Common Word Community Read: Documentary Screening of America’s First Forest: Carl Schenck and the Asheville Experiment

The Common Word Community Read, curated by New York Times bestselling author and fellow UNC Asheville alumnus, Wiley Cash ’00, brings the UNC Asheville community together to engage in a collective educational experience. Each semester, one book will serve as the focus of numerous virtual and in-person lectures and discussions that will allow participants to delve deeper into the text. Over the course of the academic year, participants will read one book each semester, gaining insights and sharing ideas in a welcoming and respectful environment. Learn more and pick up your copy of the spring 2022 community read selection: “The Last Castle: The Epic Story of Love, Loss, and American Royalty in the Nation’s Largest Home” by Denise Kiernan.

The Emmy Award-winning film America’s First Forest: Carl Schenck and the Asheville Experiment tells the story of how Carl Schenck, a German forester, came to America in 1895 to manage the forests at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Schenck not only helped restore the land there, but he also established the country’s first forestry school and helped launch the American conservation movement.

For more information, visit: giving.unca.edu/alumni/the-common-word-community-read/

This event is the second of three events for the Spring 2022 Common Word Community Read series. Additional events include a talk with Dan Pierce, professor of history, “What George Vanderbilt Saw: Asheville and the Western North Carolina Mountains in 1887 – 88” (February 8), and a visit from Denise Kiernan, author of “The Last Castle”, in conversation with Wiley Cash (April 26).

Community Expectations
As members of this community, we care about everyone. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors have a shared commitment to take the necessary precautions to avoid spreading COVID-19 while following all recommended health guidelines. Please see UNC Asheville’s Community Expectations. Masks are required of all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.