Callie Warner: Asheville Native

It was a rainy Thursday morning when three curious journalism students set out to explore the wilderness with Asheville native Callie Warner. A born environmentalist with mud on her boots and mountains in her soul, Callie carried a quiet reverence for the land, the kind of understanding that reshapes how outsiders see the world.

Her home stood tucked in a forest of towering trees, their leaves deep green, bark rich and brown like the chocolate of a Twix bar, smooth and familiar. Then came Callie, bursting through the door like Dolly Parton reincarnated in denim and windblown hair. Her ripped jeans had a story, maybe even a soundtrack, something straight out of a Hannah Montana movie.

Boots on, spirit untamed, she welcomed the student journalists with a grin and a wave, already talking before they hit the road. In the car, she unfolded her past like tales of her family, the land, and her two homes side by side like chapters of a legacy. They stopped at Bojangles for breakfast, only to be greeted by a robotic voice fumbling our order. Callie, never one to be outwitted by artificial intelligence, leaned out the window and demanded a real human.

Back on the road, she told us about Bernardsville. She started naming off different trees on the way, the students losing track of the trees she rattled off, overwhelmed by how much she knew about nature. When the student journalists arrived, she introduced them to a close friend, a man shaped by the pain of hurricanes and floods.

His voice cracked with memory, the camera catching more than just light and shadow. It was less of an interview, more of a release therapy session without a couch, just us, the quiet, and months of grief finally let go. The final stop was Marshall, a place once haunted by the bars of a jailhouse, now reborn. The word “jail” carries weight. But inside, art had worked its magic.

The space had been transformed into a restaurant and hotel, filled with creativity and the echo of second chances. The artist behind it all had rebuilt from scratch something better, something whole. He proved that beauty could grow from nothing but vision. By the end of the day, I was full of stories, sorrow, strength, and admiration. This place, these people, they endure. They root themselves deep and weather the storm. And Callie, the students’ wild-haired guide, ended the journey with a smile and a wink. Just like Dolly would have.

‘Save the Woods’

On January 13, Warner woke up to one of her daily walks with her dog when suddenly she saw construction being done at the University of North Carolina Asheville Woods. Determined to stop the destruction, a group of community members from the Five-Point neighborhood started a petition called “Save the Woods.” Warner is a supporter of the community and the environment. She explained how the higher administration illegally took control of the woods.

“They did not inform us of this development, we were not told about this,” said Warner. “By law, they are required to inform us”.

Warner is a survivor of Hurricane Helene and has experienced trauma when it comes to the destruction of her community. However, she had high hopes when it came to her community woods because it was not destroyed in Hurricane Helene.

She says they have lost loved ones, and so many people are still missing. Warner believes in nature as a protection, and the trees they are destroying can cause our natural climate to shift. She explained how the trees take carbon frustration out of our lungs, and it impacts our bodies. Warner fights for the cause of the importance of trees in our civilization. In her free time, she reads environmental books to educate herself on the communication of trees. Her purpose is to ensure the existence of nature and its safety.

According to Warner, “It has wiped out our river, species, and thriving feeding for our neighborhood but did not destroy our woods.”

Warner and the group have over 2,400 members who advocate for the Urban Forest. The group has about 8,500 signatures. They have created a Facebook group to show their efforts to protect the woods by posting photos and updates about the situation with UNCA. Warner says the woods have been used by students for many years. One memorable moment she remembers is students walking to class and stopping to carve animal sculptures within the forest.

According to Warner, “There are over 95 species in the forest, and the equipment they are using is killing the animals.”

Their habitat is being disturbed and destroyed by the lack of consideration from the administration. Warner says the University owns a lot of land and has safer areas to create a new development. She hopes that the Chancellor of UNC and the Mayor of Ashville will come forth to stop this new development. In the meantime, she and the “Save the Woods” members will continue to protest and put together events that show their fight for nature.

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This story is part of a semester-long investigative reporting project into the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. It was created by an advanced reporting class in the Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies program at UW-Milwaukee. Other stories from the project are available here.

This work was made possible through the support of MPC Endowment Ltd., the philanthropic affiliate of the Milwaukee Press Club.