The 20 acres mark the first milestone in a campaign to permanently protect 140 acres of mature hardwood forest bordering Guilford College's campus. A ‘conservation easement’ now prohibits development on the land, regardless of who owns it in the future.

Piedmont Land Conservancy has raised $7.6 million toward its $11 million goal, with 120 acres still left to protect by the end of next year.

“If we lost that, we lose the nature, we lose the birds, we lose the wildlife, and we lose the recreation of having a beautiful shaded place to go take a hike," says Kevin Redding, executive director of Piedmont Land Conservancy.

Beyond its ecological value, the land carries deep history — it was once trading ground for the Indigenous Keyauwee and Saura people, the site of the Revolutionary War's Battle of New Garden and part of the Underground Railroad.

The Conservancy says its focus rests on permanently preserving the remaining woods for future generations.