And the mascot finally has a name! We recently announced the winner of Navitat’s mascot naming contest, and the honor went to Donna S. Cishek of Arden, N.C. Over 500 people entered, but Donna’s name was too cute to resist. So, without further ado, please welcome our mascot, Chester A. Corn!
For her winning suggestion, Donna will receive a canopy adventure for four and said she plans to make it a family affair by bringing along her daughter, her sister and her niece.
“We’re so excited that our name won,” said Donna. “I’ve bungee-jumped before, but never done zip-lining. It looks like so much fun. And we just love the outdoors.”
Those planning a visit to North Carolina now have one more way to find out about Navitat: the VisitNC.com website. Run by the state’s Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism, Film and Sports Development, the Visit NC website is a great resource chock full of travel tips, suggestions and ideas for what to do once you arrive. They’ve posted a fantastic article detailing the Navitat Canopy Tour.
We’re expecting Knoxville visitors any day now… Navitat garnered a write-up in the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Travel Briefs at the end of May. Only a two-hour drive east, Navitat’s canopy tour would be a great activity for those looking to escape Knoxville for a weekend.
Navitat is definitely getting noticed! Recently, Navitat was reviewed on TheEconaut.com, a site designed for readers who want to protect our planet while reconnecting with nature. They noted that Navitat “offers a view of the forest that promises to be not only spectacular, but environmentally friendly as well,” and encouraged travelers looking for an “eco-travel treat” to check us out.
Construction of Navitat Canopy Adventures began during the 2009-2010 winter months. As luck would have it, Western North Carolina experienced one of our harshest winters in years; lots of snow, many bitterly cold days… and through it all, John Walker and the Bonsai Design crew were hard at work. Way to go, guys!
With all the beautiful spring weather we’re now experiencing, it’s hard to believe that it was just a few short months ago when John’s design left the drawing-board and began its life in the trees.
Over the next few posts, you’ll get an inside look at what it takes to build a world-class canopy tour. This is no small under-taking.
Last week’s outing with Sarah Marcinko, Navitat’s Plant Ecologist from Equinox Environmental, was inspiring. We all learned some new things about our home, Moody Cove, that we hadn’t realized. Aside from the wetland area that appears to be fairly unique in western North Carolina, Moody Cove is also home to several rare plant species like Black Cohosh, Eastern Spotted Coralroot, American Ginseng, and Bloodroot. American Ginseng has many holistic uses, including as a stimulant (explaining why it’s often found in energy drinks) and aphrodisiac. Black Cohosh also has some holistic uses.
Even more exciting, we discovered that we’ve got fruit trees! Cherry and apple trees seem to have been planted in areas near the wetland. This find reminds us that families once made their home here. It also gives us something tasty to look forward to in a few months!
Invasive species like Multiflora Rose and Japanese Spirea are a common problem in Southern Appalachian forests; unfortunately, Sarah pointed out that Moody Cove is no different, and we’re working to determine the best methods to eliminate invasives on our property. Many of these species were spread across the land by the cattle that used to graze here.
Touring the Navitat property with Sarah and learning more about the plants in Moody Cove was so interesting, and we saw some amazing views, especially from a spot high on the ridge. When John Walker set out to design the course, he found two large Chestnut Oaks high on the ridge line. As our group soaked in the awe-inspiring views, Ken explained that it all started here. John fell in love with these two trees, from which you can see all the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway, and worked his vision around getting guests to and from these beauties in the most exciting way.
As we’ve begun this adventure, we’re sometimes asked: “What makes Navitat different?” For those of us closest to this project, it seems obvious; it starts with intention… with heart. But it’s also so much more than that. Planning. Expertise. Inspiration. These all play a part.
When Ken Stamps went looking for the perfect home for Navitat Canopy Adventures, he searched more than 300 properties before finding Moody Cove. He found a site, unmatched by others in the industry, that truly inspires. He found a place that we can’t wait to share. And as an added bonus, it’s just 20 minutes north of Asheville.
John Walker, Navitat partner, and owner of and chief designer for Bonsai Design, Inc., created a canopy tour that he describes as “world-class” and “state-of-the-art.” In Moody Cove, he built a 100-percent tree-based work of art, and we all get to experience, enjoy, and share it. Lucky us!
Navitat is unique in that industry professionals make up the core of our management team, with extensive prior-experience on other Bonsai Design-built courses throughout the country. When you visit Navitat, you’re in great hands.
Industry-accredited experts train all of our Canopy Guides, and all Guides are required to participate in a continual training program throughout the duration of their employment. The word on the inside is that we’ve got something special going on at Navitat. Experienced guides from Alaska, Oregon and Colorado have relocated to begin this adventure with us. And, of course, a bunch of local folks are “learning the ropes” as we speak… Our team is second none, and we can’t wait to meet you!
So what’s Navitat really like? Join us during our 2010 season, and find out for yourself. We’re so excited to hear all you have to say!
Ken Stamps is the man in charge. As the managing partner of Navitat, he’s the one that makes sure we’re staying true to our goals and vision. With his background as a Principal and Board of Directors member at one of the largest, most successful architectural/engineering firms in the US, as well as his work with large public recreation projects, including the internationally acclaimed Millennium Park in downtown Chicago, Ken is perfectly suited for this position. During his time with the firm, Ken founded and managed a division that provided real estate consulting services throughout the US.
In November of 2008, Ken left the firm for something a lot more fun. He approached John Walker with the idea of partnering to build and own a canopy tour. Ken and John agreed to become partners in creating Navitat Canopy Adventures at a breakfast meeting at Sunny Pointe Café in West Asheville. They both wanted to find a site in Asheville, and Ken worked with Buncombe and Henderson County officials to find just the right one. After analyzing over 300 properties, he chose Moody Cove, which was first brought to his attention by Ed Hicks, a local forestry consultant.
Ken’s vision was spot on. The Moody Cove site turned out to be just right for an intricate canopy adventure that coexists nicely with its environment. Ken, his partners, and family all got involved with turning the plans into a reality. Austin, Ken’s oldest son, loves the outdoors and has been a great help working on the Navitat property. During his time at Moody Cove, Austin caught many snakes and turtles (releasing them all), and was even bitten on the nose by a large Black Rat Snake.
Ken was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and also lived in Cleveland and New Jersey as a child. He moved to Birmingham, Michigan in 1972, and lives there currently with his wife Debby and two sons, Alex and Austin.
Just how do you get to be the designer of canopy adventure zip lines and sky bridges? Was John Walker playing make believe zip-line designer as a tot, when his peers played fireman or race car driver?
Born and raised in Birmingham, Michigan, just north of Detroit, John became interested in adventure design as a teenager, when he attended several summer camps that had challenge ropes courses and offered to help build and maintain them. He went on to study design at the San Francisco School of Arts and Crafts and the University of Colorado before forming Bonsai Designs in 1993. The name Bonsai was inspired from a nickname given to John by a friend because of his meticulous attention to every tiny detail in his designs. When you’re designing zip lines that send riders careening through treetops, over low valleys and alongside steep mountains, attention to detail is a definite plus!
As his new design company grew, John worked primarily for camps, where he designed and built challenge courses. Frequent travel and constant work at camps across the country had him practically living out of the “Bonsai” van. Luckily, he had his family’s help and support. His sister, Sarah, helped him manage Bonsai’s finances. In 2001, he found a dog while working at a camp in Arizona, and Fern became a loyal companion who kept up with his travels.
In 2005, John designed and built his first canopy tour in Ketchikan, Alaska. Since then, he has built 2 more courses in Alaska, and courses in California, Texas, Ohio, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Georgia, and Ontario, Canada. His goal for those who experience one of his courses is that they interconnect with nature in a new and exhilarating way. He also wants to show how design, engineering, and nature can come together in a sustainable way. He’s become known in the industry as a designer who builds highly artistic canopy tours that are woven intimately with the natural environment. He focuses intensely on safety and all of his courses utilize state-of-the-art engineering.
In 2008, John joined forces with his father and uncle to create the largest canopy tour of his career. Together, they founded Navitat, located in Moody Cove in Asheville, NC, home to 10 zip lines, 6 sky bridges and at least 1 rappel, all of John’s design. This time, John wanted to brand their new company with an invented, fanciful word that would be unique and memorable. Navitat, a combination of “navigating” and “habitat,” was formed. This May, John and his partners will welcome visitors to experience the largest, most complex canopy adventures he’s ever designed.
Navitat Canopy Adventures building course just 20 minutes from Asheville
BARNARDSVILLE, N.C. – Imagine exploring a century-old forest from high among the treetops, watching a bird fly below as you traverse a sky-bridge, or gliding across a wide valley floor – all against the backdrop of western North Carolina’s beautiful mountains.
NAVITAT CANOPY ADVENTURES is combining the exhilaration of a zip line tour with the educational experience of a Costa Rican rainforest-style canopy excursion to create a new outdoor adventure just 20 minutes north of downtown Asheville, N.C. Tours begin in mid-April.
“This is going to be an experience unlike anything you’ll find in this part of the country,” said Ken Stamps, Managing Partner of NAVITAT CANOPY ADVENTURES. “It will be thrilling and enlightening, and will give our guests a new perspective on their natural surroundings and, hopefully, on themselves.”
Designed by Bonsai Design Inc., the leading canopy tour installer in the country, the course will be comprised of artfully constructed platforms nestled in the trees and connected by a series of sky-bridges, zip lines and rappels. Guests will be escorted at all times by experienced guides as they move through the course. The design is entirely tree-based and uses no poles or other structures to support the platforms and course features. Upon completion, the course will vary in height from 2 feet to more than 200 feet off the ground, and zip lines range from 50 feet to 1,100 feet in length.
The course is situated in Moody Cove, a 240-acre tract of forestland just north of Barnardsville. The site is home to forests of hardwoods — some more than 100 years old — native and rare plant species, streams and mountain wildlife.
“This course site is just awesome — its size and topography, the views it provides, and just how pristine and peaceful it is,” said John Walker, NAVITAT partner and president of Bonsai Design Inc. “We’re taking great care in designing all the course elements so that we’re not only highlighting the land’s natural beauty, but also protecting it.”
Environmental stewardship is one of NAVITAT’s core values. The company commissioned a complete inventory of the site’s natural resources and has established a management plan for non-native invasive plant species. Designers and builders are using sustainable practices and products in the construction of the course and Welcome Center, where guests can learn about the natural history of the area.
“From the moment they arrive, our guests can expect great service and a great adventure,” said Dylan Burt, Partner and General Manager of NAVITAT. “We’re excited to be introducing them to an amazing canopy-tour experience, whether they’re looking for that adrenaline rush or just wanting to take in nature in a whole new way.”
When fully operational, NAVITAT plans to employ approximately 30 staff members.
NAVITAT tours begin in mid-May, but you can make reservations now at www.navitat.com. Tours last approximately 3 ½ hours, including orientation and ground school where you learn proper zip line techniques. Cost is $85 per person for adults, and $75 per person for children ages 10-16.
NAVITAT Canopy Adventures is a member of the Association for Challenge Course Technologies (ACCT), which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute. The company adheres to and exceeds all ACCT standards for construction, operations and training.
As we’ve begun this adventure, we’re sometimes asked: “What makes Navitat different?” For those of us closest to this project, it seems obvious; it starts with intention… with heart. But it’s also so much more than that. Planning. Expertise. Inspiration. These all play a part.