Celebrate the Last Days of Summer with Three Outdoor Events

September 12, 2015: Family Friendly Outing on the Henry Fork River.   This Saturday bring your bathing suit or wading shorts and a picnic lunch to the cool, clean waters of the Henry Fork River at the Foothills Conservancy's new Smith Cliff/Henry Fork Preserve.  This event is free for current members/supporters; $10 per person for non members. If you would like to attend please RSVP by noon this Friday 9/11/15; call 828-437-9930 or email shjones@foothillsconservancy.org.

Henry Fork River, photo courtesy of Foothills Conservancy

September 19, 2015: Catawba RiverFest.  For generations, the Catawba River has shaped the economic vitality of the region and remains a public commons of immeasurable recreational value. Catawba RiverFest promotes a greater appreciation of this vital waterway. The day-long event at Lake James State Park highlights a variety of conservation groups and their ongoing projects working to improve the quality of life for people and animals along the river.

The event will place at the Paddy's Creek Area from 10 AM - 3 PM. Admission is Free. Enjoy music, food, educational exhibits, a live raptor release at approximately 10:30 AM., nature hikes, and try out canoes and kayaks for free. For more information email  bwillardpatton@foothillsconservancy.org  or call Lake James State Park at (828) 584-7728.

September 19, 2015: Rutherford Outdoor Coalition Broad River Cleanup.  The Rutherford Outdoor Coalition is hosting a cleanup on the Broad River beginning at 10:00 AM. The number of sections cleaned will be determined by the number of volunteers. ROC hopes to clean sections 2 (starting at Rock Springs Church Road), 3, 4, and 5 (ending at Coxe Road in Rutherfordton).

Each group of volunteers will clean one section of the river. To volunteer contact trails@rutherfordoutdoor.org. Trash bags and gloves will be provided. There are a few pair of grabbers available, but people are encouraged to bring their own if they have them. ROC needs people with canoes as well as kayaks to attend. They may have a few extra kayaks or canoes for those who want to help but do not have a boat of their own.
  
Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to working together with you and others to preserve and protect the places we all love across the eastern Blue Ridge Mountains and Foothills, including watersheds, environmentally significant habitats and forests and farm lands for this and future generations. 

MAKE A DONATION  or BECOME A MEMBER

 

LTL Receives Grants from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation

LTLT (Little Tennessee Land Trust) was among the recipients of 23 grants from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation totaling over $2.4 million dollars. One grant to LTLT was awarded to continue the restoration of river cane and other resources on the historic Welch Farm and fund management of artisan resources on the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve. 

A second CPF grant was also awarded to LTLT to enhance the bird monitoring, research, and education programs tied to the national MAPS program. Read more...

Conservation News: The Appalachian Advocate Announces Coal Ash Webinar Series

This past year has seen more intense scrutiny of coal ash in North Carolina and around the country. Get the run-down on the latest research and news surrounding this toxic waste and share your questions in the second of our four-part webinar series, "The Evolving Burden of Coal Ash: Examining New State and Federal Protections," featuring research biologist Dr. Dennis Lemly, artist and local activist Caroline Armijo, and Appalachian Voices' North Carolina campaign coordinator and former state regulator Amy Adams.

Get more information or register for the webinar series HERE.

Appalachian Voices is an award-winning, environmental non-profit committed to protecting the land, air and water of the central and southern Appalachian region, focusing on reducing coal’s impact on the region and advancing our vision for a cleaner energy future. - See more at: http://appvoices.org/about/#sthash.81Kng1IK.dpuf

Appalachian Voices is an award-winning, environmental non-profit organization committed to protecting the land, air and water of the central and southern Appalachian region, focusing on reducing coal’s impact on the region and advancing the vision for a cleaner energy future. DONATIONS ARE WELCOMED.  

Public Comment Period Now Open for LTLT Reaccreditation

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee, Inc. (LTLT) is pleased to announce it is applying for renewal of accreditation from the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission. A public comment period is now open. The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever.

 

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. LTLT Executive Director Sharon Taylor says, “LTLT is a stronger organization for implementing and maintaining the high standards set by the Commission.”

 

The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how LTLT complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. View the full list of standards online.

 

To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit landtrustaccreditation.org.

 

Comments can be emailed to info@landtrustaccreditation.org.

 

Comments may also be mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments; 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866; or faxed to 518-587-3183.

 

Comments on LTLT’s application will be most useful by May 25, 2015.

 

If you have any questions about the reaccreditation or comment process, email Molly Phillips, LTLT Advancement Coordinator.

If you love the Mountains it's time to donate and get matching funds

August 21, 2013 -  Save the places you love in the Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills. The FINAL 10 days - Donors have offered to Match up to $30,000 in the Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge. In June of this year several donors offered to match special donations given through August 31 to the 2013 Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge.

The Foothills Conservancy has announced that the goal has almost been reached, but they need your help.  If you haven't already made a donation,  please help The Conservancy reach this goal by giving today!

Give online at www.foothillsconservancy.org or mail your gift to FCNC P.O. Box 3023, Morganton, NC 28680.

Together, we will leave an everlasting gift to all who live in, love and depend upon the lands and waters of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills.

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina, a regional land trust, is dedicated to working cooperatively with landowners and public and private conservation partners to preserve and protect important natural areas and open spaces of the Blue Ridge Foothills region, including watersheds, environmentally significant habitats, forests and farmland, for this and future generations. The Conservancy, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, serves eight counties: Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lincoln, McDowell and Rutherford.

Will Mountaintop Removal Finally be Stopped?

Submitted by Matt Wasson, IloveMountains.org

This week, Sally Jewell became the Obama Administration’s Secretary of the Department of the Interior. Jewell is now in a key position to halt the damaging environmental and health effects of mountaintop removal coal mining. But in order to make sure that it is a top priority issue, she needs to hear from you right away.

Take action now
and tell Secretary Jewell know that we need her leadership

the destruction caused by mountaintop removal

During President Obama’s first term, the administration promised to restore longstanding stream protections to Appalachia. Despite this assurance, progress has been slow and Appalachian streams remain threatened.
Secretary Jewell has the ability to take immediate action and direct the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to issue a long-overdue rule to prevent the dumping of coal mining waste into streams. We need Jewell to ensure that a strong standard is created and that it is fully implemented in Appalachia.

 

Contact Secretary Jewell today

The day before her confirmation, President Obama said that Jewell had an “appreciation for our nation’s tradition of protecting our public lands and heritage, and a keen understanding of what it means to be good stewards of our natural resources.” We are encouraged by this and expect that she will stand up for the heritage and well being of the Appalachian region.

For the Mountains,
Matt Wasson

P.S. Help us by also welcoming Secretary Jewell on Twitter. Tweet: Welcome @SecretaryJewell

Asheville's RiverLink will Host Fourth Friday Salon Series Environment Lectures

Asheville, NC -- RiverLink is kicking off 2013 with a stimulating five-part seminar series by Frank Kalinowski. The first seminar will be held at the RiverLink offices on Friday, Jan. 25 starting at 3 p.m.

Kalinowski is a retired and popular professor from Warren Wilson College and the author of

Dr. Frank Kalinowski

numerous articles and treatises that are thought provoking and informative about the complex world in which we live today.

The purpose of these interactive lectures is to explore a deeper understanding of environmental issues and to attempt the placement of these issues in a larger social, political and historic context.

The first seminar is titled "A Practical Solution to the Environmental Crisis: The Scope and Range of Environmental Politics." 

The dates for Salon Series are February 22, March 22, April 26 and May 31. Future topics include "The Constitution and the Environment," and "Two Dreams and a Nightmare: The Environmental Legacies of Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison." 

This series is free and open to the public but reservations are required -  call 828-252-8474, ext. 10 to reserve a spot. RiverLink is a regional non-profit working to revitalize the French Broad River as a place for everyone to live, work and play. The RiverLink office, the site for this series, is at 170 Lyman Street in the River Arts District of Asheville.
 
Located in Asheville's River Arts District, RiverLink is a regional organization spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River watershed as a destination where everyone can work, live and play.

RiverLink ends 2012 with a liong List of Accomplishments

submitted by Karen Cragnolin, Executive Director RiverLink

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at RiverLink -- our staff, our board and our wonderful volunteers. Thanks for making 2012 a productive year working together with our 300 collaborating organizations and partners to make the French Broad River Watershed swimmable, fishable and drinkable now and into the future. We wish you a New Year filled with hope, good health, joy, and peace of mind. Thanks to you it has been a wonderful year. Here are some highlights:    We empowered 1644 volunteers to put in 2800-plus hours, collecting 744 bags of trash, 271 tires and an assortment of TVs, toilets, mattresses, hubcaps, toys, and other debris.   We did MAJOR work at Karen Cragnolin Park. Not only did we donate an easement across the front of the property for brand new sidewalks, we also started phytoremediation on the land. Phytoremediation is a technique that uses nature's healing properties (plants) to clean up contaminated soils  We partnered with local micro-breweries to host the annual Winter Warmer Beer Festival.  The brewers donated $2,500 and we directed that money  to the Broadway greenway   We hosted our 5th annual "Voices of the River: Art and Poetry Contest. Using all of their senses, students observe their watershed and create a piece of art or poetry based on topics such as fish and wildlife; boating and recreation; pollution and trash; geography; culture and history; water and the hydrologic cycle, or any relevant topic that students wish to address. We co-sponsored two events in April: The River Management Society conference entitled "From Intimate Creeks to the Infinite Sea" and the 3rd annual French Broad River Classique Canoe and Kayak Race. We were happy to transform the old tire store at 704 Riverside Drive and welcome the our new tenants,  Asheville Adventure Rentals. AAR is a full-service gear rental, retail, travel and instruction company. High-quality rental and retail inventory includes whitewater, recreational and touring boats, Stand-Up Paddleboards, fishing gear, and camping essentials. We sponsored community dialogues with the neighborhoods around Amboy Road and the developer who is working on a project at the corner of Amboy Road and Riverview. We raised $25,000 from the Pigeon River Fund to install the Best Management Practices or BMP's along the greenway that will help to control the erosion and sediment. With all the money raised thus far we only need another $42,000 to get the old Health Adventure section of greenway and BMP's installed. We hosted RiverMUSIC throughout the summer. We kicked off our series of performances and events at the RiverLink Sculpture and Performance Plaza with a live theatre performance by the Warren Wilson College Theatre Department. The "Swannanoa River Play" took anecdotes and stories directly from Swannanoa Valley residents and mixed in music to create a half-hour performance.  Over the summer we welcomed, Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds with special guests The Krektones and The Mad Tea; Sanctum Sully with special guests Bobby Miller and The Virginia Daredevils; The 42nd Street Jazz Band; Sirius B. with special guests The Blood Gypsies. We finished off the concert season with a Purveyors of Funk Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band with special guests The Fritz. We celebrated the river at the 13th annual RiverFest at French Broad River Park.  We were pleased to announce that Sierra Nevada as our title sponsor and the Asheville Adventure Rentals, Navitat Canopy Adventures, Carolina Mountains Credit Union, a division of Self-Help Credit Union, Glazer Architecture, PA., and Happy Body Studio and RC Cola also helped to sponsor RiverFest this year. We  enjoyed another year of  our  world famous Anything that Floats Parade during RiverFest. We incorporated environmental education, river recreation and service learning  during SUMMER CAMP! At camp, RiverLink works to: Provide young citizens of the French Broad River watershed an in-depth, hands-on educational  experience about their environment;   Empower campers to be lifelong watershed stewards by educating them on the issues facing our rivers and watersheds, and providing concrete examples of what can be done; Inspire campers to make community service an integral part of their student and adult lives. We hired long-time artist resident of the river Heinz Kossler to create some handmade tiles for the new sidewalk that will surround one of our properties The Warehouse Studios at 170 Lyman Street. The city installed the sidewalk using granite curbstones that were removed from the river area when they asphalted the street most times right over the granite and the old trolley tracks We  received funding for an all-inclusive online interactive map for the French Broad River camping and paddle trail. Make sure to get in touch with us if you want to be included on this map. We welcomed new Board members -- Barb Korb, retired marketing and operations director for AT&T; Mike Sule, founder and executive director of Asheville on Bikes; Paul Dismukes, community volunteer who works with Habitat for Humanity, GreenWorks and Rotary; and Peter Sprague, an executive with Ingles Market and lifetime volunteer with Boy Scouts of America. Incidentally, Peter was one of RiverLink's first volunteers way back in 1987!   We spent time with close friends at the annual Friends of the River dinner. Our speaker this year was Ken Grossman, president of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. We dedicated a new section of Broadway greenway. We taught water-related lessons to approximately 4,000 children ages K-12. We celebrated the life and legacy of Wilma Dykeman by installing three new information kiosks at our Sculpture & Performance Park on Riverside Drive. It was such a joy to hear her youngest son, Jim, describe his mom's legacy and a new effort to preserve and perpetuate it.  Guests were also able to meet Sharon Fahrer, president of History@Hand, and songwriter and singer Laura Boosinger. We showed our love for the Swannanoa River at Swannanoa RiverFest with river cleanups and a ton of Swannanoa fun with Warren Wilson College students and staff.    We hosted a volunteer appreciation party at Dave Russell's Avant Garden. We made a big difference during NC's BIG SWEEP, collecting over 90 bags of trash  and 13 tires from  a 15-mile stretch of the French Broad River. We had a very productive meeting with our Secretary of Tourism and the head of the Community Foundation from the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. We also had a two-day visit with Friendship Force folks from the Maldives in October. Do you know that by law the buffer around any water body -- lake, river, stream -- is a mandatory 150 feet in Moldova!  We love sharing our projects and exchanging information with visitors from overseas. We are continuing to raise funds for the Broadway Greenway at the former Health Adventure site. One of our fundraiser was held at the home of Jo and Kevin Hogan in Montford and another one was in cooperation with the Asheville  Track Club Thomas Wolfe 8K run.  We connected with the community groups. This year's Leadership Asheville Seniors Class adopted our labyrinth as their project and have installed a mediation bench and are working with us to spruce up the whole area. We were voted  The Best Environmental Group for the 7th year in a row in the Mountain Xpress. Thank you so much, Western North Carolina. We braved a cold and wet Sunday to celebrate future greenways at Hominy Creek and at the old Health Adventure site on Broadway. These events raised over $3,500 towards implementing new greenway access corridors! We announced the recipients of the 2012 RiverBusiness Awards: The Asheville Brewers Alliance, The Self-Help Credit Union, The Montford Neighborhood Association, PSNC Energy, Sundance Power and FLS Energy. These wonderful river-friendly companies have made lasting contributions to the entire community making our watershed a better place to live, work and play for everyone. We announced our CriticaLink award winners for 2012. CriticaLinks are non-board members who through their extraordinary volunteer  efforts have helped make the French Broad River watershed a better place for everyone to live, work and play. We are  proud to honor  Margie Eblen, Dr. Robert Quayle,  Rob & Bess Baird,  Mary Anne Worthingham, and Terry & Russ Robertson.  We received funding from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund  to help New Belgium Brewing Co. install BMP'S and restore a sub-watershed of the French Broad River.  New Belgium is  going above and beyond the city of Asheville's storm water ordinance as part of this new brewery effort to recover an old landfill and bring economic vitality to our community. We have a new trademark -- WaterRICH -- a residential program designed to help homeowners and renters manage storm water and erosion on their property. We received a really wonderful thank you letter from Ira Bernstein for  helping  Ira implement his dream of installing a rain garden at his Montford home.    We also installed 3 additional  storm water features constructed for properties in the WaterRICH Program,  conducted 8 WaterRICH Property installations and  Certified  32 WaterRICH Consultations We helped attract the funding for the $600,000 federal highway administration road study for the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay that has been adopted. We had a good old-fashioned oyster roast in Marshall with over 300 people and great music. Our host was Rob Pulleyn who bought the old Marshall high school building on Blannahasset Island and turned it into Marshall High Studios, an artist enclave.  We teamed up with another non-profit to develop an online interactive water quality game designed specifically for the French Broad River watershed.  This is another way we are seeking to reach children of all ages and - surprise surprise - reward them for their knowledge. We were recipients of the sale at an art show at Asheville Adventure Rentals by  local artist, Maryanne Pappano, who has created a series of installations reflecting our work to improve the French Broad River. Peace and Joy in 2012, Karen, Melinda, Dave, Nancy, Nikki and Jess P.S. There is still time to remember that special someone in your life at Christmas with these great gifts from RiverLink.

Asheville's Compleat Naturalist Announces Holiday Preview Party

November 16, 6:30 - 8:30 PM at the Compleat Naturalist, 2 Brook Street, Historic Biltmore Village in Asheville NC - Open House Holiday Preview Party, a Biodiversity Celebration.

Mark your calendar for a fun, FREE event at Asheville's favorite shop for all things natural.  The celebration is a  thank-you for their 20th year in business, and all their  special customers are invited to a holiday preview party and benefit for Discover Life in America (DLIA). 

The store is stocked with lots of goodies for holiday shopping and gift giving, and there will be special sale prices on selected items for this event only.

There will also be an auction for a beautiful framed DLIA print, and you also can win a chance at a shopping spree at The Compleat Naturalist!  Everyone who makes a donation to DLIA at the party will be entered to win a Gift Certificate equal to the amount of their donation, up to $250!  The more you donate, the more you can win.  Help support this fascinating project that helps us understand the Biodiversity of the Smokies and beyond.

Refreshments will be served, a brief talk about the exciting discoveries of DLIA, and an exhibit of the work of a DLIA artist who is working on illustrations of species found only in the Smokies.

To RSVP, give us a call 828-274-5430, or email info@compleatnaturalist.com .

Learn more about Asheville's Biltmore Village Shops HERE.

Support your Local Greenways Sunday October 28th!

Wilma Dykeman RiverWay RiverLink photo

RiverLink is working to support greenways along tributaries to the French Broad River, as part of the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan to connect neighborhoods, downtown Asheville and the river to area assets and attractions, from the Blue Ridge Parkway, NC Arboretum, River Arts District, UNC-Asheville, Appalachian and Mountains to Sea Trails, Biltmore Village, and more. 

Currently, RiverLink is supporting greenway efforts through a variety ways, and you too can help support this local greenway initiative through Deeds of Support and local fundraising events.  Currently there are three greenway initiatives: the Broadway Greenway Link,  the Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway and the sustaining support for the Wilma Dykeman RiverWay which helps make all the connections.  Get more information about Greenway Development HERE.

On Sunday October 28th, RiverLink is co-hosting fundraising events for local greenways:

The Friends of Hominy Creek Greenway (FOHCG) will host the second annual Greenway Gathering at the Altamont Brewing Company from 3:00 - 6:00 PM. The event will launch the FOHCG's membership drive and will include activities for children, guest speakers, and a cycling ride. The family friendly cycling ride through the greenway will leave the brewery at 2:00 and return at 3:00.  Get ride details HERE. In addition to hosting the gathering, the Altamont Brewing Company will recognize the FOHCG as the "non-profit of the month" by donating a portion of beer sales from the event and throughout November to the organization.

FOHCG have partnered with Blue Ridge Bicycling Club, Asheville Greenworks, and RiverLink to support the ongoing maintenance, clean-ups, invasive species removal, and park water quality improvements. RiverLink serves as fiscal agent for the FOHCG, you can purchase deeds of support and Riverlink items through RiverLink's website HERE. 

Broadway Greenway Benefit Party   - starting at 4 PM, Jo and Kevin Hogan are opening their home at 273 Pearson Drive, Montford to help raise funds for the Broadway Greenway, aka the former Health Adventure site. Sponsors include RiverLink, The Montford Neighborhood Association, the Nine Mile vegetarian-friendly restaurant, ModestoWood Fire Kitchen, the WedgeBrewery, Clayworks and HossHaley.

The Hogans will prepare Spit Roast Turkey as the main course for a wonderful feast. Your ticket will also enter you into a raffle for a Hoss Haley bronze candelabra, a JoshCopus ceramic platter and a silkscreen print by Kevin Hogan. Tickets are $20 per person and additional raffle tickets may be purchased at $10 each. You do not have to be present to win. Call 254-4055 or e-mail scouser415@aol.com for tickets. Make checks out to the Montford Neighborhood Association and mail to 273 Pearson Dr. Asheville NC 28801, by October 21. If you wish to pay by credit card contact RiverLink at www.riverlink.org or information@riverlink.org and note that this is for the Hogan House Party Benefit.

RiverLink Calls for Volunteers

submitted by Dave Russell, Director of Volunteer Services for RiverLink

RiverFest and RiverMUSIC -- Good times by the River, but only possible with your help   

If you haven't been to one of our RiverMUSIC events, you should consider it whether you do a volunteer shift or not. We've had a great time both nights so far, and still have three concerts to go. You can read all about the series by clicking here. We still need volunteers for the events on August 3, 24 and September 14. Please let me know if you are interested.

RiverFest 2012 takes place on Saturday, August 11, from 1:00 p.m. until 7 p.m. this year. It's just around the corner and coming up quickly. We're looking for enough volunteers so that we only ask for three-hour shifts, though we encourage everyone to stay longer and join in the fun.We'll have beer from Sierra Nevada (volunteers get a free one) and some great music. Read about the musical acts by clicking here.

We need about 120 people to make it work. 

Please let me know if you are available and interested in helping out. We need folks for everything from parking lot patrol to recycling station help to pulling rafts out of the River.  

Call me or e-mail me or drop by and say "Hi" (free coffee!) and then I promise not to bother you again until ... I get desperate.

dave

Dave Russell, RiverLink
Director of Volunteer Services
(828) 252-8474, ext. 11
Cell: (828) 545-9099

volunteer@riverlink.org

2012 Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge

Once again, generous supporters have pledged to match up to $20,000 in gifts made during this once-a-year Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge, which ends August 31. The von Drehle Corporation, Crescent Resources and an anonymous individual donor have made these special challenge pledges possible.

A special gift by you to the 2012 Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge will be matched dollar-for-dollar and will help the Foothills Conservancy reach the challenge goal of $40,000 in support of the important protection work to be done we do this year and future generations.

Make a gift TODAY online at www.foothillsconservancy.org or
Mail your gift designated to the 2012 Blue Ridge Foothills Protection Challenge to:Foothills Conservancy, PO Box 3023 Morganton, NC 28680  or call  828-437-9930. 

Riverlink calls for Special Events Volunteers

RiverLink has two major events coming up this Summer: RiverMUSIC, a five-night concert series, and RiverFest, the usual big party by the French Broad. Each event will call for a large number of volunteers - at least 30 per night for RiverMUSIC and 110 for RiverFest - hang out with Riverlink enjoy great summer events while helping out for a good cause.

RiverMUSIC 

RiverLink's RiverMUSIC consists of five Friday evening concerts at the RiverLink Sculpture and Performance Plaza, 144 Riverside Drive. All concerts start at 5:00 PM. There will be beer from New Belgium, food trucks, live music from local and national acts, and the waters of the beautiful French Broad flowing right by the stage.

 

RiverFest  

RiverFest takes place at French Broad River Park on Saturday, August 11, from 1 PM - 7 PM  this year. Last year there were 90 RiverLink volunteers  and this year even more will be needed. Work will indluce parking cars, pulling rafts out of the river, pouring beer, etc. It will be a fun day, full of live music, kids activities, the Anything That Floats Parade, beer, local food, and more.

Please contact Director of Volunteer Services Dave Russell at 828-252-8474, ext. 11 or dave@riverlink.org and come help out with one or all of these fun events. 

Foothills Conservancy Hosts Invasive Plant Workshop

June 2 - A free workshop will be held on the front lawn of the Wilson Creek Visitor’s Center  at 9 AM.  Participants will learn how to identify non-native invasive plants that are threatening the ecological integrity of Wilson Creek and how to best manage them. Cost-share incentive programs for management on larger private properties will be presented.

Wilson Creek is a designated Wild and Scenic River Corridor with outstanding resource waters suitable for natural trout propagation.  Many unique natural communities occur along its 23.3 mile riparian area.  It is a popular destination for anglers and outdoors enthusiasts alike.  Invasive exotic plants such as Japanese Knotweed, Kudzu, Oriental Bittersweet, Japanese Spiraea and others are invading these natural communities and threatening the ecological integrity of the river corridor.

Multiple agencies and organizations including the Friends of Wilson Creek, Foothills Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, Western North Carolina Alliance, US Forest Service, NC Forest Service, and NC Wildlife Resource Commission are joining together to address non-native invasive plants within the Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic River Corridor and initiate management efforts.

Volunteers are being sought to assist in management efforts. The June 2 workshop will introduce the project, train participants on the identification of target plants, demonstrate best control techniques, and discuss incentive programs for private landowners.  To register for the event or receive more information, call 828-437-9930 or akota@foothillsconservancy.org.

RiverLink Hosts River Symposium in Asheville and Online Webinar

RiverLink and RMS Present River Symposium - History of Whitewater Paddling in WNC, French Broad Camping Water Trail, and Thinking and Linking Outside the Box.  RiverLink is delighted to be hosting and sponsoring the 2012 River Management Society Symposium here is Asheville with River Management experts from across the USA sharing their river stories.

RiverLink has received funding from the federal and state agencies as well as private foundations to create a world class - free and open to the public overnight camping trail that will extend from the French Broad's headwater in Rosman to Knoxville, TN. "The economic impact of this newest RiverLink initiative is in the millions" according to RiverLink Executive Director, Karen Cragnolin.

For those who cannot attend the conference you can join the webinar on the RiverLink Paddle Trail as presented by RiverLink Executive Director, Karen Cragnolin, RiverLink Watershed Manager Nancy Hodges, RiverLink Paddle Trail Advisory Committee member and author Will Leverette and Tennessee partner Jane Polansky on Thursday, April 26, 2012 from 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM EDT

The  Webinar includes:

- History of Whitewater Paddling in Western NC: Will Leverette
- Karen Cragnolin, Executive Director RiverLink - River Access history in French Broad River watershed
- French Broad Camping Water Trail: Nancy Hodges, Presenter.
- Thinking and Linking Outside the Box: Jane Polansky, Presenter

Webinar System Requirements:

PC-based attendees - Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees - Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/476879847

5th Annual Asheville Earth Day Festival

April 21, noon - 10 PM    The 5th annual Asheville Earth Day Festival   returns to downtown Asheville in a new location on Lexington Avenue. Set in the exquisite Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, this FREE family friendly festival features musicians from various genres, eco-friendly speakers, a Kids Village, Eco Village, poetry contest and photo contest.

The Eco Village features 10 of Asheville's leading nonprofit organizations offering the community ways to participate in environmental change. The Kids Village encourages environmental awareness in our youth through  fun activities and entertainment for the entire family. The focus is to teach children how to live "green" by providing tools and ideas to help create healthy habits at home that will remain healthy habits for life. There will also be a drawing station where each child can decorate a small flag to represent Earth Day. The flags  will be on display during the festival and after the festival, all the flags will be combined to create Asheville Earth Day's first flag.

Musicians for this year's festival include Mark Farina Mushroom Jazz, New Orleans Suspects, Floodwood (members of Moe), The Fritz, Underhill Rose and a Leaf in Schools and Streets Performance.

Find more Asheville NC Events and Festivals on the Asheville Visitors Guide

Tribal Grounds Coffee now in the Smithsonian and Benefitting LTLT

Tribal Grounds Coffee in Cherokee, NC, will be displaying her coffee in the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. The Museum is opening an espresso bar in-front of the famous Mitsitam Cafe. They will be selling one pound bags of the Kuwahi Kawi coffee with 7% of the proceeds going to the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee (LTLT).

Purchase Tribal Grounds Coffee online here or stop by the shop at 938 Tsalagi Rd. Cherokee, NC

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee is dedicated to conserving the waters, forests, farms, and heritage of the Upper Little Tennessee and Hiwassee River Valleys.

A Message from Willa Mays and Appalachian Voices

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

One of America's most popular laws — the Clean Water Act — was passed 40 years ago when thousands of people demanded that we stop dumping waste into our water and our politicians listened.

Enforcement is another matter. It's not surprising that an industry that will blow up the Appalachian Mountains for greater profits will also defy law to pollute our mountain streams. But the failure of state agencies to enforce the law is astonishing. Appalachian Water Watch has exposed tens of thousands of water violations in central Appalachia, where living near mountaintop coal mining shortens life spans, increases birth defects, and increases cancer risk (see The Human Cost of Coal below).

In the drought-prone Southeast, where two-thirds of all water withdrawals are used to cool electric generating plants and the majority of our waterways have unsafe levels of mercury pollution, we are working for protections through the Red, White and Water campaign. The only way to ensure our water is safe is to continue the struggle and work for our freedom.

Thank you for standing with us.

Willa Mays
Executive Director, Appalachian Voices

Organic Gowers Conference in Asheville

March 3-4,  University of North Carolina at Asheville - Organic Growers School Spring Conference   A Weekend of Workshops for Beginning Gardeners to Advanced Commercial Growers featuring over 100 classes on all aspects of sustainable living.

Join farmers, gardeners, chefs, seed-savers, backyard chicken-keepers, homesteaders, permaculturists, herbalists, composters, beekeepers, orchardists, foresters, landscapers, cheesemakers, local food lovers, wild food aficiandos, butchers, bakers, and sauerkraut makers for the largest gathering of its kind in the Southeastern US!   Click HERE to register online .

Adventure Films help benefit Riverlink

February 16, from 7:30 PM - 9 PM., Horizon Line Pictures will host a night of short adventure films at the Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville, with a portion of the proceeds going to local non-profit RiverLink. Entry is only $6, with a raffle for a kayak from Liquid Logic and door prizes provided by Diamond Brand Outdoors.

Tickets for the kayak raffle are $10 and available at the RiverLink office at 170 Lyman Street in the River Arts District, Monday thru Friday 8 AM. - 5 PM. They are also on sale at the Southern Appalachian Brewery Tasting Room, 822 Locust Street, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Open Wednesday thru Friday, 4 p.m. to close, and Saturday thru Sunday, 2 p.m. to close.

Several of the films were produced in WNC, including "Longboarding Asheville" and "The Smokies: Punished into Ecstasy." The two others are titled, "The Grand Canyon in Winter" and "World Championships of Kayaking."

Legacy Paddlesports, the parent company of Liquid Logic Kayaks, recently moved their base of operations to Henderson County.

RiverLink is a regional non-profit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its tributaries as a place to live, work and play. Monies collected in this raffle and movie event will be used to further work on The Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan, a 17-mile greenway linking the French Broad and Swannanoa Rivers with walking and biking trails anchored on the south at the NC Arboretum and on the east by the Blue Ridge Parkway and on the north by UNCA.