Sustainability at Stowe

How we protect + preserve our 380 acres.

Our Path to a Greener Future

Conservation has been at the heart of everything we do ever since Dan Stowe set aside this land in the early 90s. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we’re dedicated to protecting our 380 acres in a world of rapidly developing cityscapes and create a haven where all can find their path to nature through education, recreation, art, horticulture and caring for this beautiful land we call home. Our mission? Inspire a love of nature and its beauty through unforgettable outdoor experiences. Here’s how we do it.

Our Sustainability Efforts

We’re focused on growing native plants to enrich our Garden spaces through pollinators like butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.

Visitors can also purchase these native plants at our Big Leaf Café + Shop and Farmhouse Garden Center to promote the growth of native plants in local home gardens.

We’ve also begun collecting and maintaining a regional seed bank for native plants; in 2024, we collected over 40 species with permits from Catawba Lands Conservancy and the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program.

We’ve begun a multi-phase project to enhance our woodland habitats and trail improvements through the development of a Master Trail Plan, including:
    • Trail realignment and resurfacing
    • Installation of stone steps and drainage features
    • Invasive species removal – 2025 activated a core volunteer group targeting invasive plants such as Autumn Olive, Chinese Privet and more

Our partnership with Husqvarna provides new, battery-operated equipment that minimizes our gas usage and reduces sound pollution across the property.

We’re also implementing a new mowing plan to reduce mowing acreage and restore natural spaces for native plants and animals.

Stowe has begun implementing new sustainable practices across the organization, including:

  • Tracking water use both inside our facilities and in The Gardens across our fountains, ponds and irrigations
  • Composting our waste both on-site and off-site
  • Minimizing our plastic use – we no longer use plastic bottles of any kind at our retail locations and provide compostable utensils
  • Regularly documenting energy use from utilities, waste management and fuel

We’re working with Catawba Riverkeeper to repair and restore three unnamed tributaries on the property and evaluating impact through macroinvertebrate sampling and innovative stormwater management processes.

We’re working to protect Lake Wylie by evaluating areas for shoreline stabilization on our property

We’re restoring Savanna and Prairie habitats across the property through the removal of invasive species, establishing native plants and flowers, setting new grasslands management mowing procedures, scheduling prairie burns and expanding the phenology program to these areas.

We’re proud to host two citizen-science programs led by dedicated teams of volunteers: Trail Plant Phenology and Bluebird Phenology.  The Trail Plant Phenology group monitors around 31 different species weekly to track phenological changes. These observations are submitted to the National Phenology Network, contributing critical data to national climate change research. The Bluebird Phenology group tracks the nesting and hatching activity of Easter Bluebirds across approximately 50 nestboxes across the property, recording key data and contributing to broader efforts supporting this native species.

Over the last few years, we’ve grown our public education, interpretation and research infrastructure as an organization through interpretive signage, community education programming, aerial monitoring and habitat mapping.

Field trips and summer camps spark a spirit of sustainability in our community’s youth from a young age. Kids have the chance to learn about wildlife lifecycles and habitats, gardening, science, nature-based art, ecology, pollinators and so much more!

Check out our Education page for upcoming opportunities!

Husqvarna Partnership

We’re thrilled to partner with Husqvarna as our Preferred Equipment Provider. Husqvarna supports our transition to long-term, low-noise and emission-free solutions to help advance our conservation goals and complement our existing fleet.

Sustainability Advisory Committee

The following committee members lead our sustainability efforts at Stowe:

Janet Manuel

Ecological Stewardship Manager

Cassy Hallman

Conservation Ecologist

Karen Kottkamp

Garden Curator

Resources

Catawba Lands Conservancy

Catawba Riverkeeper

North Carolina Botanical Garden

Southeastern Grasslands Institute

The Native Habitat Project

Want to get involved?

We encourage you to plant native at home and are here to help you get started.

The support of our community funds new tools for our horticulture team, new miles of trails built and expanded opportunities for all to find their path to nature.

 From garden maintenance to special events to educational tours to membership support and more, our volunteers are crucial to our operations ensuring every visitor has a wonderful experience.