2026 Natural Areas Conference (NAC26): Where Science Meets Stewardship

October 5-8, 2026 | Crowne Plaza Asheville | Asheville, NC

Thank You To Our Sponsors! | In-kind Sponsors! | Exhibitors

NAC26 is where practitioners gather to share emerging research and evidence-based practice, and gain access to new relationships, knowledge, and collaboration that can advance plans, practices, and methodologies to address a wide variety of challenges in the management of natural areas. The 2026 Natural Areas Conference (NAC26): Where Science Meets Stewardship will also shine a spotlight on the ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene, the region’s long-standing commitment to conservation and natural areas stewardship, and many other important land and water management topics from across North America.

Let us help you "make the case" to attend NAC26.

Learn more about the conference program!

• Overview Agenda
• Plenary Sessions
• Symposia
• Field Workshops
• Roundtables
• Featured Sessions
• Pre-Conference Sessions
• Optional Volunteer Opportunities to Support the Region!  **NEW**

NAA will honor 2026 & 2025 Award Recipients at NAC26

NAA's 2026 & 2025 award recipients to be honored during the Natural Areas Conference at a luncheon on Thursday, October 8, 2026 in Asheville, NC.  

• 2026 Annual Award Recipients
• 2025 Annual Award Recipients

Interested in joining us for the awards ceremony? Contact info@naturalareas.org to learn more.

Registration

REGISTER TODAY!

• Full Conference Registration - $750 (Expires Sept. 25)
• One-day Registration - Tue. Oct. 6 - $375
• One-day Registration - Thu. Oct. 8 - $375
• Student Registration - $499 (Expires Oct. 2)
• Late Registration - $750 (Expires October 2)

*View the cancellation policy*

Your registration includes:

• Plenary & Concurrent Sessions, Posters and Roundtables
• Welcome Reception and Poster Reception
• Meals:
  • Breakfast: Tuesday & Thursday
  • Lunch: Tuesday & Thursday
  • Beverage Breaks

Also available (optional):

• Pre-Conference (Mon. Oct. 5) 
• Field Workshop Opportunities (Wed. Oct. 7)

Featured Sessions

Monday, October 5, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m.

Natural History of the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains: A Core Relic Eco-region Conserving the Ancient Biological Diversity of Eastern North America

Alan Weakley, Ph.D., Director of UNC-CH Herbarium, North Carolina Botanical Garden & Adjunct Professor

Tuesday, October 6, 2026 @ 8:00 a.m.

To Do or Not To Do? Challenges Faced in Recovering Nature After Hurricane Helene

Josh Kelly, Resilient Forests Director, MountainTrue

Megan Sutton, Program Director, The Nature Conservancy - North Carolina

Jon Stamper, River Clean-up Operations Director, Mountian True

Luke Etchison, Western Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator, NC Wildlife Resources Commission

Philip Prince, Geologist, Appalachian Landslide Consultants

Thursday, October 8, 2026 @ 8:00 a.m.

An Inflection Point: The Next 250 Years of Plant Conservation in the United States

James Thomas (Tommy) Cabe - Tribal Forest Resource Specialist & Tribal Liaison for the USFS & NPS 

Emily Coffey, Ph.D. - President & CEO, Naples Botanical Garden

Gary Kauffman - Retired Botanist, National Forests in North Carolina

Wesley Knapp, Ph.D. - Chief Executive Officer, Center for Plant Conservation

Tara Littlefield - Biological Assessment and Plant Conservation Branch Manager, Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves

Peggy Olwell - Retired Botanist & Former Plant Conservation & Restoration Program Lead, Bureau of Land Management

Lesley Starke - Chief of Natural Areas Stewardship, Division of Natural Heritage, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Premier - Plant People Trailer

McKenna Asakawa - Director, Producer & Writer, Holden Films

Brady Holden - Filmmaker & Cinematographer

Thank You To Our Sponsors!

Thank You To Our Roan Mountain Sponsor

Thank You To Our Linville Mountain Sponsors

Thank You To Our French Broad Sponsors

Thank You For Your Support

In-Kind Sponsors

• Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
• Central Indiana Land Trust
• Mast General Store
• Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation
• New Belgium Brewing

• Riverlink
• Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation
• Wedge Brewing Company

Exhibitors

• Aurora Sustainable Lands
• CEMML
• Defenders of Wildlife
• Equinox
• Esri
• Holden Films
• Invasive Plant Control, Inc.
• Lingering Hemlock Project
• Missouri Prairie Foundation
• National Parks Conservation Association
• Old-Growth Forest Network
• Plant Conservation Alliance
• Roundstone Native Seed, LLC
• Safe Passage

• Sam Shine Foundation
• Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy
• Southern Conservation Partners
• Timmons Group
• TRUAX
• University of Georgia | Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
• University of North Carolina Asheville
• Upstream Tech
• Virginia Natural Heritage Program
• Wildlands Engineering

Land stewardship benefits from shared knowledge rich in a variety of perspectives to enrich learning for all.