The Church of the Good Shepherd’s annual Blessing of the Animals returns to The Village Green at 10:00 A.M. October 3 for a beloved community tradition celebrating pets and their people.

As autumn settles in, orb-weaver spiders spin spectacular webs across local forests and gardens.

The loggerhead shrike, known as the “butcher bird,” stores prey on thorns and barbed wire for later meals. Its population has declined, but habitat protection could help the species recover.

Buck Creek is a favorite fall and winter hike, offering scenic stream views, waterfalls, and plenty of room for dogs to explore.

Leslie Manning is now Executive Director of the Highlands Biological Foundation, bringing long experience in nonprofit leadership and a history of service to HBF.

Anna Gage Norton’s On Nochaway blends photography, memory, and ecology to explore how one family’s land reveals both personal history and the long‑lived story of the longleaf pine.

This space has described how, in 1909, the predecessor organization to the Highlands‑Cashiers Land Trust saved the summit of Satulah Mountain from development (November 2025). But there’s more to the story — once conserved, the mountain continued to play an important role in protecting the natural resources of our area.

September brings peak raptor and songbird migration to the Highlands–Cashiers Plateau, highlighted by Hawk Migration Week from September 12–20, when Broad‑winged Hawks, warblers, and other species move through the region.

A legendary waterfall and a historic railroad tunnel sit just off Highway 28, offering quick access to Issaqueena Falls and the first quarter mile of Stumphouse Tunnel.