Donor Gatherings 2026
September 26 | Tremper Mound Preserve - Simon Woods
October 11 | Sylvan Deep Nature Preserve
Dearest Friends,
This year, we're trying something a little different, and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you.
Rather than gathering for one weekend, we're inviting our donor community to join us for two unique Donor Gatherings at two different corners of the Arc. Both gatherings will celebrate the landscapes, history, and people that make this work so meaningful, while giving you an opportunity to spend time with fellow supporters who share a deep commitment to protecting the wildlands of the Appalachian Heartland.
The Arc community is united by one extraordinary thing: a belief that these forests, prairies, streams, and sacred places are worth protecting, not just for today, but for generations to come. We hope you'll join us as we celebrate the places you've helped preserve and the incredible community that makes this work possible.
Tremper Mound & Simon Woods Preserves
AND the Simon Sorghum Festival - all on the same day!
Saturday, September 26th 2026, the times, nearest town
2025 Simon Sorghum Festival - photos by Toni Dengal
Schedule option 1
10:00 am - Presentation by Nancy Stranahan at
Tremper Mound Manor House
12:00 pm - Field Trip to Sorghum Festival
12:30 pm - Sorghum Festival at the Simon Farm & Woods
(Food Ticket Provided)
1:30 pm - 1.5 Mile Guided Hike on New Simon Woods Trail
(Moderate to Difficult)
The Arc of Appalachia invites you to this year’s 2026 Donor Gathering, the earliest of our two Gatherings, at Tremper Mound and Simon Woods Preserves. Only a few miles apart as the crow flies, these two neighboring preserves are situated in the steep, unbroken hills of Scioto County, boasting incredibly rich cultural histories. Together, they add up to over 1,400 acres of protected woodlands and meadow-prairies, all within the same Pond Creek Watershed of the scenic Lower Scioto River Valley.
THIS SHOULD READ IN THE ORDER OF THE PREFERRED SCHEDULE
Talk a bit about Tremper, what we will be doing together, This needs to sound very attractive to get people to come. Should sound fun
Tell them the preserves are about three miles away. And describe the Festival so it is heartbreakingly fun sounding which it is.
Then talk about the hike, hich needs to be fully described, length, difficulty, and considered optional. Simon Woods offers 600 acres of a fully mature White Oak forests that blanket the rugged hills surrounding this historic, fully intact, 1864 French homestead, where five generations of Simons lived out most of their lives
Because of space limitations at Tremper, each of these ,WE’RE going to offer this event in reverse order, swithhcing the morning and the afternoon. . Choose the order that works best for you: Explanation that since each offering is limited to 27 people, we are offering the Donor Gathering as shown below, and in reverse order so that we can serve more people. They can ask for a preference which will be honored unless either event fills up.
Schedule option 2
10:00 am - 1.5 Mile Guided Hike on New Simon Woods Trail
(Moderate to Difficult)
12:00 pm - Sorghum Festival at the Simon Farm & Woods
(Food Ticket Provided)
1:00 pm - Field Trip to Tremper Manor House
1:30 pm - Presentation by Nancy Stranahan at
Tremper Mound Manor House
Donor Gathering at Sylan Deep
sneak preview of our newest, most stunning preserve
Saturday, October 11, 2026, the times, nearest town
For over 30 years, through the incalculable generosity of our donors, we have enjoyed countless successes in preserving some of the best intact wildlands left across southern Ohio’s landscapes. This year, for our second and final 2026 Donor Gathering, we are truly delighted to invite you to the 100 + acre Sylvan Deep for our official preserve debut within the enchanting landscapes of Jackson County.
Pure elation may be insufficient to describe how we felt when this opportunity showed up on our radar three years ago. At the time, despite our wonderful successes and the ever-growing geographical breadth of our preserve system, not a single Jackson County property had come into the fold of Arc protection. When this property presented itself, it was clear that this was not simply another property that happened to be in Jackson County. It was a stunning exemplification of everything that made the region so special, with massive, exposed beds of colorful quartz-rich sandstones, deep hemlock-sheltered hollows, and steep verdant slopes draped in Appalachian flora. Three years later, following the recent completion of a new parking lot and trail system, we are excited to finally share the Sylvan Deep Nature Preserve with you.
This October 11th, please consider joining us along with your fellow donors in celebrating and experiencing this remarkable preserve for the very first time! We will kick off the day at Canter’s Cave, just a short distance away from the preserve, for breakfast and a welcome talk by Director Nancy Stranahan. Following the talk, we will be offering shuttles to Sylvan Deep for a guided hike through the newly developed trail. We will be limiting groups to 15 people, shuttling groups from Canter’s Cave at 25-minute intervals.
Schedule
10:00 AM - Arrive at Canter’s Cave for Welcome Presentation by Arc Director Nancy Stranahan -
this needs sound fun and descriptive
12:00 PM - Lunch Provided at Canter’s Cave
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Guided Hikes at Sylvan Deep Nature Preserve (Shuttle provided at 25-minute intervals).
Registration:
Please carefully read over the event descriptions and schedules above before clicking on the Registration Button, as you’ll need to know the details of all the activity options before you make your final selections.