Kids in Nature

Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust’s Kids in Nature programs provide a unique environmental education outlet for children in the Highlands and Cashiers areas. We focus on giving children an opportunity to learn about and connect with nature, encouraging them to develop a passion for and a desire to better understand the natural world that exists right in their own backyards.

Explore nature in your own backyard with these fun Backyard Explorer Activities!

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Not All Classrooms Have Four Walls

Located at the top of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau has some of the most biologically diverse landscape in the temperate world. We want to ensure that every child who lives or visits our corner of the world has the opportunity to dig a little deeper and gain an appreciation for our abundant natural heritage. Our lush mountain tops, salamander streams, wild forests, and breath taking vistas create the perfect space for learning about and enjoying nature.

HCLT protects several easily accessible public parks that become the main classrooms for our Kids in Nature programs including Satulah Mountain, Sunset Rock, Brushy Face Preserve, Dixon Pond, Pinky Falls, and McKinney Meadow. HCLT does not just conduct programming at our conserved properties, but can create an outdoor classroom in any outdoor space including school, camp, after-school, or other facility that best suits the needs of the group.

When outdoor experiences are not feasible, we also offer interactive indoor lessons with games, crafts, and fun activities.

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Educating Future Stewards

Children are the future stewards of the land, and therefore it is especially important to present them with opportunities to learn about and connect with nature. Our Kids in Nature programs provide quality, investigative educational learning experiences to help guide youth in the community toward becoming good environmental stewards, ultimately leading individuals to make decisions and take actions that will improve ecosystems and increase other conservation efforts in the future.

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Working with the Community

Kids in Nature programs are offered to school groups, after-school groups, summer camps, children’s clubs, and homeschool groups. These groups generally bring the children, supervision, and transportation and we provide the program and supplies. We are proud to offer programming to so many local groups including: Boys and Girls Club of the Plateau, Gordon Center of Highlands, Highlands School, Hudson Library of Highlands, Literacy Council of Highlands, the Mountain Learning and Retreat Center, Sonshine School of Highlands, Summit Charter School, and the Town of Highlands Rec Center.

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Thank you to our Sponsors!

KIN programs are free and entirely funded by HCLT members and grants. These programs would not be possible without the support of our sponsors:


Cashiers Community Fund

Church of the Good Shepherd

Cullasaja Women's Outreach

Environmental Educators of North Carolina

Macon County Community Foundation

Macon County Community Funding Pool

Mountain Findings

Wade Hampton Golf Club Donor Advised Fund


Thank you!