A Year of Impact
2025 Land Conservation Wrapped
December 2025
As the Piedmont region continues to grow, land conservation remains a grounding force, protecting the natural spaces, farms, forests, and waterways that make this place home. In 2025, Piedmont Land Conservancy (PLC) marked a major milestone: our 35th anniversary. It was a year to reflect on how far we’ve come and how much more there is to do.
This year alone, with supporters and partners by our side, we conserved about 850 acres of land across our region.
Below are highlights from a year of meaningful progress, for nature, water, farms and the wildlife and people who depend on them.
None of these milestones would be possible without people who care. If you believe nature belongs in all our futures, we hope you’ll consider making a gift to support this work.
Your generosity helps save the next farm, forest, or river waiting to be protected.
Protecting Family Farms
Across Alamance, Caswell, Randolph, and Surry counties, PLC conserved four family farms totaling more than 560 acres. These lands remain in agricultural production, support multigenerational families, and preserve the rural landscapes that define the Piedmont, all at a time when development pressure is at an all-time high.
Read more about Savannah Farm in Alamance County.
Guilford Woods: A Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity
In the heart of Greensboro remains a rare natural place, Guilford Woods, one of the city’s last intact forests of its size. This year, PLC launched an $8.5 million campaign to permanently protect it. If conserved, Guilford Woods will become a sanctuary for wildlife and an accessible natural space where people can connect with nature close to home.
Ridges Mountain: A Growing Haven of Biodiversity
Ridges Mountain near Asheboro is already known as a hotspot for rare species, and this year it got even stronger. PLC expanded this preserve twice in 2025, adding 80 acres of rare ecosystem that provides essential upland pools for breeding amphibians. With additional work done by The Conservation Fund and the NC Zoo, the protected area now totals about 500 acres, a major win for biodiversity.
More Wins From Across the Region
Coming Soon: Bashavia Creek Preserve
Near Pfafftown and Winston-Salem, PLC broke ground on trails at the future Bashavia Creek Preserve, while beginning work to restore fields to native grasses. This protected land will one day offer public access, and we’re laying the groundwork now.
Our First Nature Preserve Manager
As we grow our network of nature preserves, PLC took a major step forward. We hired our first Nature Preserve Manager to guide the creation of publicly accessible lands and ensure they remain healthy, safe, and welcoming for generations.
Protecting the Mayo River
PLC conserved 30 acres along the Mayo River and transferred 93 acres to expand Mayo River State Park, ensuring long-term public access and protection of this beloved river corridor.
Safeguarding Endangered Species
Along the Dan River, PLC protected 12 acres of habitat critical to the federally endangered small-anthered bittercress, a plant found in only a few places on Earth.
Bird Habitat Conservation
Near Belews Lake and Knight Brown Nature Preserve, we protected 48 acres of high-quality bird habitat, supporting both migratory and resident species who rely on these forests and fields.
Getting People Outside
Connecting people to nature continues to be a cornerstone of our mission. This year:
846+ people joined PLC for guided hikes and outdoor programs.
We completed the second year of the Northwest Piedmont Master Naturalist Program, graduating 24 new naturalists, many of whom are already giving back as volunteers and conservation leaders.
Looking Ahead
As we move into another year, we do so with both gratitude and resolve. Protecting land is urgent work and also hopeful work. Each acre preserved today shapes a healthier, greener future for us all.
Thank you for being part of PLC’s mission, whether you joined a hike, volunteered, donated, shared a story, or simply found joy in nature this year. Together, we are protecting the Piedmont we love.
We hope you’ll also consider helping fuel this work in the year ahead. Every acre we save shapes the future of the Piedmont.
Thank you for caring about the place we call home.