News & Media
Coverage, updates, and the stories behind the Echoes — from local press to national broadcast.
A PBS documentary telling the story of how Western North Carolina is transforming Hurricane Helene's fallen timber into lasting public art — through the hands of Appalachian artisans and the communities that refuse to let the loss define them.
The documentary aired on May 14, 2026 as part of PBS NC's "Best of Our State" series. Watch it now on PBS NC.
Fox Carolina covered the Echoes of the Forest story — Appalachian artisans transforming Hurricane Helene's fallen timber into lasting public art across Western North Carolina.
Fox Weather brought national attention to Echoes of the Forest — covering how Western North Carolina artisans are turning Hurricane Helene's storm-felled timber into public art and community healing.
Press Coverage
Mountain Xpress
The story of how a walk past a storm-felled tree near UNC Asheville became Echoes of the Forest, with founder Liisa Andreassen and artist Chester Shuey on the first memorial bench and the vision for a regional trail.
Read article →828 NewsNOW
Coverage of the first official Echo — an 800-pound white oak bench by Appalachian Joinery's Chester Shuey — unveiled at Foundation Woodworks, with founder Liisa Andreassen on the vision for a trail across the region.
Read article →The Laurel of Asheville
A feature on how Echoes transforms Helene-felled trees into public art, with founder Liisa Andreassen and artist Kwadwo Som-Pimpong on turning loss into something enduring.
Read article →Mountain Xpress
In-depth feature on the Echoes of the Forest mission, artisan profiles, and the growing installation trail across WNC.
Read article →Mountain Xpress
Follow-up piece covering new installations and community partnerships.
Read article →WNC Magazine
A Fall 2025 feature on Echoes of the Forest's first year — founder Liisa Andreassen on assembling a team and a 501(c)(3), and Chester Shuey's debut bench as the start of a tree trail across the region.
Read article →WLOS ABC 13
Local television news coverage of Echoes of the Forest installations and community events.
Read article →Fox Carolina
Coverage of how WNC communities are transforming storm damage into lasting public art.
Read article →Fox Weather
National weather network spotlight on the Hurricane Helene recovery art movement in Western North Carolina.
Read article →WNCW Public Radio
Public radio coverage exploring the intersection of craft, recovery, and community in post-Helene WNC.
Listen →AVL Today
Local digital news coverage of installations, events, and the artisan community behind Echoes of the Forest.
Read articles →CS Engineer Magazine
Engineering and construction industry perspective on the timber salvage and public art installation process.
Read article →No posts in this category yet — more migrating soon.
Partnerships
June 29, 2026
Echoes connected woodworker Mike Ayers with the Cradle of Forestry to carve wildlife “critters” from Helene-salvaged wood for a scavenger hunt along the Forest Discovery Trail.
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Partnerships
June 7, 2026
Inside UNC Asheville’s Community Lumber Project, where Hurricane Helene–felled trees are milled into lumber for benches, trail repairs, and community gardens.
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Partnerships
April 9, 2026
Helene felled white oak across Western North Carolina. Green River Woods salvaged the timber. Appalachian Cooperage hand-built six barrels. Burial Beer Co. filled them with brown ale.
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Artisans
April 9, 2026
When the South Toe River rose 27 feet and destroyed the beloved Celo Inn, woodworker Paul Eisenhauer saw something beyond wreckage in the fallen hardwoods.
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Milestones
February 25, 2026
From a PBS documentary to a veterans' memorial, from the birthplace of American forestry to the heart of Asheville's Black community — what's coming this year.
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Helene & the Forest
February 15, 2026
Commission a custom wood art installation crafted from Helene-salvaged timber by Western North Carolina's finest artisans — for businesses, public spaces, and memorials.
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Partnerships
February 8, 2026
Two new additions to the Echoes of the Forest volunteer team, whose unique journeys reflect the resilience and community spirit that define Western North Carolina.
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Partnerships
January 25, 2026
How sponsoring an Echo creates lasting impact for the artisans, communities, and generations who carry Western North Carolina's story forward.
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Partnerships
January 5, 2026
A series of public art installations across Western North Carolina in 2026 — Tea for Two, the Biltmore Forest mantel, Echoes Beer, and the VA Hospital memorial bench.
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Partnerships
December 16, 2025
One year after Hurricane Helene, a look back at Echoes of the Forest's first year — the benches, the partnerships, and the artisans turning fallen trees into a trail across Western North Carolina.
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November 20, 2025
The story of one tree's remarkable journey from Biltmore Forest to Town Hall hearth — a vision that took root in the aftermath of Helene.
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November 20, 2025
Four organizations join forces to transform fallen trees into vessels of hope — Appalachian Cooperage, Green River Woods, Burial Beer Co., and Echoes of the Forest.
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October 9, 2025
On the Grand Garden Promenade at the North Carolina Arboretum, transformation takes tangible form — a live-edge bench from the heart of the storm.
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September 25, 2025
What began as heartbreak after Helene has blossomed into hope and healing — and a story now gaining national attention.
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September 5, 2025
Behind-the-scenes work building partnerships and promoting our woodworkers and the overall project.
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July 17, 2025
A powerful collaboration with the North Carolina Arboretum blooms this fall — a celebration of wood, wonder, and renewal.
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June 18, 2025
The first Echo art unveiling on June 12, 2025, in Asheville's River Arts District — a stunning installation crafted by Chester Shuey from hurricane-salvaged wood.
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May 13, 2025
The story behind Mike Ayers' powerful Mountain Man sculpture, carved from a Hurricane Helene walnut tree — honoring Western North Carolina's resilience through art.
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May 12, 2025
The story behind the first public art unveiling — a stunning sculpture crafted from a salvaged Hurricane Helene tree, debuting June 12 in Asheville's River Arts District.
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April 22, 2025
What Finland — birthplace of one of our team's grandmothers — teaches us about the relationship between humans and trees.
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April 10, 2025
A summary of key points from NOAA's Hurricane Helene Report related to Western North Carolina.
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Milestones
March 15, 2025
A welcome letter from founder Liisa Andreassen on the official launch of Echoes of the Forest — and an invitation to be part of what comes next.
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