HIGHLANDS NATURE SANCTUARY INC
7660 Cave Road, Bainbridge, OH 456129501 www.arcofappalachia.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: Our Mission: To protect the rich diversity of life within North America's Great Eastern Forest. Our Work: We acquire and steward wild lands in the Ohio region. We create sanctuaries where people can connect with the natural world. We teach about our forest heritage to inspire a global conservation ethic. We honor, in our work and our teachings, our Native American legacies.

Land Acquisition & Nature Preservation - In 2020 The Highland's Nature Sanctuary, Inc. (HNS) (dba the Arc of Appalachia) expanded its preserve holdings by 683.931 acres thus bringing the total natural project areas purchased since the organization's inception in 1995 to 7,476 acres; 7,210.46 acres of which are actively monitored and managed by HNS. Total natural area acquisitions by the organization total 130 separate land acquisitions over 25 years in 24 preserve regions. New land acquisitions in Ohio during 2020 included a 5.37-acre forested cove with two log cabins in Hocking County; a 161.44 acre intact Appalachian forest in Ross and Pike Counties; a 66.48 acre forested riparian corridor along the Rocky Fork Creek in Highland County; a 5.49 acre forested tract on the Rocky Fork Creek with a manufactured home in Highland County; a 2.55 acre house site on the Rocky Fork Creek across from the Arc's existing Ravenwood tract in Highland County; a 78.40 acre property along the Rocky Fork Creek that was formerly a recreational campground in Highland County; a 0.53 acre home site on the Rocky Fork Creek next to the Arc's existing Cedar Run trailhead in Highland County; a 49.5 acre forested tract with a one-story home on Cliff Run in Ross County; a 93.27 acre forested expansion of the Arc's Kamama Prairie Preserve in Adams County; a 23.19 acre forested tract in Adams County; a 7 acre tract with log cabin and outbuildings in Ross County; a 108 acre forested tract next to Ash Cave in Hocking County; a 1.002 acre tract on the Little Scioto River in Scioto County; a 2 acre tract with one-story home in Scioto County; and a 60.01 acre forest next to Fort Hill State Memorial in Highland County. HNS continued to monitor two conservation easements totaling 286 acres. During 2020, 49.90 miles of hiking trails were stewarded for public enjoyment and a new trail system was established at the Ohio River Bluffs preserve. Six interpretive displays were designed, created, and installed at the Junction Earthworks Preserve's main trail. A major land stewardship priority continued to be the removal of invasive plants. Selective mowing of a 20-acre complex at Junction Earthworks continued, revealing to the public, the location of nine ancient earthwork foundations still intact beneath the earth's surface. Significant invasive removal was performed at God's Country in Highland County, as well as at Kamama Prairie in Adams County. Guard rails for preventing 4-wheeler access at the Ohio Hanging Rock preserve were installed to help better secure the preserve from unauthorized vehicular entry. Two new trailhead parking lots and a third access parking lot were installed at Ohio Hanging Rock.

Education - In 2020 The Highlands Nature Sanctuary, Inc. (HNS) (dba the Arc of Appalachia) was committed to teaching citizens about the value of Ohio's natural landscapes through workshops, field trips and guest lectures. However, faced with the covid pandemic, all educational events were cancelled for the health and safety of our staff, volunteers and visitors. The majority of HNS's trails remained open to the public, attracting record numbers of visitors who were able to safely recreate independently. Once it was deemed safe to reopen overnight lodges to visitors, HNS attracted 1,283 guests, providing easy access to HNS trails and other outdoor experiences. A three-day period was blocked between guest visits to protect the health and safety of all guests and housekeeping staff. HNS continued management of two Ohio History Connection sites: Serpent Mound and Fort Hill. Car counter attendance at Fort Hill recorded 11,198 visitors. Due to health orders put forth by the Governor in response to the covid pandemic, the museum at Serpent Mound was temporarily closed, but reopened mid-June 2020. Serpent Mound recorded a total of 25,353 visitors throughout the year. All school and youth groups scheduled to visit Serpent Mound were cancelled in response to the pandemic.

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