Foothills Conservancy announces upgrades to Oak Hill Park

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina (FCNC) announces several infrastructure updates at their 652-acre Oak Hill Community Park and Forest, about 10 minutes from downtown Morganton in Burke County.

These initiatives will enhance the park by providing more accessible green spaces for community members, while promoting environmental education and agriculture through engaging activities for visitors of all ages and abilities.

The park’s latest developments include new infrastructure upgrades to support the foundational plans for the park, three high tunnels to support the community agriculture program, a design plan for a sensory garden and orchard, as well as a trail groundbreaking this spring.

INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATES

A grant awarded by the Beaver Family Foundation enabled FCNC to hire Yadkin Well Company to drill three freshwater, public supply wells on the property.

The wells will provide water resources for agriculture production and for flush restrooms at the parking area and trailhead. In addition, newly installed electricity at the trailhead will support future community events and spaces at the park.

The accessible restroom facility will be installed in late March and will ensure that all visitors can enjoy their time at Oak Hill Park comfortably.

Associated substructure, such as underground electricity, well pumps, plumbing and septic, ground preparation, and compacted-gravel subsurface with concrete sidewalk were necessary components of this park upgrade project.

These were funded through the generosity of the Beaver Family Foundation, a state appropriation through Rep. Hugh Blackwell, a grant from Duke Energy Foundation, a contribution from Ann and George Costello, and FCNC’s internal funds.

The contractors that made this project possible include Yadkin Well Company, Duke Energy, Foothills Siteworx, Kayga Electric, CXT® Incorporated (an L.B. Foster Company), All American Plumbers of North Carolina, Rocking W Septic, Grading & Hauling LLC, and Reece Brothers Incorporated.

“Infrastructure items like this aren’t flashy, but they are critical for providing local and tourist guests at Oak Hill Community Park and Forest with the creature comforts necessary to thoroughly enjoy the ever-increasing features of the park,” said Ian Spinelli, FCNC marketing and development manager. “With running water, electricity, and flush restrooms, the park becomes a place where guests can spend the whole day biking the trails, walking the sensory orchard and enjoying the beauty of the park, knowing they can stay healthy and hydrated. This also helps with hosting our annual fundraiser in May, Flavors of the Foothills, on the event lawn at Oak Hill Park for the second year,” Spinelli continued.

TUNNELS INSTALLED FOR AGRICULTURE PROGRAM

Thanks to a grant from the Rostan Family Foundation, three high tunnels were installed by FCNC staff, Tou Lee of Lee’s One Fortune Farm, and FCNC interns to support the expanding community agriculture program at Oak Hill Park.

These 30-by-100-foot structures provide a controlled environment for growing produce year-round, increasing the effective and sustainable output of the agriculture program.

The hoop houses, as they are also known, will allow participants of a newly formed farm incubator program to leverage more sustainable agriculture practices.

“We are very excited about the addition of high tunnels to Oak Hill Park,’ stated Katelyn Nelsen, land and stewardship manager for FCNC, adding, “High tunnels are a great resource that will enable the production of locally grown produce year-round. As we’re looking towards the launch of our Oak Hill Community Farm Incubator Program, I’m excited to see the opportunities these tunnels will provide to our program participants and the positive impact it will have on our community.”

This year, FCNC is seeking participants for its new Community Farm Incubator Program, which will host its first growing season in 2026.

The goals of the program are to boost the quantity and availability of healthy produce in western North Carolina, educate local communities about the importance of local food and farms and uplift beginning farmers by providing access to farmland.

Program participants will hone their farming skills, improve their marketing potential and have access to exclusive promotional opportunities.

Farmers who complete the program will be primed to become agricultural industry leaders in the region and will have obtained the skills needed to generate more farming revenue.

More information for the incubator program can be found at www.foothillsconservancy.org/oakhillpark/communityfarmprogram.

SENSORY GARDEN GROUNDBREAKING IN SPRING

FCNC also reveals its design plan for a sensory garden and orchard, prepared by Equinox Environmental, an Asheville-based landscape architecture firm and longtime partner of FCNC.

The garden will provide a space for visitors of all abilities to engage with nature through various sensory stations along the way. These stations may include a place for nature play, clay texture, seating and play boulders, a bird blind, meditation pods, plant scents and wind art.

The sensory garden will benefit the community by promoting mental health, well-being and environmental education.

Funding for the design and trail groundbreaking was provided by grants from the TSH Charitable Foundation and J. Alex and Vivian G. Mull Foundation Charitable Fund, and a gift from Ann and George Costello. FCNC is seeking additional sponsors and funds to complete the sensory garden and orchard project, with a goal of raising $250,000 towards its construction in 2025.

“It has been very rewarding for our staff, board, partners, volunteers and supporters to band together and continue improving the resources and offerings at Oak Hill Community Park and Forest,” said Andrew Kota, executive director of Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina.

Kota added, “The park has become a valuable resource for Burke County residents, offering growing opportunities for environmental education, agriculture and recreation, as well as bolstering the local economy through eco-tourism.”

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is a nationally accredited regional land trust that inspires conservation in Western North Carolina by permanently protecting land and water for the benefit of people and all living things. A 501©(3) nonprofit, Foothills Conservancy has permanently protected over 71,500 acres across eight counties: Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell, and Rutherford, and in three major river basins: the Broad, Catawba, and Yadkin. Information about Foothills Conservancy, including ways to support its work, can be found online at www.foothillsconservancy.org or by calling 828-437-9930.