MountainTrue, formerly the Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO), will host a community Earth Day celebration in partnership with the Hendersonville Community Co-op from noon to 3 p.m. April 25 at the new Co-op store, located at the intersection of S. Grove and Spartanburg Highway.
As part of the Co-op’s grand opening week, April 22 -25, Earth Day activities are planned for Saturday.
The theme, “Kick the Disposable Bag Habit!” will highlight the Co-op’s “Bring Your Own Bag” program to encourage the use of reusable grocery bags instead of disposable ones. The Co-op offers an incentive to those shoppers who bring their own bags to the store.
During the afternoon there will be a Bag Monster sighting, a make-a-pledge table to “Kick the Disposable Habit,” an art table where cloth bags can be personalized, and a seed planting table where kids can plant sunflower seed starter pots to take home.
The community can visit the MountainTrue table to learn more about the organization, and register to win a $100 gift basket provided by the Co-op. The Todd Hoke & Paul Songy Band will perform from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
“Each time a shopper brings their own bag for groceries, they are saving the Co-op an expense and helping to reduce, re-use and recycle,” said Gretchen Schott Cummins, the Co-op’s outreach coordinator, about the “Bring Your Own Bag” program.
“The Co-op hands the shopper a ‘chip’ which they then deposit into a box representing a non-profit organization of their choice. We pass that savings on in the form of a financial donation. Since its inception, this program has raised more than $25,000 for community non-profit organizations. One of the guiding principles of the cooperative is ‘Concern for Sustainable Communities.’ We are grateful for the services these charitable organizations provide for our community.”
We need volunteers!
Come and help set up the tent and table or help with kids activities.
Date: Saturday April, 25
Time: 11:15 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
Location: 60 S. Charleston Lane, Hendersonville
The Creation Care Alliance of WNC is hosting a “Let There Be Light” Earth Day Vigil celebrating God’s creation and calling on people of faith to care for it.
The public is invited to join us on from 5:30-6:30 p.m. April 19 at the Cathedral of All Souls in Biltmore Village, 9 Swan St., for an afternoon of song, reflection, and to hear messages of inspiration and action from local faith and community leaders.
A reception will follow. All are welcome.
The Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina is a program of MountainTrue and is focused on faith-inspired environmental advocacy.
CCAWNC is a network of people of faith and congregations who work to bring practical and hopeful solutions to their congregations and to broader secular communities by engaging hearts and minds through education, service and advocacy.
For more information, contact program director Scott Hardin-Nieri at scott@creationcarealliance.org.
On April 9 and 11, the MountainTrue Forest Keepers are collaborating with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to help them kick off the 2015 Garlic Mustard Challenge!
Garlic mustard is a nasty invasive species that has infested sections of the AT.
This year, we have three goals:
- Pull a pound of garlic mustard for each mile of trail;
- Beat the 2014 record of 2,189 pounds of garlic mustard collectively pulled along the AT;
- And to enjoy fresh foraged samples of garlic mustard pesto!
We’ll meet for a carpool from the EarthFare in the Westgate Shopping Center at 9 a.m. on April 9 and 10. You may also meet the group at Garenflo Gap at 10 a.m. (April 9) and Lemon Gap at 10:30 a.m. (April 11).
Volunteers should wear sturdy hiking shoes, long pants, as bring rain gear, water and lunch.
Snowy woods in Big Ivy/Photo by Steve Atkins
Save the date!
From noon-5 p.m. on April 25, MountainTrue and Friends of the Big Ivy will offer several guided hike options, each led by a naturalist, will traverse this beautiful, remote, mountain land composed of more than 30 miles of trails.
We’ll offer choices of four to five different hikes, all starting at noon.
Details on specific trails and hike leaders will be posted here soon.
Big Ivy has more than 3,000 acres of old growth forests and over 30 rare and endangered species worth protecting.
Save the date for the opportunity to explore our beautiful forests which are threatened by the current draft of the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Management Plan.
For more information, please contact Rachel at Rachel@mountaintrue.org.
In April, many invasive plants are beginning to bloom and people will more easily be able to identify and take steps to control invasive plants. In addition, many people will be choosing landscaping plants for their yards.
North Carolina Invasive Plant Council hosts Invasives Species Awareness Week in April with the aim of reaching a greater number of people and more effectively raise awareness of invasive plants and animals in our state during the time of year when people are spending more time outside.
Since 2002, MountainTrue has addressed the challenge of non-native invasive plants in the mountain counties of North Carolina. Introduced both accidentally and intentionally (for erosion control, livestock forage, and landscaping), these invasive species escaped from developed communities and have become naturalized in the wild. Without the predators and competitors these plants have evolved with, they are given the opportunity to flourish, usually at the expense of our native plant communities.
Many non-native invasive plants have faster growth rates and higher seed yields than native plants, and the competition for soil resources, light, and area is intense. Also, a number of these species are highly efficient in transporting their seeds and expanding their root systems.It’s important to identify and manage heavy invasions to protect the great biodiversity we enjoy in Western North Carolina.
The goal of Invasive Species Awareness Week is to educate the public about the problems caused by invasive plant species. To get involved and learn more you can:
— Choose native or non-invasive plants for your yard and garden.
— Learn more about invasive plants and how to identify them.
— Get involved by attending an educational workshop in your area.
— Attend a weed pulling workday.
A great online resource for the identification of non-native invasive plants in the southeast is provided by the U.S. Forest Service and can be found by clicking here.
Controlling, and ultimately eliminating, non-native invasive plants from a site is a multi-phase process of monitoring and management. All of these project sites will need to be revisited periodically to ensure that invasions do not become reestablished.
Every bit of help we get from volunteers makes a dent in the advancing wall of non-native invasive plants that threatens our native local diversity.
Click here to volunteer with MountainTrue today!
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Thanks to some very generous patrons, we have been given a $10,000 matching grant for our esteemed Invasive Species Program. This means your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar for a limited time. This is an amazing opportunity to DOUBLE YOUR DONATION so please take a moment and help us achieve this goal by contributing today! Donate HERE!
Click HERE to download our new, wallet-sized Do Not Buy Guide to help stop the spread of invasive species at the source! This guide tells you which WNC invasive plants to avoid purchasing and the native alternatives you can use instead. Just print it out, fold it up and keep it with you when you go to your local nursery to get your fall and spring plantings!
Testimonials
Click to enlarge images.
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Location: The Millroom at Asheville Brewing Co.
66 Asheland Ave., Asheville
Cost: Free. Light fare provided, beverages available for purchase.
Please click here to RSVP
Join Brook Lenker from FracTracker Alliance to explore the impacts of oil and natural gas extraction in America and the potential impacts for North Carolina. Learn about the promise and potential of renewable energy in our state. Join a discussion with leaders from national and regional organizations examining these issues. Share your vision for the energy future! Staff from Environment NC and MountainTrue will get you up to date on how you can get involved.
The Free Clinics of Hendersonville’s volunteers help provide free healthcare and services to low-income, uninsured residents, and MountainTrue is seeking volunteers to assist with recycling and composting at the clinics’ 9th Annual Spring Salon Fundraiser from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, April 24.
The event will be at Biz611, at 611 North Church St., in Hendersonville, and will feature delicious food, fine wine tasting, local craft beer, green design, and wonderful conversation in a grand environment.
Notice: Part 2 has been cancelled due to the city of Asheville North Fork Water Treatment Plant’s scheduling errors.
Urban Water Cycle Tour
Our local rivers and natural waters are part of our everyday life. Join MountainTrue for two separate tours which will help get you better acquainted with the water you use to drink, wash, and flush. Where does our water come from, and where does it go? Thursday we will tour Buncombe County’s Wastewater Treatment plant (where our water goes), and Friday we will tour the City of Asheville’s Water Treatment Plant (where our water comes from). You may attend one, or both. Register for each separately. Free!
Both tours will last up to two hours and will be mostly outdoors. Please dress accordingly with the weather and wear sturdy walking shoes. We will be walking quite a distance, and up a few hills. Bring water to drink.
Part 1
Wastewater Treatment Plant Tour
Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County
Date: Thursday, April 9th 2015
Time: 10:00AM
Location: 2028 Riverside Dr, Asheville
Carpool: Meet at Earth Fare in Westgate at 9:40AM
Registration Deadline: Open until 15 person maximum is filled
Part 2 (cancelled)
Water Treatment Plant Tour
City of Asheville – North Fork Water Treatment Plant
Date: Friday, April 10th 2015
Time: 10:00AM
Location: 3374 N Fork Left Frk, Black Mountain
Carpool: Meet at Earth Fare in Westgate at 9:15AM
Registration Deadline: Open until 15 person maximum is filled
REGISTRATION HAS BEEN CLOSED
Come out and stencil the storm drains of downtown! Storm drains run to the French Broad River and many times people dump litter and/or hazardous waste materials, such as oil or paint, down these grates.
Let’s leave a little art to get people aware of how the system is connected. We’ll spend a few hours stenciling and then toast our hard work at the brewery.
Contact Anna@mountaintrue.org for any questions.
Details:
March 21: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Meet at Twin Leaf Brewery (for a map/directions click here)
All stenciling materials will be provided by the City of Asheville.
