Community College. She lives in Asheville with her husband, Rob and dog, Luna.
Navitat recently invited folks from the local hospitality industry to visit us and experience our tour for the first time. It was so fun to see local Bed and Breakfast owners, hotel managers, and their staff get together for an adventure in the trees. We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback from these folks. Here, just a few of the highlights:
“You guys have done a wonderful job setting up the course. Lots of thought and nice touches. The guides were also first rate (as well as the rest of the staff) and I could see that the rest of my group was also having a great time.”
“I just wanted to thank you for an amazing and exhilarating experience for all of us. Who would have thought that a lady who is normally running around in heels would love it…I was STOKED! I want to commend your staff for their professionalism. We all had a sense of the safety-first factor they were constantly aware of and using. I felt safe and in good hands at all times. We will not hesitate to recommend Navitat to all our guests, family and friends.”
“We’re deeply impressed with the safety and quality of the experience, and especially thought the guides were knowledgeable, professional and calm (that’s a nice quality when your own heart is pumping a zillion beats a minute!).”
One of the most amazing parts of the entire tour is a series of three big trees on the west ridge line of the Navitat property. They’re named Craggy View, Owl’s Nest and Hemlock Rest, and each features a fantastic platform offering views of the mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway. Craggy View, an 85-foot tall Northern Red Oak, is one of the staff favorites. In fact, Dylan Burt, Navitat’s General Manager, says, “If I had to choose one tree on the course to spend all day in, Craggy View would be the one. It’s incredible.”
All three trees were originally scouted out by John, very early on in the survey process. They stood out from many of the others, partly because of their spectacular size, and partly because of their location, perched high on the ridge. At first glance, it looks like any of them would be the ideal spot for an incredible tree-house! Instead, we took advantage of these giants and incorporated them into our outdoor adventure by making them the site of the tour’s first sky bridge. As visitors approach the first sky bridge, located between Owl’s Nest and Hemlock Rest, they have a perfect opportunity to slow down and really take in the fantastic views while they appreciate the tranquil feeling being in the middle of the woods provides.
This particular sky bridge is 35 feet off the ground, and is the smaller of the two sky bridges on the tour. It’s a perfect introduction to sky bridges, perched between the 100-foot tall Chestnut Oak we call Owl’s Nest and the 85-foot tall Chestnut Oak with an Eastern Hemlock tree growing right alongside that we know as Hemlock Rest. With all of the trees on this ridge line, what is notable is the perception of height experienced. From here, guests can look out over much of the canopy tour course AND (from Craggy View) see all the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway. From Hemlock Rest, you look out over Kate, 130-feet tall and located down in the valley. It’s a pretty impressive perspective!
TripAdvisor recently named Asheville, NC, the top “Fall Foliage Destination” for the 2010 leaf season, and we at Navitat can’t say we’re at all surprised. It’s beautiful here! And it’s shaping up to be a spectacular autumn season in western North Carolina.
On Friday, October 8, we were thrilled to welcome Kim Quintero of WYFF News 4, Greenville, SC. Kim got in touch with us earlier in the week because she was looking to highlight the fall season in western NC in a brand new way. A first time zipper, Kim had a great morning with us and she even called in the News 4 helicopter to get some aerial shots of the Navitat course… definitely something we don’t see around Moody Cove every day!
Whether you live nearby or are considering venturing to the Asheville area for this incredible fall season, you’ll want to book your Navitat tour soon, as the word is out and fall dates are filling up quickly!
As we head into Fall, all area authorities have announced that this year, it’s shaping up to be an amazing, colorful fall season. The weather and other conditions have come together just right to ensure a brightly colored haven of crisp autumn leaves, and since this is Navitat’s first fall, the excitement in the air is palpable. Most people consider leaf season to run from October through the second week of November, although it can run longer or shorter. To all the zipline enthusiasts looking forward to taking advantage of the leaf season tours, that means it’s time to make your plans!
With the recent national exposure and positive reviews we’ve been receiving, Navitat has definitely seen an increase in reservations. While we still have room for many more new visitors, certain days and times have filled up, so it is best to plan upcoming fall visits soon. After all, once the leaves drop, there won’t be another leaf season for 12 months – and there will never be another “first” leaf season at Navitat.
If leaf season does seem like it may pass you by, however, there are still lots of great reasons to experience the Navitat adventure during November, our final month of the 2010 season. Some people plan to time their visit for just after leaf season, when all the leaves have dropped to the ground to crinkle underfoot. With the empty treetops, visitors will have a sensation of being even higher up than normal, and a chance to experience a unique view of the forest and surrounding areas.
Whether your goal is to view the colorful leaf season, experience the biggest thrills, or simply to check out a treetop adventure for the first time, this fall is great time to do it! We’re looking forward to seeing you at Navitat!
