MountainTrue FAQ: Live Staking

We love live staking here at MountainTrue, as it’s one of the easiest and most effective ways to support native biodiversity and stream bank restoration! This blog hopes to answer many of the frequently asked questions we get about live staking. Most of this information is general, but some is specific to the Watauga Basin and Riverkeeper Program.

Q: What’s live staking?

Live staking is a method of stream bank repair using native tree cuttings to revegetate the riparian buffer. The riparian buffer consists of trees, shrubs, and grasses alongside stream banks — it plays a crucial role in protecting stream health. The resiliency of riparian buffers is frequently impacted by land use. Activities like mowing to the edge of a stream, cutting down trees to see the water, or new development can negatively impact water quality. By live staking, we can positively and directly impact the overall health of our waterways!

Q: Where do you get the stakes from?

We get our live stakes from Foggy Mountain Nursery in Lansing, NC — their team harvests the stakes from native tree species, cutting stakes two to three feet long and one-half to two inches thick. While it’s possible to cut the stakes ourselves, we choose to support a fantastic local business and ensure that we’re planting the correct species. We’ve also harvested stakes from our previous live staking sites, where planted stakes have become well established.

Q: How do you choose where you’ll be planting?

We prioritize local public parks and river accesses because they’re easy to access and directly benefit the public. We’ve frequented Valle Crucis Community Park in Banner Elk, Cove Creek, and other public riverside locations around Watauga County. We also partnered with the City of Hendersonville to host two live staking workdays in Henderson County this February!

Q: What species do you plant?

We only plant tree species native to our region — primarily silky willow, silky dogwood, elderberry, and ninebark stakes. We’ve also planted other species, like buttonbush, black willow, and red stem dogwood. Recommended for stream bank repair by the NC State Cooperative Extension, these native tree species prefer moist soil and thrive in riparian habitats. These species support native wildlife, especially local pollinators. They can also establish extensive root systems to successfully hold soil in place along riparian buffers, ultimately preventing erosion.

Q: Why do you plant during the winter?

Live stakes are living cuttings of dormant trees that can propagate or sprout a new plant from the cutting of the parent plant. During winter, trees enter a state of dormancy to conserve their energy and weather the colder temperatures. Our live staking season lasts from November to March. We plant hearty hardwood stakes that use their energy to establish roots, waiting until spring to grow their branches and leaves. These resilient roots serve as a stream bank’s first line of defense against erosion, especially during high-flow events. Planting live stakes while tree species are in their natural pattern of energy conservation allows for a higher likelihood of survival along riparian buffers.

Q: How successful are the stakes?

Live stakes have a survival rate of 30-80%. However, survival varies from species to species and depends on environmental conditions. For example, we’d likely have very low survivability if a drought occurred after planting. But, if we plant under ideal conditions using correct planting techniques and have favorable weather post-planting, our stakes can do remarkably well! We can also remove invasive plant species and water the freshly planted live stakes to give them a better chance of success.

Stakes are most successful when planted along naturally sloped stream banks. They can still be planted on extremely incised banks, though they’re more likely to be less impactful in those locations. In our experience, silky willow and silky dogwood stakes tend to fare better than other native tree species we plant.

Q: How long does it take for the stakes to grow?

Roots, leaves, and branches can be well established after one growing season. From there, they continue to grow in length from the tips of their roots and branches year after year.

Q: How do live stakes benefit our waterways?

Live stakes grow root systems that hold soil in place and prevent erosion in local waterways. Sediment pollution remains a significant threat to the Watauga River Basin. This type of pollution clogs aquatic habitats and transports toxic substances through local waterways, increasing water temperatures and negatively impacting native biodiversity.

Once planted, small live stakes will grow into larger trees that stabilize and support riparian buffer health. Healthy riparian buffers benefit stream health in a multitude of ways — they also absorb nutrients, create wildlife habitat, and reduce the intensity of flooding from rain events. Unvegetated streams are often incised and can lose several feet of bank in a single rain event — this can be detrimental to nearby homes and other structures.

Q: What’s a typical day of planting?

We prep the stakes by cutting the live ends at a 45-degree angle. The NC State Cooperative Extension states that such cutting is enough to catalyze root growth at the nodes. The folks at Foggy Mountain Nursery kindly mark the planting ends of our stakes, so we know which ends to cut (pictured right). Once prepped and ready, we take the stakes in buckets down to the stream. We plant along the bank from the water’s edge to the bank’s top — not in the actual stream bed. Stakes are planted at an angle and submerged into the soil about two-thirds of the way. From there, the rest of the work is up to the stakes!

Want to learn more about live staking? Check out our Events page to sign up for one of our upcoming volunteer workdays, or contact our resident live staking experts listed below:

Andy Hill, High Country Regional Director and Watauga Riverkeeper

Hannah Woodburn, High Country Watershed Coordinator

Community Action Safeguards the First Broad River

Before I was your Broad Riverkeeper, I founded the Broad River Paddle Club in 2011 to connect with other river paddling enthusiasts seeking to get together and float the local rivers. At the time, accessing the river was difficult — only the Broad River Greenway offered public river access. So, the Broad River Paddle Club decided to help each other and their community find ways to get outside and on the water.

On behalf of the Broad River Paddle Club, I asked Richard and Betty Hord of Lawndale permission to access the river via a sandbar the couple owned behind the Methodist Church on the First Broad River — a tributary to the Broad.

David Caldwell

Broad Riverkeeper

The couple’s reply: “Just don’t leave any trash behind.” No problem there!

With a new access point secured, things were looking up. But around the same time, Cleveland County Water was working to build a reservoir on that same stretch of river. The proposed project would have dammed the river; destroyed 24 miles of free-flowing water; submerged 1,400 acres of forest, several farms, ten homes, and parks; and harmed aquatic habitat and endangered species both up and downstream.

Worried about the future health of the Broad River, I also joined a coalition of concerned residents called Stop the First Broad River Reservoir that, with the help of the Southern Environmental Law Center and American Rivers, fought to stop the damming of our beloved First Broad. Coalition members attended the water authority’s board meetings and spoke out about their opposition to the reservoir.

It took more than a decade of community opposition to compel Cleveland County Water to abandon the project and withdraw the reservoir construction application it had submitted to the US Army Corps of Engineers in 2005. Instead, Cleveland County Water constructed a far less damaging off-river reservoir to store water in Lawndale and installed infrastructure for a new water intake on the Broad River in Boiling Springs, NC.

The defeat of the reservoir wasn’t just a victory for the environment. It also allowed for the possibility of creating something extraordinary on the banks of the Broad River.

Remember the Hords and their sandbar in Lawndale? Richard Hord had been raised on the shores of the First Broad River and loved it. When he passed away in 2019, his wife Betty offered the 60 acres — land that would have been forever changed had the reservoir been built — to the water authority on the condition that it be made into a public park. Betty’s contribution land in honor of Richard spurred the Lawndale community and Cleveland County Water administrators to think bigger and start planning an extensive new Greenway.

Now two years into the project, the community has just received some much-needed grant funding to complete what we now know as the future Stagecoach Greenway. The project’s first stage — a public swimming beach, picnic area, and canoe access at the sandbar — should be completed by 2024 and will provide increased access to river recreation along the First Broad to many more folks.

In summary, when we fight bad proposals, we don’t just avoid the immediate harm to our environment and our communities. We make room for better things to come in the future — like a greenway that contributes to economic growth, adds new recreational opportunities, and creates a wonderful place where our community can gather and enjoy the long and winding First Broad River.

Learn more about the Stagecoach Greenway’s master plan here.

Thank You for Supporting the Work of MountainTrue

It’s hard to believe that it’s already nearly the new year. Looking back over the past twelve months, it’s been a remarkable year full of great times on the river, beautiful hikes through the woods, and significant environmental victories. None of which would have been possible without your participation, support, and passion for the unique place we call home.

This year we worked with local community leaders to defeat a proposed asphalt plant that would have polluted neighborhoods of East Flat Rock and the headwaters of the Green River. Through our involvement in the WaysSouth coalition, we won a better plan for the Corridor K highway project that protects the Snowbird Mountains and the Appalachian Trail and provides a new forested land bridge for wildlife. In Asheville, we secured more green infrastructure and better urban design by ensuring that the Bowen Bridge section of the I-26 expansion project better connects West Asheville to Downtown with pedestrian and bike pathways. Watauga Riverkeeper Andy Hill accomplished a longtime conservation goal by working in partnership with American Rivers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others to remove the Ward Mill Dam, reconnect 35 miles of the Watauga River, and restore native aquatic habitats. Lastly, French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson conducted groundbreaking research identifying the sources of bacteria pollution with the first eDNA study of the French Broad River.

Thank You for Supporting the Work of MountainTrue

It’s hard to believe that it’s already nearly the new year. Looking back over the past twelve months, it’s been a remarkable year full of great times on the river, beautiful hikes through the woods, and significant environmental victories. None of which would have been possible without your participation, support, and passion for the unique place we call home.

This year we worked with local community leaders to defeat a proposed asphalt plant that would have polluted neighborhoods of East Flat Rock and the headwaters of the Green River. Through our involvement in the WaysSouth coalition, we won a better plan for the Corridor K highway project that protects the Snowbird Mountains and the Appalachian Trail and provides a new forested land bridge for wildlife. In Asheville, we secured more green infrastructure and better urban design by ensuring that the Bowen Bridge section of the I-26 expansion project better connects West Asheville to Downtown with pedestrian and bike pathways. Watauga Riverkeeper Andy Hill accomplished a longtime conservation goal by working in partnership with American Rivers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others to remove the Ward Mill Dam, reconnect 35 miles of the Watauga River, and restore native aquatic habitats. Lastly, French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson conducted groundbreaking research identifying the sources of bacteria pollution with the first eDNA study of the French Broad River.

Partnering with Communities to Stop an Asphalt Plant

“Our partnership with MountainTrue took us from hopelessness to hopefulness.” – Shannon Nicholson, Friends of East Flat Rock

MountainTrue and Friends of East Flat Rock teamed up to block a proposed asphalt plant’s application for rezoning near a surrounding residential area and near the Green River Game Lands. This grassroots effort forced the developer to withdraw his application not once but twice. Beyond rezoning, we documented the developer polluting nearby Laurel Creek — resulting in a Notice of Violation against SE Asphalt. Your support allows us to oppose future rezoning attempts and to continue to monitor for environmental violations.

Support This Work

Working in Coalition to Protect the Snow Bird Mountains

“We hope we’ve set a better example for the region on how you can build better highways and improve the safety for wildlife and automobile traffic.”
– Melanie Mayes, WaysSouth Board Chair

Protecting Stecoah Gap and the Snow Bird Mountains took nearly 10 years, but the results were well worth it. A proposed road would have cut through pristine wildlife habitat, the Appalachian Trail, and Cherokee historic sites. Due to the efforts of MountainTrue and the WaysSouth coalition, no new roads will be built. Instead, the existing Corridor K will be improved for better traffic flow and response times for fire trucks, ambulances, and police. To enhance this area for hikers and wildlife, the coalition successfully proposed a forested land bridge that would serve as a wildlife and Appalachian Trail crossing. Protecting our mountain region means staying vigilant year after year. That’s why we need your support.

Support This Work

Removing Dams and Reconnecting Aquatic Habitats

“Thanks to this dam removal, we celebrate a healthy, free-flowing Watauga River. Free-flowing rivers are the lifeblood of thriving communities, healthy ecosystems, and clean water for people and nature.”
– Erin McCombs, American Rivers’ Southeast Conservation Director

The Ward Mill Dam removal was a three-year effort but well worth the wait. Working in partnership with American Rivers, Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development, Watauga County Soil and Water Conservation District, and U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, this $1.2 million project reconnected 35 miles of aquatic habitat in the main stem of the Watauga River and 140 miles of streams across the watershed. Now, native fish such as the tangerine darter and threatened salamanders like the hellbender are reunited and will benefit from an improved cold-water habitat.

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Making Advancements in Pollution Monitoring

“What better way to get information out to the public at large? MountainTrue is trying to find the source of a problem. Not blowing a whistle and walking away. I really like the holistic nature of what you do.”
– Ben Gainey, MountainTrue Member

In 2021, MountainTrue made dramatic advancements in the sophistication of our clean waters program. We conducted our first eDNA study and drone-assisted heat source tracking — which showed that agricultural waste is the highest contributor of E. coli in the French Broad River. We launched our plastics study in three regions, documenting that microplastics are now a major issue across our mountains. The Western Regional Office celebrated their first year participating in SwimGuide bacteria monitoring — giving the public weekly water quality results for popular recreation areas from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends. With these advances, supported by members like you, we can better advocate for the changes needed to tackle pollution at its sources.

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Fighting for Healthier Communities through Better Planning

“The victory of alternative B is worth crowing about. It is vastly superior to everything that went before it.” – David Nutter, Volunteer Planner with the Asheville Design Center (a program of MountainTrue)

MountainTrue rallied the community and empowered Asheville City Council to push back against alternatives to the I26 Connector that would negatively impact community members. We successfully convinced NC Department of Transportation to eliminate one lane of traffic on each side of the Bowen Bridge and create pedestrian and bike pathways connecting Downtown to West Asheville. This new design offers a level of connectivity not yet seen in Asheville. Supporting MountainTrue’s work means supporting projects that can dramatically improve quality of life for future generations.

Support This Work

These are just the highlights. These accomplishments are the results of sustained, multi-year campaigns. Most were achieved by partnering with local communities or with broader coalitions. Others relied on our ability to leverage scientific know-how to drive our advocacy. These are our strengths: collaboration, technical expertise, and the staying power to see campaigns through until we win.

Next year will be our 40th anniversary, and we’re proud of our long list of institutional accomplishments. However, we’re also humbled because none of this would be possible without the generous contribution of our members, the vigilance of our advocates, and the enthusiasm of our supporters.

Please consider a donation today. Your ongoing support gives us hope and the capacity to do good. With you at our side, we’ll continue the fight into 2022 and beyond.

Sincerely,

The MountainTrue Team

Front row (left to right): David Caldwell, Broad Riverkeeper; Mara Chamlee, SRO Water Quality Administrator, Amy Finkler, Development and Operations Coordinator; Anna Alsobrook, French Broad Watershed Outreach Coordinator; Susan Bean, Engagement Director; Sarah Ogletree, Creation Care Alliance Director; Callie Moore, Western Regional Director.

Second row: Ellianna McLaughlin, Forest Keeper Coordinator; Hartwell Carson, French Broad Riverkeeper; Tony Ward, Western Regional Program Coordinator; Hannah Woodburn, High Country Outreach Coordinator; Katie Breckheimer, Interim Southern Regional Director; Bob Wagner, Co-Director.

Third row: Josh Kelly, Public Lands Field Biologist; Andy Hill, High Country Regional Director and Watauga Riverkeeper; Adam Bowers, Development Director; Chris Joyell, Healthy Communities Director; Bob Gale, Public Lands Director; Gray Jernigan, Southern Regional Director and Green Riverkeeper; Savannah Lytle, Outings and Education Coordinator;

Maddy Watson, Communications Associate.

Not pictured: Julie Mayfield, Co-Director; Karim Olaechea, Communications Director.

These are just the highlights. These accomplishments are the results of sustained, multi-year campaigns. Most were achieved by partnering with local communities or with broader coalitions. Others relied on our ability to leverage scientific know-how to drive our advocacy. These are our strengths: collaboration, technical expertise, and the staying power to see campaigns through until we win.

Next year will be our 40th anniversary, and we’re proud of our long list of institutional accomplishments. However, we’re also humbled because none of this would be possible without the generous contribution of our members, the vigilance of our advocates, and the enthusiasm of our supporters.

Please consider a donation today. Your ongoing support gives us hope and the capacity to do good. With you at our side, we’ll continue the fight into 2022 and beyond.

Sincerely,

The MountainTrue Team

Front row (left to right): David Caldwell, Broad Riverkeeper; Mara Chamlee, SRO Water Quality Administrator, Amy Finkler, Development and Operations Coordinator; Anna Alsobrook, French Broad Watershed Outreach Coordinator; Susan Bean, Engagement Director; Sarah Ogletree, Creation Care Alliance Director; Callie Moore, Western Regional Director.

Second row: Ellianna McLaughlin, Forest Keeper Coordinator; Hartwell Carson, French Broad Riverkeeper; Tony Ward, Western Regional Program Coordinator; Hannah Woodburn, High Country Outreach Coordinator; Katie Breckheimer, Interim Southern Regional Director; Bob Wagner, Co-Director.

Third row: Josh Kelly, Public Lands Field Biologist; Andy Hill, High Country Regional Director and Watauga Riverkeeper; Adam Bowers, Development Director; Chris Joyell, Healthy Communities Director; Bob Gale, Public Lands Director; Gray Jernigan, Southern Regional Director and Green Riverkeeper; Savannah Lytle, Outings and Education Coordinator; Maddy Watson, Communications Associate.

Not pictured: Julie Mayfield, Co-Director; Karim Olaechea, Communications Director.

MountainTrue Weighs in on Henderson County 2045 Comprehensive Plan

MountainTrue has sent an open letter to the Henderson Country Planning Board that lays out our priorities and goals for a comprehensive plan that will guide future growth and development in a responsible and sustainable way for Henderson County. The letter (included below) addresses public participation in the process, smart growth principles, land preservation, protection and expansion of public lands, protecting clean water, and advancing clean energy.

Over the past several months, MountainTrue has been busy meeting with groups in Henderson County to increase public participation in the 2045 Comprehensive Planning Process. Every 20 years, comprehensive planning offers residents the opportunity to weigh in with their vision for the future. We need everyone’s voice represented as this key initial public input and engagement phase winds down. Here are some links with information about how to get involved:

The County’s 2045 Comp Plan site: This site will provide links to the community survey (available in Spanish), upcoming events, and contacts at the county.
MountainTrue’s recommendations for taking the Public Survey: these are our thoughts on how to fill out the survey.
MountainTrue’s planning principles: this is our take on a set of principles that we feel should guide the county’s planning process.

December 13, 2021

Henderson County Planning Board
100 North King Street
Hendersonville, NC 28792

Via email

RE: MountainTrue’s Principles for Henderson County 2045 Comprehensive Plan

Dear Henderson County Planning Board Members:

On behalf of MountainTrue, a nonprofit organization that has worked to champion resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities in Henderson County for over 30 years, and our local members, we appreciate the process that you are beginning of formulating a new 2045 Comprehensive Plan that will serve as the vision and guide for growth and development in the County for the next quarter century. As we embark on this important task together, we would like to convey the following principles and issues that we believe the comprehensive plan should address:

Public Participation – Overall, we believe that communities should play a central role in planning for their future growth and development. We advocate for a design process that invites diverse voices, including those that have traditionally been excluded or ignored. The process should be equitable and inclusive of all communities and people regardless of class or clout.

We encourage the County to engage in targeted outreach to people in historically underrepresented communities. Surveys were mailed to all property-owning residents early in the process and, while we understand that there are many other input opportunities and that anyone is welcome to participate in the process, no such targeted outreach has been planned for renters and residents of housing authorities — who are disproportionately low-to-moderate income households. And although a Spanish language survey is available, Stewart consultants reported at the October 22nd Planning Board meeting that few if any of these have been returned. We encourage the County to work with organizations that serve these communities to target outreach and solicit participation to ensure that there is equitable participation and representation of all County residents regardless of wealth. Advertising should also be expanded and conducted in multiple languages on various media outlets.

Smart Growth – MountainTrue supports economic vitality and growth in Western North Carolina without compromising our mountain ecosystem. We champion our cities and small towns, which function as economic, cultural, and residential centers. We encourage public and private development in areas where adequate infrastructure already exists. At the same time, we discourage the expansion of infrastructure that induces sprawl into natural areas or the rural landscape. We advocate for a wide variety of housing choices and multiple modes of transportation.

According to our analysis, the County can accommodate projected growth within existing urban areas by focusing on increasing density without any zoning changes. To accomplish this, the County should confine industrial uses to specifically defined areas so that communities are protected from potential impacts. The County can also discourage urban sprawl by resisting developers’ calls to expand water and sewer service beyond the urban service area. The County should also streamline the permitting and approval processes so that development decisions are more timely, transparent, and predictable for developers and residents alike.

The County has made great strides in recent years around multi-modal transit options and connectivity between communities. The Ecusta Trail, Oklawaha Greenway Feasibility Study, and Greenway Master Plan are all efforts that should be included in future planning.

Land Preservation – We support planning for development in a way that protects valued natural resources. Planning can identify critical landscapes, like agricultural lands, wetlands, forests and steep slopes, and identify strategies for preserving those resources from destruction or degradation by development. There are a wealth of resources available to planners including landslide hazard maps, the National Wetland Inventory, NC Natural Heritage Program areas, the National Land Cover Database, and others that should guide development restrictions and define priority preservation areas.

Our rural and agricultural heritage are important to our communities and the economy of Henderson County. Therefore, the County should invest in preservation by establishing a funding mechanism that is dedicated to protecting open space and agricultural and forested lands and is replenished annually.

Public Lands – MountainTrue advocates for the protection of our national and state forests in addition to our national, state, county and city parks and trails. We believe the management of public lands should maintain and restore their ecological integrity and promote recreational opportunities.

The County has a wealth of public land resources including the Blue Ridge Parkway, Pisgah National Forest, DuPont State Recreational Forest, Green River Game Land, privately conserved land that is publicly accessible, and many county and municipal parks and trails. The County should encourage and expand access to these resources through increased public transit options and greenway connectivity. The County should create buffers and transition zones between development and public resources, and manage these areas in a way that protects them from encroachment and reduces the threats of wildfire to surrounding communities.

Clean Water – We work to preserve and restore waterways as healthy ecosystems as well as recreational and aesthetic resources. MountainTrue supports the development and enforcement of standards and regulations to protect surface and groundwater from pollution, litter, and the negative impacts of development.

MountainTrue has been monitoring and sampling water quality in the County for decades and will be glad to share our data with planners to determine impacted waterways deserving of increased protection, development buffers, and stormwater runoff reduction measures. As climate change drives increased frequency, intensity, and quantity of rainfall in our area, it is imperative that we reduce impervious surface cover and encourage infiltration and stormwater best management practices to reduce impacts from urban and agricultural runoff on water quality. Development standards around sediment and erosion control should be updated to account for increasing rainfall. Impacts from litter, especially from single-use plastic products, should also be considered and addressed.

Clean Energy – MountainTrue supports the development of clean, sustainable, locally-produced energy. We are dedicated to helping communities transition to renewable energy. We work with local community members, policymakers, and utilities to bring our region sustainable solutions for our energy demands and to promote energy efficiency.

County facilities should incorporate renewable energy generation features, and design standards for all government buildings should promote this. New development approved by the county should similarly be encouraged to incorporate renewable energy features. Housing, especially for low-income residents, should be audited for energy usage and retrofitted to maximize energy efficiency.

Thank you for your consideration of these principles and issues as the Comprehensive Planning process moves forward, and we look forward to working with you to realize a vision for growth in Henderson County that continues an upward trajectory for economic development, preserves our rural and agricultural character, enhances our quality of life, and respects our natural resources for decades to come.

Sincerely,

Gray Jernigan
Southern Regional Director

Katie Breckheimer
Interim Southern Regional Director

CC: Henderson County Board of Commissioners
Jake Petrosky, Stewart, Inc.
Henderson County Manager and Planning Staff

SMIE: What’s Bugging Our Rivers?

A species of stonefly that is sensitive to pollution in streams. This quick, crawling predator is an indicator of overall good water quality.

MountainTrue has many water sampling programs that tell us much about the health and status of our waterways. The Stream Monitoring Information Exchange (SMIE) program is a volunteer-based water quality monitoring program that operates throughout Western North Carolina. MountainTrue works in partnership with the Environmental Quality Institute based in Black Mountain to facilitate bi-annual sampling across our Southern and High Country Regions each year. SMIE sampling efforts occur each spring and fall typically in the months of April and October.

Some of MountainTrue’s water quality monitoring programs look specifically at the chemical indicators of water samples, which give us a snapshot of the water quality at one particular moment in time. SMIE is unique in that we look for living samples to help us form a more holistic understanding of water quality over a longer period of time — a process known as biomonitoring. Biomonitoring allows us to assess the ability of certain underwater habitats to maintain the right chemical conditions needed for the survival of living aquatic species.

Close-up of an ice cube tray that we use to collect and identify species of macroinvertebrates. Pictured here are net-spinning caddisfly larvae.

So, what do we find when we’re looking for living aquatic samples?

Insects! Or benthic macroinvertebrates, if you want to get more scientific. While benthic refers to the bottom of a stream bed, macroinvertebrates are any animal without a backbone (invertebrate) that you can see without a microscope (macro). Essentially, we’re looking for stream bottom-dwelling bugs, including species like mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, and many more!

Why do we care so much about bugs?

Different species of macroinvertebrates have different abilities to tolerate pollution.

Species that are highly sensitive to pollution are found in our cleanest waterways, while more pollution-tolerant species can be found in our less healthy streams. These special little bugs are excellent bioindicators — their health and presence in local waterways give us key insights into the health of our region’s aquatic ecosystems.

This year, we had many returning volunteers join us in the water, along with some new enthusiastic volunteers willing to learn on the fly. We recently wrapped up this year’s SMIE efforts after spending some colorful and scenic fall days sampling local streams. October and November saw13 hard-working volunteer teams sample the streams of Henderson, Polk, and Cleveland counties. The excitement and investment of long-standing and new volunteers who helped us throughout the 2021 sampling season was infectious — every time we don the waders, hop into the water, and rustle up rocks and leaves to scour for bugs, we get to share in discovery together.

Want to learn more about the results of these biomonitoring efforts over the years? Check out the Environmental Quality Institute’s interactive Water Quality Map to see sampling locations and review data from the past 30 years of biomonitoring efforts!

If you’re interested in becoming a SMIE volunteer, sign up for our spring season training in Hendersonville! Hosted by Americorps Water Quality Administrator and SMIE extraordinaire, Mara Chamlee, our spring SMIE training promises to be a fun day full of learning (and bug watching!) on the Green River that you won’t want to miss!

3/5/22 SMIE training: Sign up!

‘Tis the Season to Treat Backyard Nonnative Invasive Plants

With winter around the corner, many of our region’s native plants now lay dormant — they’ve paused their seasonal growth to conserve their energy until springtime returns once again. The wintry absence of leaves, blooms, and other seasonal greenery makes it easier to spot common evergreen nonnative invasive plant species (NNIP) found throughout our region, in our backyards, and even in our gardens. Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to your garden until spring — now is the perfect time to identify and weed out pesky NNIPs around your home! Read on and find out how you can identify and treat common backyard NNIPs.

Why are NNIPs bad?

Abundant, thriving native biodiversity is our best defense against climate change. The harmful presence of NNIPs decreases the capacity of ecosystems to withstand the effects of climate change. NNIPs are capable of fundamentally altering the natural state of any ecosystem they invade, compromising the ability of native plant and animal species to survive. NNIPs pose major threats to biodiversity as they compete with native plant and animal species for resources like sunlight, water, nutrients, and space.

According to the US Forest Service, “invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of US endangered and threatened species,” serving as the primary cause of decline for 18% of the country’s endangered or threatened species. Learning and sharing knowledge about NNIPs — like how to identify, remove, and treat them — is one of the best ways we can support native biodiversity and combat the effects of climate change locally. In fact, the Southern Appalachian Mountains are one of the most biodiverse regions in the temperate world — it’s up to all of us to work together to safeguard our region’s abundant biodiversity!

Identifying common NNIPs

Let’s review some of our region’s more noticeable NNIPs. If you discover your garden has been invaded by one or more of these common NNIPs, know that you’re not alone — you can use your newfound NNIP knowledge to help treat and remove those pesky plants! If your situation requires the use of herbicides, remember to always observe labels.

Remove those roots!

Oftentimes, home gardeners can successfully remove NNIPs through mechanical control (digging them out), though herbicide use is also a good option for more challenging situations. When working with herbicide, it’s important to remember that the label is the law, so make sure to thoroughly read it and only use the product as directed — following the label helps you protect yourself and your natural surroundings.

For English ivy, vinca, and Japanese honeysuckle:

We recommend using glyphosate* as a foliar spray application. This time of year is particularly good for foliar spray applications, as other native plants that now lay dormant are less likely to be harmed by this herbicide application technique.

*A note on glyphosate: when treating NNIPs, we only recommend using glyphosate when other herbicides would be ineffective in comparison. Much of glyphosate’s bad press can be attributed to its overuse in large agricultural operations — its use in this setting differs from its use as a NNIP removal aid, where it can be used sparingly. Click here for more information on glyphosate.

For other NNIPs like sacred bamboo, multiflora rose, privet, and Oriental bittersweet:

We recommend a cut stump treatment using a dauber bottle filled with triclopyr. In this treatment method, the smallest effective amount of herbicide is directly applied in order to minimize harm to the surrounding environment. Use these pro tips for a successful cut stump treatment:

Cut the NNIP within one inch of the ground
Apply triclopyr within one minute of cutting for the highest chance of success — outside temperatures should be at least 40 degrees during application.

Questions? Contact our resident native plant expert and Western Region Program Coordinator, Tony Ward.

English Ivy

English ivy (Hedera helix) is easily identified by its dark green and glossy leaves with distinct white veins. Younger leaves have three to five lobes, but the lobes can become indistinct as the leaf matures. This vine attaches its aerial roots to walls and trees in cascading, blanket-like structures. Recommended treatment: foliar spray.

Periwinkle

Periwinkle (Vinca minor) is a semi-evergreen trailing NNIP — its cascading foliage has a blanket-like ground cover. Its thick oval-shaped, small, dark, and glossy leaves grow opposite each other, producing small purple flowers in the spring and fall seasons. Recommended treatment method: foliar spray.

Japanese Honeysuckle

Capable of growing up to 80 feet long, Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) stems can become very thick, often forming dense clumps. This climbing NNIP can smother small native trees and shrubs. Stems are distinguishably tan and have opposite, elliptical-shaped leaves that produce light yellow and white tubular flowers in the spring and summer seasons. Recommended treatment method: foliar spray.

Sacred Bamboo

While Sacred bamboo’s (Nandina domestica) bright red berries persist throughout the winter, its leaves change color with the seasons and often turn a purplish-red in the colder months. Its opposite leathery-textured leaves have smooth edges and pointy tips. The leaves themselves are bi and tripinnately compound, so one leaf has several leaflets. Recommended treatment method: cut stump treatment.

Privet

One of our region’s worst NNIPs, Privet (Ligustrum sinense) is a shrubby plant with “hair” — a.k.a., trichomes — growing densely along the twig when young. Its opposite oval-shaped leaves have smooth edges and are less than one inch wide. Its dark purple berries persist throughout the winter. Recommended treatment method: cut stump treatment.

Multiflora Rose

Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) is a thorny shrub and climbing vine that can form thickets. Its opposite leaves stem directly above the thorn with five to eleven elliptical leaflets. This NNIP appears to have a set of eyelashes — known as fringed stipules — where its sharp-edged leaves connect to the stem. Its “eyelashes” distinguish multiflora rose from other rose species. Recommended treatment method: cut stump treatment.

Oriental Bittersweet

The last NNIP we’ll cover is Oriental bittersweet. Those who are familiar with this woody plant likely know it’s not an evergreen species. However, this NNIP is easily distinguishable thanks to the dark circles on its bark, which are formed by its lenticels — the woody stem’s raised pores that intake oxygen (O2) and release carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O). Its entwined vines are capable of astounding growth, frequently encircling and killing native trees via strangulation as they hoard sunlight. Recommended treatment method: cut stump treatment.

We hope this information inspires you to get out into your garden, backyard, or local green space to put your NNIP identification skills to the test. Check out this helpful resource for more information on NNIPs and NNIP removal, or reach out to our native plant and NNIP virtuosos (featured below).