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What a wonderful autumn morning spent guiding a forest bathing experience alongside @topherwstephens! 🍂🍁🌿

#forestbathing #cashiersnc #highlandscashiersplateau #lakeglenvillenc #jacksoncountync

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We had to reschedule last weekend’s forest therapy walk due to the weather, and a few spots have opened up because some of our participants couldn’t make the new date.

So, if you find yourself with some free time tomorrow and would love to slow down, reconnect with your senses, and spend a little time immersed in the forest, I would love for you to join us! 🌿

You can RSVP through the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust or visit my event page at Maven’s Forge.

Hope to see you in the forest tomorrow! 🍂

#cashiersnc #highlandscashiersplateau #lakeglennvillenc #forestbathing #jacksoncountync

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Fall color on the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau doesn’t arrive all at once.

Eight familiar species. Eight very different schedules.

From September’s first crimson leaves to November’s final flashes of red, here’s how the season unfolds.

Save this guide for your next autumn drive through the mountains.

Sourwood is often among the first trees to turn crimson on the Plateau, sometimes as early as the first week of September.

Long before the surrounding canopy catches up, its red leaves are already making an appearance.

But why so early? And what does FLAGGING mean?

Red maple can begin changing color around the same time as sourwood, sometimes while summer still feels very much alive.

Its familiar leaves are among the most widespread splashes of scarlet across the mountains.

Two early arrivals, but not necessarily the same story.

Ever noticed a flash of brilliant red climbing a tree that’s still completely green?

That might be Virginia creeper.

This climbing vine can turn scarlet in mid-September, creating one of autumn’s most striking contrasts.

And there’s that word again: FLAGGING.

Keep an eye on the roadsides.

Sumac brings brilliant orange-red color to the mountain landscape, often before the surrounding trees reach their peak.

Its upright clusters of fruit can persist long after the leaves have fallen.

Not every spectacular autumn color is red.

In the cool, wet coves and along mountain creeks, yellow birch can turn a luminous gold, sometimes within a single week.

One more reason to look beyond the treetops during an autumn drive.

A brilliant yellow leaf from a tree with an extraordinary history.

American chestnut sprouts still emerge across our mountain landscape, their leaves offering flashes of gold each fall.

In our guide, we call it “The Ghost.” There’s a story behind that name.

Red, orange, and gold. Sometimes all on the same branch.

Sassafras is one of the most colorful characters in the autumn forest, with distinctive leaves that can take several different shapes.

It’s also one of the species we’ve marked FLAGGING.

Starting to see a pattern?

Just when you think the autumn show is ending, scarlet oak has something to say.

Its deep

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8/21/26 Peregrine Preserve “Forgotten Walk”

The several days leading up to this walk felt like an arrival, we were at the door of the most abundant stretch as House of Fig.

Together we entered tree time and a deep silence as we reacquainted partnerships with beings around us and expressing our shared stories.

I jokingly coined the “Forgotten Walk” because there is always a sense of ease when partnering with Topher and @hcltnc

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No words. Just breathe.

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Impress your friends with your giant brain full of beaver facts! Win sweet prizes! Become a Believer! Gnaw down trees with your face (optional)!

Join Topher Stephens at Innovation Station in Dillsboro next Tuesday 10/6 at 6pm for a rodentacious evening of Beaver Trivia!

FREE! Bring your beaver-loving buddies!

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"I can't believe how lucky I am that I get paid to take people out into these beautiful places to teach them about birds and plants. It's such a dream job!"Our current issue brought readers the story of Topher Stevens, the Education and Outreach Coordinator at Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust. Get your copy of Plateau Magazine today!

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The forest is beginning to change, and I’d love to invite you to slow down and experience the beauty of the season with me.

Join Maven’s Forge and Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust for a guided forest therapy walk at Serenity Chapel in Trillium.

Together, we’ll wander at the pace of the forest, follow our curiosity, and make space to notice the little things that autumn invites us to experience.

Serenity Chapel | Trillium, Cashiers, NC
Saturday, October 10 | 10:00 AM

Space is limited, and registration is required through Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust.

Head to the Events page on my website to RSVP! 🍂

#highlandscashiersplateau #cashiersnc #blueridgemountains #lakeglenvillenc #forestbathing

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Hey, it’s been quiet here as we’ve been…

hammock river readin’,
puzzling the reality of living seasonally,
receiving and gifting birthday adorations,
tending the gardens of mountain matriarchs,
practicing (sometimes awkwardly) taking up space,
accepting that it can feel like everything, everywhere, all at once.

AND after much needed rest, we’re experiencing a heightened anticipation to share:

WASP WORK // August 19, 10 AM - 3 PM // Cowee Coffee & Mercantile

SUNSET FOREST BATHING // August 21, 6 - 8:30 PM // Peregrine Preserve

TAHOE RIM TRAIL // August 26 - September 7 // Microplastics Expedition

PASTURE, PINE, & PRESENCE // September 15, 3 - 6 PM // Franklin Farm Hub

WASP WORK // September 16, 10 AM - 3 PM // Cowee Coffee & Mercantile

EQUINOX STORY WEAVING // September 19, 4 - 8 PM // Cowee School, Alarka Expeditions Studio

NATURE AS KIN // September 25, 10 AM - 2 PM // Queen’s Branch

BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS RETREAT // October 1 - 3 // Indigo Nature Retreat

And, that brings us to the beginning of October!

More information about each of these collaborations and/or private excursion inquiries, visit on our website: www.house-of-fig.com

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Perhaps, for a little while, you could wander as though you have nowhere else to be.

@hcltnc Edward Baker Preserve

#natureandforesttherapyguide #highlandscashiersplateau #cashiersnc #forestbathing #parasympatheticnervoussystem

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Getting ready for a forest bathing walk with @hcltnc this weekend! 🌿

I can’t wait to introduce those who sign up to this beautiful little trail through the forest. Tangled rhododendron, mossy paths, a creek nearby, and plenty of places to slow down and wander for a while.

A few spots are still open if you’d like to join us. 🍃

#cashiersnc #highlandscashiersplateau #glenvillenc #forestbathing #natureandforesttherapyguide

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i hiked to the top of a mountain in a cloud

and at the top, i led an amazing group of people through a misty meditation and sound bath to connect to the cosmos above. on the final note, i looked up and saw that the fog had lifted and the stars had appeared.

this magical moment was made possible by the highlands-cashiers land trust @hcltnc and astronomer Stephan Martin. while we didn’t spy more than a few meteors this weekend, be sure to venture out and catch the peak of the perseid meteor shower on wednesday, august 12.

stay curious. stay kind.

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