John Muir said, “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” That sentiment is even truer today in our fast-paced, stressed-out, move-move-move world. We need, we require, the healing touch of nature for mind, body, and soul. But not everyone has access to green spaces and undeveloped land.  

If you live in apartments, cities, or even suburbs, where is your unfettered green space? Where do you go when you don’t have access to nature? The answer, parks, trails, and places set aside to serve the public. These places offer folks a way to enjoy nature when they have no other outlet. And many of these public areas are available because of Land Trusts.

Land Trust Day means a lot to me as it gives us the ability to support local organizations and make a difference in our communities. 
~ Lisa Cooper, president of Mast Store

Land Trusts are non-profit organizations that operate on land that an owner puts “in trust” for whatever stipulated use, whether it be parks, preservation, trails, or development. The land in a trust is voluntarily offered by the landowner, and that generosity and foresight is much needed and much appreciated.

Land trusts are vital to our communities. They ensure that our children have opportunities to spend time in nature, playing in forests, rivers, and fields and enjoying fresh air and quality time away from screens and concrete. Land Trusts make family excursions outdoors safe and easy to access, and it’s important that such spaces be available in our communities. That’s why we partner with deserving organizations to keep these spaces open, clean, and thriving. Mast Store holds Land Trust Day to show our appreciation and support for all they do for us now and will do in the future. Giving back 20% of our sales on Land Trust Day allows us to contribute to this worthy cause.

Lisa Cooper, president of Mast Store, notes, “Land Trust Day means a lot to me as it gives us the ability to support local organizations and make a difference in our communities. I am so very proud of what these organizations do for all of us by protecting the land for future generations. Highlighting our partnerships on this day enhances awareness of how land trusts work for all of us.” This year, the store is inviting guests to round up their purchases on that day to make an even bigger impact.

Land Trust Day partners include the New River Conservancy and Blue Ridge Conservancy in the Boone and Valle Crucis area, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in Asheville and Waynesville, Conserving Carolina in Hendersonville, Upstate Forever in Greenville, the Foothills Land Conservancy in Knoxville, the Congaree Land Trust in Columbia, and the Piedmont Land Conservancy in Winston-Salem.

Stop by any Mast Store on Saturday, June 1st to learn more about land trusts and to support conservation efforts in the local area. AND don't forget. Your purchase on June 1st matters-- 20% of the day’s sales are donated to our partners to continue the amazing and vital work serving us all.

* The image of the Virginia Big-Eared Bat is by Michael Durham, DurmPhoto.com and comes to us via the Blue Ridge Conservancy. You can watch an interesting documentary video about how a road-widening project in the High Country brought together many local, state, and federal agencies - as well as local landowners - to protect the habitat of this rare and endangered bat. Here's a LINK to the video. 

* The waterfall photo is from a recently protected piece of property in Grundy, Tennessee and is courtesy of the Foothills Land Conservancy.