Paddling Lake Lucas

by Crystal Cockman I was given a few days off this week for working a couple of weekends, so I took the opportunity one day to paddle a new location with a friend. We went to Lake Lucas in Asheboro. Lake Lucas is under the authority of the City of Asheboro and is...

The Suther Prairie is Now Protected

by Crystal Cockman Back in 2007, I visited for the first time a very special place in Cabarrus County known by local conservationists and biologists as the Suther Prairie. This property has been in private ownership by the Ritchie and Suther family for over 200 years....

A Saturday Spent Avoiding the Rain

by Crystal Cockman A few weekends ago, we got the first rain we’d had in a while in this area. Unfortunately it was on a day that I’d planned to be outside for both a hike in the morning and a paddle in the afternoon. Fortunately though, the rain stayed just to the...

A New River Access Point

by Crystal Cockman On Saturday July 21, I was able to enjoy a paddle on the Uwharrie River from a new access point that was made possible by a project that I was a big part of – the Capel Property, now owned by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC). This...

Searching for Snot Otters

by Crystal Cockman This past week, I spent the whole week volunteering with North Carolina State Parks searching for hellbenders in the New River in Ashe County. Each year they host hellbender week, which is a week dedicated to looking for these fantastic critters in...