In Asheville, a battle is playing out over a 45-acre forest bordering UNC Asheville and the Five Points neighborhood, a haven for tricolored bats, box turtles, bobcats, and great horned owls, less than a mile from downtown. The controversy reached a turning point when, as recently reported by Asheville Watchdog, a university-appointed advisory committee recommended against building a large-scale stadium on the site, calling the project “misaligned with UNCA’s identity” and urging the school to prioritize student housing, retail, open community space, and the preservation of green areas. Still, new development proposals continue to threaten this patch of urban wilderness, keeping it at the center of one of Asheville’s most heated land use debates. At the heart of the fight to protect the woods is Spencer Beals, a local artist with a background in ecosystem sustainability and a lifelong passion for nature. Last December, he gathered more than 30 local artists for “Batland,” a guerrilla installation of over 40 painted wooden bats, placed secretly by night on branches throughout the woods. Spencer and his collaborators created detailed, hand-drawn maps—now on view in full at the ArtsvilleUSA gallery wall at the Ferguson Family YMCA—and stashed them in a homemade outdoor library, transforming the forest into a massive scavenger hunt for families, students, and neighbors. Spencer leads nature journaling clubs along these trails, helps organize rallies, and works closely with Save the UNCA Woods, a community group that’s collected over 17,000 petition signatures and flooded city boards with letters. He consults with wildlife biologists and listens to longtime residents who say they’ve never seen so many people in the woods. Now, Spencer is speaking with Elise Wilson, executive director of ArtsvilleUSA, about the intersection of art, advocacy, and community building in Asheville. Their conversation explores how artists can shape public discourse, mobilize communities, and influence the fate of the city’s remaining green spaces. Episode Credits Host: Elise Wilson, ArtsvilleUSA Executive Director Guest: Spencer Beals, artist and environmental advocate Produced by: ArtsvilleUSA / Arterial Inc. Audio editing: Maggi Van Dorn Newsletter: Subscribe to the ArtsvilleUSA Newsletter for more stories and updates on the arts and crafts scene in Western North Carolina.
