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Bacteria Monitoring in the French Broad watershed

volunteerriverJoin our French Broad Riverkeeper as we sample water in the French Broad watershed for bacterial pollution.

Because the river is used so frequently for swimming and recreation we want to identify and then eliminate sources of bacterial impairment. Samples will be collected from Buncombe and Henderson counties in an effort to hone in on any pollution hot spots.

Click for more information about bacterial monitoring.

When: Wednesdays at noon (fall outings begin Oct. 9)

Where: Meet at Westfeldt Park (280 and Old Fanning Bridge Road, near the Asheville Regional airport)

Why: To monitor and cleanup sources of bacteria impairment in our local waterways.

Who: Anyone, no experience necessary. Training and materials will be provided the day of the sampling

If you’d like to participate, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Cynthia Camilleri at (828) 258-8737, ext. 207

WNCA Featured in State-wide Non-profit Publication

WNCA continues to catch the eye of state-wide organizations. Recently our efforts to collaborate with other Asheville-headquartered environmental groups were noted in the North Carolina Center for Non-profits spring issue, Common Ground.

In its front page article, entitled Do More with What You Already Have – Collaborate, the newsletter uses the example of WNCA meeting with three other environmental groups and funders to discuss possible collaborative steps they could take to save resources “during the current economic crisis and beyond.”

From this meeting, the article further notes, these organizations plan to survey 43 groups for ideas on how everyone might work together more efficiently.

WNCA Executive Director Julie Mayfield is quoted in the article a number of times. She stresses the possibilities of organizations sharing space, administrative costs, combining programs or even merging organizations.

“Best case scenario: we’ll have a really honest conversation, and people will be willing to stretch their boundaries in ways they didn’t think of when money was more plentiful.”

WNCA is a long-time member of the NC Center for Nonprofits.

 

 

WNCA Wins Statewide Innovation Award

The Western North Carolina Alliance (WNCA) was recognized for its “exemplary performance in innovation” and awarded $10,000 from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation at the North Carolina Conservation Network’s Annual Retreat in Raleigh.

The foundation gave WNCA its annual Community TIEs Award based on the group’s innovative approach of working with federal and state agencies, private companies, and other non-profits and involving volunteers in invasive exotic plant species control and native habitat restoration efforts on vulnerable public lands in Western North Carolina. Criteria for the top innovative program included the use of new and different solutions to combat old challenges.

“The innovation category traditionally receives the most applications from competing groups,” WNCA Executive Director Julie Mayfield commented, “so we are particularly honored to be chosen for this award, and we are grateful for the $10,000 gift.”

Excessive growth of exotic invasive plants is ranked second only to habitat destruction as a threat to wildlife. To combat this growing problem, WNCA and its partners launched this program in 2004, and since then the program has:

– Trained close to 200 volunteers in identification, inventory methods, and control methods of nearly a dozen invasive exotic plants;
Coordinated over 1,300 volunteer hours over 29 days across 25 miles of trails and roads in national forests and national parks;

– Coordinated control work on over 13,000 square feet in the Sandy Bottom ecosystem in Asheville to directly benefit endangered Bog Turtles and diverse salamander species;

– Planted over 150 mixed-hardwood trees for habitat restoration; and Educated over 300 other citizens through presentations to various organizations, schools, and garden clubs.

“Our success is measured not only in the hard numbers of miles and acres controlled, but also in the knowledge volunteers take back with them to their yards, their neighborhoods, and their local parks,” said WNCA Ecologist Bob Gale, who manages the program. “WNCA is proud to use this innovative and scientific approach to continue to improve our region’s most ecologically sensitive areas.”

Other partners in the program are Equinox Environmental Consulting and Design, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Southern Appalachian Man and Biosphere, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, and North Carolina Department of Transportation.

WNCA is a 27-year old environmental group that empowers citizens to advocate for livable communities and the natural environment of Western North Carolina. For more information on upcoming WNCA activities, call the office at 828-258-8737 in Asheville.

 

 

Thank you to our 2010 Donors!

Your support allowed us to continue our community planning  and land use policy work, public lands action and advocacy, advocacy for real transportation solutions, education around water conservation, and community organizing in counties throughout the region.

 

Governor Vetoes Anti-environment Bills and Issues Energy-related Executive Orders

Please call Governor Bev Perdue at (800) 662-7952 and thank her for her veto of S781 and S709, two of the worst anti-environmental bills to come out of the legislative session. In addition to vetoing the bill that would have opened the door to offshore oil and natural gas drilling, she issued two executive orders that will create task forces to study the State’s onshore and offshore energy resources.

The Governor deserves our thanks for taking a strong stand for the environment and renewable energy today. Click here to read the Governor’s official statement on her vetoes; Executive Order 96: Offshore Wind Economic Development Task Force; Executive Order 97: Reauthorize and Expand the Governor’s Scientific Advisory Panel on Energy; and the News & Observer’s coverage from today’s paper: “Perdue vetoes praised, scorned.”

WNCA Signs Onto Ad Opposing Veto Overrides of Bad Environmental Bills

WNCA signs on to full page ad in the Raleigh News & Observer asking the NC House of Representatives to not override Governor Perdue’s vetoes of bad environmental bills. This is the second full page ad to appear; the first one was aimed at Governor Perdue, asking her to veto the bills, which she did.

Save The French Broad Campaign Success: Raising over $36,000!

Our summer-long Save The French Broad campaign was a tremendous success, raising money and awareness to protect the French Broad River’s water quality and build the French Broad River Paddle Trail℠.  We smashed our fundraising goal of $20,000, and raised over $36,000!

This is the fourth year that SweetWater Brewing Company has teamed up with our French Broad Riverkeeper, and over hundreds of people contributed to the most successful Save the French Broad fundraising campaign to date. Throughout the summer dozens of bars, businesses, and restaurants encouraged the public to “give of their liver to save the river” by buying paper Sweetwater fish, paddling for 9 days down the French Broad River, sponsoring a paddling friend, or racing down the whitewater section of the river.  The Save the French Broad campaign wrapped up with a rocking grand finale show with the Wailers.  See the video from the Wailer’s concert.

The funds from this year’s campaign are already being funneled to build the French Broad River Paddle Trail and protect clean water. Two campsites have recently been built along the French Broad River and five more are planned for this fall and spring. This would fully connect over 120 miles of the French Broad River as a world class paddling destination.

Introducing Our Invasives “Do Not Buy” Guide

Building on our extensive work on exotic invasive species, WNCA’s Public Lands team has developed a useful and easy tool to help us keep down the invasives population- our Do Not Buy Guide!

This list provides buyers with a credit card sized foldout of invasive plants to avoid in WNC and similar native alternatives.    

Just click here, print it out, fold it up and keep it with you for the next time you’re at the local nursery!