UPCOMING EVENTS

August Cob oven pizza party
Aug
8

August Cob oven pizza party

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Cob Oven Pizza Party

August 8 | 1-5pm

Join us for a wood-fired pizza party at the cob oven!

We’ll gather to light the oven and enjoy slow food and good company. This is an open, family-friendly community evening.

What to bring:

  • A side dish or favorite topping to share

  • A plate and utensils

  • Musical instruments if you’d like to play

  • Someone new from your community

We’ll provide the dough, sauce, and a roaring fire in our handmade cob oven.

Long Branch is a non-profit 1400-acre land conservation project and environmental education center. These events help us connect with the community and bring people together on this beloved land. Please donate to help us continue to support our mission.

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Oct
17

Girl Scouts - Daisy: Outdoor Art Maker

Let your inner artist shine at Long Branch! Explore our woods, streams, trout pond, and blueberry orchards for inspiration and materials to create your own works of art. Look for different colors, shapes, and textures and listen for different sounds and songs as you experience nature as an artist. Then share your artwork in our Nature Art Gallery and walk through it to see what others have created. After the activity, feel free to explore Long Branch on your own.

 This program is 90 minutes long and includes a lesson, activity supplies, and a badge. The cost of the program is $12 per Girl Scout. There is no charge for parents or troop leaders.

 If you have any questions or would like more information contact Keith Hubbard at keith@longbrancheec.org. Visit our website to learn more: www.longbrancheec.org.

Girl Scouts - Daisy: Outdoor Art Maker
$12.00

Let your inner artist shine at Long Branch! Explore our woods, streams, trout pond, and blueberry orchards for inspiration and materials to create your own works of art. Look for different colors, shapes, and textures and listen for different sounds and songs as you experience nature as an artist. Then share your artwork in our Nature Art Gallery and walk through it to see what others have created. After the activity, feel free to explore Long Branch on your own.

This program is 90 minutes long and includes a lesson, activity supplies, and a badge. The cost of the program is $12 per Girl Scout. There is no charge for parents or troop leaders.

If you have any questions or would like more information contact Keith Hubbard at keith@longbrancheec.org. Visit our website to learn more: www.longbrancheec.org.

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Oct
17

Girl Scout - Daisy: Eco Learner

Learn how you can help protect the environment before, during, and after you go outdoors. Learn about Leave No Trace principles and what essential items you should bring on a hike. Next, go on a hike and learn how to enjoy nature respectfully. Then, learn about the importance of putting trash in its proper place, recycling, and composting. After the activity, feel free to explore Long Branch on your own.

 This program is 90 minutes long and includes a lesson, activity supplies, and a badge. The cost of the program is $12 per Girl Scout. There is no charge for parents or troop leaders.

 If you have any questions or would like more information contact Keith Hubbard at keith@longbrancheec.org. Visit our website to learn more: www.longbrancheec.org.

Girl Scout - Daisy: Eco Learner
$12.00

Learn how you can help protect the environment before, during, and after you go outdoors. Learn about Leave No Trace principles and what essential items you should bring on a hike. Next, go on a hike and learn how to enjoy nature respectfully. Then, learn about the importance of putting trash in its proper place, recycling, and composting. After the activity, feel free to explore Long Branch on your own.

This program is 90 minutes long and includes a lesson, activity supplies, and a badge. The cost of the program is $12 per Girl Scout. There is no charge for parents or troop leaders.

If you have any questions or would like more information contact Keith Hubbard at keith@longbrancheec.org. Visit our website to learn more: www.longbrancheec.org.

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Oct
24

Girl Scouts - Brownie: Bugs

Come and get a bug’s eye view of Long Branch! Learn what makes a bug a bug, insect life cycles, and the role bugs play in the ecosystem. Then, go on a micro-hike as you observe bugs in action and explore their habitats. Next, make a bug craft and draw a poster of your favorite bug. After the activity, feel free to explore Long Branch on your own.

 This program is 90 minutes long and includes a lesson, activity supplies, and a badge. The cost of the program is $12 per Girl Scout. There is no charge for parents or troop leaders.

 If you have any questions or would like more information contact Keith Hubbard at keith@longbrancheec.org. Visit our website to learn more: www.longbrancheec.org.

Girl Scouts - Brownie: Bugs
$12.00

‍ ‍Come and get a bug’s eye view of Long Branch! Learn what makes a bug a bug, insect life cycles, and the role bugs play in the ecosystem. Then, go on a micro-hike as you observe bugs in action and explore their habitats. Next, make a bug craft and draw a poster of your favorite bug. After the activity, feel free to explore Long Branch on your own.

This program is 90 minutes long and includes a lesson, activity supplies, and a badge. The cost of the program is $12 per Girl Scout. There is no charge for parents or troop leaders.

If you have any questions or would like more information contact Keith Hubbard at keith@longbrancheec.org. Visit our website to learn more: www.longbrancheec.org.

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Oct
24

Girl Scouts - Brownie: Eco Friend

Join us at Long Branch for a hike while we think about ways we can protect and show kindness to nature. Along the hike, use all your senses to make observations of the forest. Learn the proper way to safely and responsibly build a campfire. Then, sit around the campfire and share the thoughts and feelings you had along the hike. After the activity, feel free to explore Long Branch on your own.

 This program is 90 minutes long and includes a lesson, activity supplies, and a badge. The cost of the program is $12 per Girl Scout. There is no charge for parents or troop leaders.

 If you have any questions or would like more information contact Keith Hubbard at keith@longbrancheec.org. Visit our website to learn more: www.longbrancheec.org.

Girl Scout - Brownie: Eco Friend
$12.00

‍ ‍Join us at Long Branch for a hike while we think about ways we can protect and show kindness to nature. Along the hike, use all your senses to make observations of the forest. Learn the proper way to safely and responsibly build a campfire. Then, sit around the campfire and share the thoughts and feelings you had along the hike. After the activity, feel free to explore Long Branch on your own.

This program is 90 minutes long and includes a lesson, activity supplies, and a badge. The cost of the program is $12 per Girl Scout. There is no charge for parents or troop leaders.

If you have any questions or would like more information contact Keith Hubbard at keith@longbrancheec.org. Visit our website to learn more: www.longbrancheec.org.

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Nov
7

Girl Scouts - Cadette: Trees

Learn about the vital role trees play in an ecosystem. From their roots to their canopy, trees tie the ecosystem together. As you explore the forest and the trees at Long Branch, find out what is the Wood Wide Web, how trees carry nutrients from their roots to their leaves, and how they transport energy from their leaves throughout the tree. After the activity, feel free to explore Long Branch on your own.

 This program is 90 minutes long and includes a lesson, activity supplies, and a badge. The cost of the program is $12 per Girl Scout. There is no charge for parents or troop leaders.

 If you have any questions or would like more information contact Keith Hubbard at keith@longbrancheec.org. Visit our website to learn more: www.longbrancheec.org.

Girl Scouts - Cadette: Trees
$12.00

‍Learn about the vital role trees play in an ecosystem. From their roots to their canopy, trees tie the ecosystem together. As you explore the forest and the trees at Long Branch, find out what is the Wood Wide Web, how trees carry nutrients from their roots to their leaves, and how they transport energy from their leaves throughout the tree. After the activity, feel free to explore Long Branch on your own.

This program is 90 minutes long and includes a lesson, activity supplies, and a badge. The cost of the program is $12 per Girl Scout. There is no charge for parents or troop leaders.

If you have any questions or would like more information contact Keith Hubbard at keith@longbrancheec.org. Visit our website to learn more: www.longbrancheec.org.

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May
16

Trade Blanket

Trade Blanket at Long Branch
$0.00

Date: May 16th 3-5 pm

Rooted in the spirit of community reciprocity, our Trade Blanket is an honored gathering where participants bring handmade goods, foraged harvests, homegrown produce, seeds, tools, books, and other earth-centered offerings to share and exchange with fellow learners and land stewards.

The tradition is simple: 

We gather in a circle around the  Trading Blanket. One at a time, someone steps forward and offers a good or service for trade, holding it up for all to see and sharing whatever story comes with it. The circle then moves person by person, and anyone who is interested makes an offer in return. 

Once everyone has had their chance to bid, the person with the original item gets to choose the trade they like best , ask to sweeten the pot, or respectfully decline on a trade. 

When a deal is struck, the goods change hands and the circle moves on to the next offering.

This is more than a marketplace. It is a reminder that abundance flows through relationship, with the land, and with one another. 

Come ready to give generously and receive with gratitude.

What to Bring

Handmade crafts and tools, seeds and plant starts, foraged or homegrown foods, herbal preparations, natural dyes, fiber arts, books and field guides, or any item that reflects a life lived close to the land. Use your judgment . if it carries good intention and honest craft, it belongs on the blanket.

What to Leave Behind

Please no commercially manufactured goods, items in poor condition, or anything you wouldn't be proud to give a neighbor.

Come with open hands and an open heart. The blanket takes care of the rest.

See you there friends. 

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The Wild Hunt & Ethical Harvest
Apr
29

The Wild Hunt & Ethical Harvest

The Wild Hunt & Ethical Harvest explores traditional hunting and harvesting practices grounded in stewardship and responsibility. Learn the fundamentals of tracking, scoutcraft, ethical decision-making, and humane harvest methods for small and large game. This class emphasizes skill, respect, and sustainable relationship with the land.

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NC BioBlitz at Long Branch
Apr
26

NC BioBlitz at Long Branch

NC Bioblitz 2026
from $10.00

Long Branch is joining Science Across NC for the 2026 NC Bioblitz. The NC Bioblitz is part of the international City Nature Challenge event and will take place Friday, April 24 through Monday, April 27. The goal of the event is to take pictures of wild plants and animals. Then upload the pictures to iNaturalist to create a database for scientists to use. The best part is, you do not have to know how to identify the species you observe!

Your participation in this citizen science project makes an impact on understanding biodiversity and coexisting with nature. Scientists use platforms like iNaturalist to study species trends and distributions. For example, biologists can use the observations recorded in iNaturalist to mark the date that migrating birds return to an area or to track the spread of the nine-banded armadillo in North Carolina.

New to iNaturalist? Don’t worry! We will show you how to tag and upload your photos to the app or website.

 You can earn a custom embroidered badge or high-quality vinyl sticker by participating in the NC Bioblitz! Follow these steps to claim yours:

  • Make observations! You have two options:

    • Make 20 observations of any wild species in North Carolina April 24-27 and upload them to iNaturalist by May 10.

    • Make 10 observations and make 15 identifications. Photos must be taken April 24-27, but all submissions and identifications may be done in iNaturalist any time April 25-May 10.

Come to Long Branch to participate in the event and help us identify as many species as possible.


Seed $10 | Sapling $15 | Tree $20 | Forest $35 | Bioregion $50

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Earth Day Storytelling with PapaJoe
Apr
22

Earth Day Storytelling with PapaJoe

We invite you to join in on this fun, engaging tale-of-a-time Earth Day celebration at Long Branch! All ages welcomed and encouraged! Get comfy as PapaJoe takes us on a folklore storytelling journey through different times and places with loving Mother Earth as a centerpiece. 

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Firecraft: One Match to Friction
Apr
15

Firecraft: One Match to Friction

In this workshop, you’ll learn reliable fire starting methods ranging from one match fires, ferro rods, to bow drill friction fires. Develop confidence in varied conditions while deepening your understanding of materials, preparation, and environmental awareness.

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Tracking and Bird Language
Mar
25

Tracking and Bird Language

Learn to read the subtle signs of the land through tracking and bird language. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll study animal movement, interpret ground sign, and understand how birds signal changes in the environment. Develop deeper awareness, sharper observation, and a stronger relationship with the ecosystems around you.

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Spring Equinox Pizza Party & Plant Sale!
Mar
22

Spring Equinox Pizza Party & Plant Sale!

Once a month, we gather to light the oven, stretch dough, share toppings, and enjoy slow food and good company. This is an open, family-friendly community evening — bring kids, friends, neighbors, instruments, and your appetite. This is a special one celebrating the spring equinox!

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Live Staking Workshop
Feb
18

Live Staking Workshop

Live staking is a simple and powerful bioengineering technique that uses dormant cuttings of woody plants to stabilize soil, reduce erosion, and restore ecological function along waterways. During this workday, we’ll be installing live stakes around the perimeter of our trout pond to strengthen the banks before spring rains arrive.

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Biochar Workshop
Jan
17

Biochar Workshop

We will talk about what biochar is, how it's made, its historical and cultural significance, how it fits into soil regeneration, and a little about the greater contexts of carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. After the workshop we will share a potluck meal together, so bring your favorite dish!

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Roots & Fungi for Fall: Fire Cider, Dual-Extraction Tinctures, and Medicinal Broth
Nov
8

Roots & Fungi for Fall: Fire Cider, Dual-Extraction Tinctures, and Medicinal Broth

Roots & Fungi for Fall: Fire Cider, Dual-Extraction Tinctures, and Medicinal Broth

Saturday, November 8, 11:00am–1:30 PM

As the days shorten and the air cools, nature shifts into a season that has the warm, earthy resonance of roots and mushrooms—a perfect time to prepare nourishing remedies for the months ahead. In this hands-on herbalism workshop, we’ll explore three powerful, kitchen-friendly ways to boost immunity and support seasonal wellness:

  • Fire Cider – a spicy, root-based apple cider vinegar infusion to warm the body and ward off colds (and throw in salad dressings!)

  • Dual-Extraction Mushroom Tincture – learn how to extract the full spectrum of medicinal benefits from fungi like reishi and turkey tail using both alcohol and water.

  • Medicinal Broth – discover how to transform roots, mushrooms, and herbs into a delicious, nutrient-rich broth for everyday seasonal nourishment.

You’ll chop, mix, and pour your own remedies to take home, sample a warming medicinal broth, and gain practical skills for building your own herbal apothecary. All ingredients and materials are provided, and no prior herbal experience is needed.

Click here to register


Cost: $45-$75 sliding scale (includes all materials, recipe cards, and a jar of each remedy to prepare at home)
What to Bring: A notebook at pen. Optional apron.
Instructor: Allie Mason, herbalist and educator. Allie lives at Long Branch as the education director and has been teaching herbalism for 7 years between the tropics and temperate zones and enjoys melding her experience of different bioregions and cultural herbalism into her offerings here in our temperate rainforest of western NC.

Join us for this cozy afternoon of community, learning, and seasonal medicine-making—and head into fall with remedies in hand and warmth in your belly.

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Chestnutting at Long Branch!
Oct
19

Chestnutting at Long Branch!

Let's go a-chestnutting!  Back in the time of the mighty American chestnut tree, families and friends would gather to go 'chestnutting', collecting the bounty of nutritious nuts and enjoying a fall frolic in the countryside.

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Fall Equinox Weekend at Long Branch
Sep
20
to Sep 21

Fall Equinox Weekend at Long Branch

Celebrate the turning of the seasons with a weekend of connection, stewardship, and balance. As day and night meet in equal measure, we’ll gather in community to honor the abundance of late summer and welcome the stillness of autumn. Garden workday followed by a ritual bonfire and camping. Sunday sunrise hike followed by a hot breakfast.

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WEED + FEED | Garden WorkdAY & COMMUNITY POTLUCK - AUGUST 30
Aug
30

WEED + FEED | Garden WorkdAY & COMMUNITY POTLUCK - AUGUST 30

Get your hands in the dirt this weekend! Join us at Long Branch Environmental Education Center for an afternoon of garden care and community connection.

We'll start the day by weeding and tending our annual garden beds. After our hands-on work, we invite everyone to relax and share a delicious community potluck—a celebration of our collective effort and the Earth we steward.

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Men's Gathering - Hosted by Oliver Kristevic
Aug
28

Men's Gathering - Hosted by Oliver Kristevic

This men’s circle offers a space for honest conversation, mutual support, and genuine connection. Drawing from over seven years of experience with the Mankind Project Australia, Oli will guide the group in a way that honors the unique strengths and skills already present in the room.

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