Donate

Partnerships

2026: A Year of Transformation and Community Connection

January 5, 2026·2 min read

Hand-drawn Echoes of the Forest bench concept sketch showing three early design variations — wood plank seats supported between large fieldstones, with a small camera-like fixture at one end of the third design — rendered in pencil and watercolor on white background, signed 'Echoes of the Forest Bench Concept Sketch'

Echoes of the Forest steps into 2026 with a series of public art installations that turn Hurricane Helene's fallen trees into community treasures across Western North Carolina. Each one represents not just recovery, but renewal — loss reshaped into legacy.

Mark Your Calendars

The year begins with love and remembrance on February 14, when we'll unveil the "Tea for Two" memorial bench at the North Carolina Arboretum. Crafted by Mark Oliver of Foundation Woodworks, this intimate installation offers visitors a quiet place to sit, connect, and reflect.

The Tea for Two bench by Mark Oliver of Foundation Woodworks installed in the Plants of Promise Garden at the North Carolina Arboretum — a two-seat live-edge bench handcrafted from Hurricane Helene–salvaged timber, sited between the Education Center and the Playing Woods, framed by spring greenery
The "Tea for Two" bench by Mark Oliver — NC Arboretum, Valentine's Day 2026.

Just three days later, on February 17, we'll reveal a Black Walnut mantel in Biltmore Forest, crafted by Kwadwo Som-Pimpong of Crafted Glory from a tree that once stood on the Biltmore Estate. The piece will anchor the gathering hall at the new Biltmore Forest Town Hall — the warmth of a hearth, made permanent.

The interior of the Biltmore Forest Town Hall gathering hall — a vaulted barrel ceiling with curved wooden beams, white painted brick walls, rows of green folding chairs facing the central brick fireplace at the back wall where the Echoes of the Forest Black Walnut mantel will be installed, with the Biltmore Forest town seal mounted above
The Biltmore Forest Town Hall gathering hall — future home of the mantel.

Raising a Glass to Resilience

This spring brings a collaboration with Burial Beer Co. as we launch Echoes Beer — a small-batch oak-aged brown ale fermented in barrels handcrafted by Appalachian Cooperage from Helene-salvaged white oak. White oak sourced by Matt Christie of Green River Woods. Wood, water, and wild yeast: every sip carries the story.

An Echoes of the Forest oak barrel branded with the project logo, crafted from Hurricane Helene–salvaged white oak by Appalachian Cooperage in Marion, North Carolina, in collaboration with Burial Beer Co.'s Tim Gormley for the Echoes Oak Aged Brown Ale
An Echoes barrel — Helene-salvaged white oak, made by Appalachian Cooperage for Burial Beer Co.

Honoring Heritage and Service

The summer peaks on July 4 with the dedication of a memorial bench by Mike Ayers of Whetstone Woodworks at the Charles George VA Medical Center, coinciding with America's 250th anniversary. The installation honors the veterans this hospital serves — a place to sit, remember, and breathe in mountain air.

An aerial view of the Charles George VA Medical Center campus in Asheville, North Carolina — a multi-building hospital complex set among rolling green hills, with the Blue Ridge Mountains rising in the misty distance under a sky of dramatic clouds, the future site of the July 4 2026 Echoes of the Forest veterans' memorial bench
The Charles George VA Medical Center, Asheville — site of the July 4, 2026 veterans' memorial bench.

We're also working to place a community bench at The Block in front of the YMI Cultural Center, strengthening connections in this historic heart of Asheville's African American community. The bench will be crafted by Kwadwo Som-Pimpong of Crafted Glory from an oak felled by Helene in Swannanoa.

The brick and stucco facade of the historic YMI Cultural Center in downtown Asheville, North Carolina — the round YMI Cultural Center logo mounted beside the green double-door entrance, a bare tree casting shadows across the building, in the heart of The Block, Asheville's historic African American district
The YMI Cultural Center in The Block — future site of the community bench by Kwadwo Som-Pimpong.

Join Our Journey

Each project shows how disaster recovery can leave behind something lasting — and beautiful. From memorial spaces to craft beverages, we're weaving Helene's fallen trees into the fabric of this region's future.

We invite you to join us at these unveilings throughout the year and see firsthand how, together, we're growing something rooted in hope.

Save the Dates

February 14, 2026 — "Tea for Two" bench unveiling, NC Arboretum
February 17, 2026 — Black Walnut mantel reveal, Biltmore Forest Town Hall
Spring 2026 — Echoes Beer launch with Burial Beer Co.
July 4, 2026 — Veterans' memorial bench dedication, Charles George VA Medical Center
2026 — YMI Cultural Center community bench, Asheville

See Upcoming Events Get Involved

Follow us on social media for unveiling details as dates approach. Each Echo carries three stories — the tree, the artisan, and the community it returns to.

More from the Blog

All Posts All Installations