Rod and Bess Baird (pictured above) moved to Western North Carolina in the 1970s, working as caretakers for a farm in Weaverville. From there, Rod began a career as an entrepreneur in the medical industry. Bess has always had a passion for education, working as a teacher for young children and leading workshops to help teachers incorporate nature and the environment into their curriculum. 

Like many MountainTrue members, the Bairds love nature and the outdoors. Rod is the adventurer, while Bess is more of a naturalist. Over the years, they’ve enjoyed our region’s fantastic whitewater paddling, biking and hiking trails, and fly fishing. 

The Bairds have been MountainTrue members for more than a decade. Recently, they’ve focused on supporting the Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC program. When asked why this project has inspired them to give, they said, “We want to support systemic work that makes an impact at the local level. Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC is promoting dense development that can reduce sprawl in WNC counties. We’re currently crowding single-family homes onto smaller acreage with little to no erosion controls and building outwards rather than upwards. In the process, we’re destroying farmlands and forests. We want to treat the cause of suburban sprawl, and MountainTrue is working to do that.” 

The Bairds went on to say how important it is “for all of us to work together as part of a grassroots effort to get people to think differently about density. Cities are intended to be cities. If we had the choice to remove trees in the city or remove even more trees for a large development in a rural area, I’d choose to remove them in the city and replant them. I want our neighbors to see that we support this work, and MountainTrue is bringing a new perspective. We hope our neighbors will take the time to learn more and consider supporting this important work.”

“No matter what we wish, WNC is going to continue being a relocation magnet for the foreseeable future. Let’s acknowledge that the only viable strategy to manage this growth is ‘harm-reduction’ – which means focusing growth on urban areas.”

MountainTrue is incredibly thankful for the support of the Bairds and for all MountainTrue members who are helping protect our forests, waters, and mountain communities. 

Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC is an expansion of our Healthy Communities program, and we hope you’ll join us in supporting policies that protect and create homes for our neighbors in places that reduce our collective carbon footprint. To learn more about Neighbors for More Neighbors, please visit moreneighborswnc.org.