“I’ll get by with a little help from my friends” (the Beatles)
Last week on the second Sunday of the Season of Creation Elaine Chiosso, E.D. of the Haw River Assembly, took the worshiping congregation of Pittsboro Presbyterian Church ‘down to the river’ as she recounted the history and work of the HRA. Now on the third Sunday of the Season of Creation Anne Geer, President of the Friends of Lower Haw River State Natural Area (FLHRSNA) will again take folks down to the river.
FLHRSNA is a local chapter of the statewide nonprofit North Carolina Friends of State Parks, Inc. NC State Parks established State Natural Areas (SNA) as a different type of unit within the state park system. State Natural Areas focus on conservation and preservation of special places. Unlike state parks, facilities are limited in state natural areas, making them ideal places for low impact activities such as birding, nature photography, fishing, hiking, and paddling.
I have spent many hours over the years hiking and paddling along the shores of the lower Haw with camera in hand enjoying and capturing the diverse flora and fauna and the beautiful scenery that this section of the Haw affords all who avail themselves of its abundance. We’ll leave you with a small sampling of the sights along the lower Haw at the conclusion of this post.
2023 has been designated in North Carolina as the Year of the Trail, but for FLHRSNA every year is the year of the trail as they seek to provide stewardship, education, and advocacy to advance the land and water trail system while protecting the biodiversity of this vital section of the lower Haw and Jordan Lake. Opportunities abound for anyone who would like to offer their time, talents and/or treasure to this all volunteer organization. Just follow this link: https://www.lowerhaw.org/get-involved to sign on. It is only through the dedicated involvement of caring citizens (Friends of Lower Haw) that the beauty and bounty of this precious area of the river will be preserved and enhanced.
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