Landscape Conservation
The Appalachian Trail is a world class hiking corridor over 2,000 miles long. This unbroken corridor also contains rare and endangered plants and animals in unique ecosystems encompassing low elevation deciduous forests, open areas, wetlands, high elevation balds, boreal forests, and alpine tundra.
Tom McAvoy
conservationsupervisor@ratc.org
The RATC section of the AT has many acres of deciduous forest, open areas, rock outcrops, caves, and springs. Each of these habitats support unique species. These habitats are threatened by development, climate change, and non-native invasive species.
RATC’s conservation goals are to protect these areas from these threats by:
- Locating and managing non-native invasive species
- Locate rare and endangered species and mitigate threats
- Maintain habitats such as open areas
You can help by participating in:
- Garlic mustard pulls
- Herbicide applications
- Locating nonnative invasive species
@appalachiantrail Avast! There be pirates in these parts! If you’re planning a visit to Dragon’s Tooth near Roanoke, Virginia, please respect the ropes and signs in place to protect the rare pirate bush. The ATC works to study and protect the Appalachian Trail and the plants and animals that call it home. Thanks for being part of our crew! 🏴☠️🌿 #talklikeapirateday #appalachiantrail #virginiatriplecrownloop #virginiatriplecrown ♬ Pirates Of The Caribbean - Main Theme - He's A Pirate - Geek Music