When Hurricane Helene swept through the Carolinas last year, York County felt its share of heavy rains and high winds. The storm served as a reminder of how closely our well-being is tied to the health of our natural landscapes. Strong, resilient lands help absorb floodwaters, protect water quality and provide safe havens for wildlife.

Storm surges from Hurricane Helene and recent floods damaged this greenway boardwalk, highlighting the need for conservation efforts.

For Nation Ford Land Trust, a grassroots nonprofit founded in 1989 by a group of concerned citizens, Helene highlighted the importance of the work they’ve been doing for decades: conserving York County’s open spaces in the face of growth and change. Now, with support as a 2025 Community Impact Fund grant recipient from Foundation For The Carolinas, the Land Trust is building on that mission with a focus on long-term resiliency.

“With this support, we’ll be able to map areas of concern, stabilize creeks and streams, and build resiliency into the land so it can withstand the next storm,” said Jennifer McAdams, Executive Director of NFLT.

Jennifer McAdams, Executive Director of NFLT.

McAdams’ journey to conservation leadership began when she moved to Rock Hill to attend Winthrop University as a biology major. She went on to serve the City of Rock Hill for 20 years, where she developed expertise in urban planning and community development. That experience shaped her philosophy: growth is inevitable, but balance is essential.

“Communities like Rock Hill and York County are going to grow, and that’s a good thing,” McAdams reflected. “But we have to ask ourselves — how do we grow while still protecting the land and natural character that make this place what it is?”

Her deep roots extend beyond her career. McAdams serves on multiple local boards, raises her children on a small farm with goats, chickens and a pig, and has committed her professional life to ensuring York County’s natural beauty will endure for generations.

From Prairie to Preserve: A Living Classroom

NFLT’s mission comes to life in the landscapes it safeguards. At one prairie site, a family of otters thrives in a restored creek. Endangered Schweinitz’s sunflowers bloom alongside sustainably planted pines that will one day provide income to maintain the preserve.

NFLT board member Dr. Janice Chism at a restored prairie—one of many landscapes protected through the Land Trust’s conservation efforts.

Board member Dr. Janice Chism, a Winthrop professor and conservation biologist, sees these spaces as ecological treasures and educational tools.

“Even land that’s farmed provides open space for wildlife, stores carbon and protects us from flood damage,” Chism said. “After Hurricane Helene, that’s something people understand more than ever. Protecting open land is not just about scenery — it’s about survival.”

For Chism, the work is both local and global. After years studying primates in Ghana, Kenya and Peru, she sees York County’s forests and waterways as equally worthy of protection. “It’s just as important here as it is in the Amazon,” she said.

Why Community Impact Funds Matter

Over its 36-year history, Nation Ford Land Trust has helped conserve thousands of acres of land across York County. From securing the conservation easement for the beloved Anne Springs Close Greenway, to helping establish the York County Forever Commission — which has conserved over 10,500 acres — the Trust’s footprint is woven throughout the community.

Other milestones include:

• Donating 300 acres to expand Kings Mountain State Park.
• Partnering with York County on the Catawba Bend Preserve, a 1,900-acre site on the Catawba River.
• Building trails along the Catawba through the Carolina Thread Trail initiative.

Each project underscores the organization’s founding principle: conserve today, so tomorrow can thrive.

The grant NFLT received comes from FFTC’s Community Impact Funds, which provide permanent, strategic support for critical causes in our region. By entrusting a portion of their charitable legacy to these endowed funds, donors ensure their values live on while empowering FFTC to invest in organizations like NFLT at pivotal moments.

For NFLT, this support will translate into stronger storm resiliency, healthier waterways and protected wildlife corridors — investments in both the environment and community wellbeing.

Looking Ahead

One year after Helene, the lesson is clear: the land itself is part of the community’s resilience.

“An investment in Nation Ford Land Trust is an investment in the future — for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren,” McAdams said.  And Chism echoed that sentiment, stating “People often say when they move here how beautiful it is. They aren’t talking about the houses — they’re talking about the land. That’s what we’re working to protect.”

As York County continues to grow, NFLT’s mission is more urgent than ever: to keep the balance between development and conservation, ensuring that the land that protects us will still be here, strong and thriving, for generations to come.

Learn more about FFTC’s Community Impact Funds and explore the full list of 2025 grantees by visiting our Community Impact Funds page.