Hendersonville Community Co-op BYOBag Program Makes Donation to MountainTrue

The Hendersonville Community Co-op donated $275 through its BYOBag program to MountainTrue, a WNC-region-wide environmental and conservation nonprofit. The check was presented by Gretchen Schott Cummins, Hendersonville Communtity Co-op’s Community Outreach Coordinator to Gray Jernigan, MountainTrue Southern Regional Director in the company of MountainTrue’s Bag Monster, the mascot of MountainTrue’s recycling and waste management program.

Gretchen Schott Cummins, Hendersonville Communtity Co-op’s Community Outreach Coordinator; Bag Monster, the mascot of MountainTrue’s recycling and waste management program, and Gray Jernigan, MountainTrue Southern Regional Director. Download photo.

Through the BYOBag program, money is raised by the member-owners and shoppers at the Hendersonville Community Co-op. Each time a shopper brings their own bag for their groceries, they are saving the Co-op an expense and helping to reduce, re-use and recycle. The Co-op hands the shopper a wooden chip which they then deposit into the box representing the non-profit organization of their choice. The Hendersonville Community Co-op then passes on the savings to recipients like MountainTrue in the form of a financial donation.

“When our member-owners and shoppers bring their own bags, they are doing their part for the environment and they get a chance to make a donation, 10 cents at a time, to a worthy cause like MountainTrue,” says Gretchen Schott Cummins, Hendersonville Communtiy Co-op’s Community Outreach Coordinator. “Each token represents one less bag that needs to be produced from raw materials, and one less bag that ends up in a landfill.”

“We’re happy to accept this check not only because we plan on putting the money to good use, but because we are proud to know that it represents 2,750 people who cast their vote of confidence in the mission of MountainTrue by putting their chip in our box,” says Gray Jernigan, MountainTrue Southern Regional Director. “We sincerely appreciate everything that the Co-op does for the environment and our local community.”

MountainTrue shares the co-op’s commitment to waste-reduction. It’s Recycling and Solid Waste Committee promotes city, county and regional recycling including curb-side pick-up, and advocacy towards improved reduce, reuse, and recycling programs. The committee educates the public and policymakers about best practices by speaking at Commission meetings, writing letters to the editor, holding public forums, contacting school and businesses, and organizing eco-tours. The committee also coordinates with the county recycling of Christmas trees into mulch in early January. Residents interested in joining the committee are encouraged to stop by the MountainTrue Sourthern Regional Office at 611 N. Church Street in Hendersonville for its regular meetings on the third Wednesday of every month at 4:30 p.m..

Liquidlogic Donates Kayak for Water Monitoring

First in Fleet for MountainTrue’s Southern Region

Liquidlogic, the fletcher-based whitewater and crossover kayak manufacturer, has donated a Remix XP10 crossover kayak to MountainTrue to help them keep Western North Carolina’s rivers healthy, clean and safe places to swim and play.

“We’re thankful for everything MountainTrue does to keep our rivers clean, and we’re glad to donate a Liquidlogic boat to help advance their work,” said Tyler Brown, Director of Marketing. “With this boat going to the Southern Regional Office in Hendersonville, we know that they’ll put it to great use to protect water quality in our backyard.”

Photo above: Gray Jernigan, MountainTrue Southern Regional Director, accepts the Remix XP10 from Miqe Alexander, LiquidLogic Assistant Warehouse Manager

This will be the first boat in MountainTrue’s fleet that is solely dedicated to work in the organization’s Southern Region, covering Henderson, Transylvania, Polk and Rutherford counties.

Gray Jernigan, MountainTrue Southern Regional Director, explains, “This donation will significantly improve our ability to monitor local waterways and respond to pollution reports. We are so grateful to have Liquidlogic as a supporter of MountainTrue’s work and as a member of our community.”

About MountainTrue:
MountainTrue is Western North Carolina’s premier advocate for environmental stewardship. We are committed to keeping our mountain region a beautiful place to live, work and play. Our members protect our forests, clean up our rivers, plan vibrant and livable communities, and advocate for a sound and sustainable future for all residents of WNC.

About Liquidlogic:
Located in Fletcher, NC, Liquidlogic Kayaks focuses on creating the highest quality kayaks in whitewater and crossover paddling. Beginning as a dream along the banks of the Green River, Liquidlogic was founded in 2000 and has quickly grown to become a worldwide brand with distribution centers in Europe, New Zealand, Japan, and Russia. Founded by Woody Callaway, Shane Benedict, Bryon Phillips, Liquidlogic is a company owned and operated by paddlers who have paddled on all types of water around the world, but the mountains of Western North Carolina had their hearts, specifically, the Green River.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival Sells Out; Is Huge Success

A big thank you to everyone who bought tickets to and came out to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival on September 1 to support MountainTrue and watch some great outdoor adventure and nature short films.

Despite the threat of rain earlier in the day, we had a sold out crowd of more than 300 attendees and clear evening skies. Sierra Nevada’s outdoor amphitheater was a perfect setting for a perfect evening.

To see pictures of your friends and the gorgeous Sierra Nevada amphitheater at sunset, check out our images on facebook.

Thanks to your generous support, we surpassed our fundraising goal for first outdoor festival in a new partnership with Sierra Nevada Brewery, and brought in over $6,000! We also enjoyed meeting new supporters, sharing the grounds with our partners who keep our public lands vibrant and accessible, and, of course, watching the inspiring films on the big screen under the stars.

We’d also like to thank all of this years sponsors: Sierra Nevada, Mountain Xpress, AE Global Media, Blue Ridge Energy Systems, BorgWarner Inc., FLS Energy, Holly Spring Farm, JAG and Associates Construction and Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty. Also, a huge thanks to Asheville Bicycle Company for donating a cool, new bike for our raffle.

Thanks again for a great night and we hope to see you all next spring for the 2017 Wild & Scenic Film Festival.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival Comes to WNC for Sixth Year

MountainTrue is pleased to announce that it is hosting the sixth annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival presented by Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., taking place at Sierra Nevada’s Mills River location on September 1.

Tickets available: http://bit.ly/WSFFWNC

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival features the year’s best nature, wilderness and outdoor adventure short films and is sponsored by Mountain Xpress, Blue Ridge Energy Systems, BorgWarner, Holly Spring Farm, JAG Construction and Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty. This year’s festival features 12 films covering a wide range of subjects from the story of our own Southern ancient stream-dwelling Hellbender salamander to rock climbing the Baatara Gorge in Lebanon to grassroots indigenous activism in Honduras.

Avaatara: The First Route Out – David Lama achieves first ascent of the Baatara Gorge in Lebanon, a surreal ‘Avatar’-like landscape, unexploited and untouched.
Leave it as it is – The Grand Canyon is one of the most iconic landscapes on the planet, but this natural masterpiece of the Colorado River faces a battery of threats.
The Last Dragons – An intimate glimpse at North America’s Eastern Hellbender, an ancient salamander that lives as much in myth as in reality.
Diversity & Inclusion in our Wild Spaces – A campfire discussion on improving the diversity of both the visitation and the employment within our parks and wild spaces and brings light to important issues facing today’s conservation movement.
Mile for Mile – A trio of professional ultrarunners travel 106 miles through the newly opened Patagonia Park in Chile to celebrate and highlight Conservacion Patagonica’s efforts to re-wild this vast landscape.
Co2ld Waters – Five of the most respected names in the fly fishing world converge on a single creek in Montana to talk about their passion and to discuss the single biggest threat to their timeless pursuit, climate change.
Parker’s Top 50 Favorite Things about Northwest Rivers – This fun film celebrates the best things about Northwest rivers from a kid’s perspective.
In Current – Rowing a dory in the Grand Canyon is considered by some as the most coveted job in the world. Amber Shannon has been boating the Grand Canyon nine years, trying to work her way from the baggage boat to a dory, while spending as many days as possible in current.
Comes with Baggage – This lighthearted history of bicycle travel in the Americas makes you want to sell all your possessions, quit your job and escape on a bike.
Mother of All Rivers – Berta Cáceres rallied her indigenous Lenca people to wage a grassroots protest that successfully pressured the government of Honduras and the world’s largest Chinese dam builder, SinoHydro, to withdraw from building the Agua Zarca Dam. Narrated by Robert Redford.
The Thousand Year Journey – Jedidiah Jenkins quit a job that he loved to ride his bicycle from Oregon to the southern tip of Patagonia. Friend and filmmaker Kenny Laubbacher joined him for a month and a half to pose the question “why?”
The Accidental Environmentalist – John Wathen was just an average guy until coming into contact with toxic chemicals, stumbling upon a video camera, and discovering his passion for protecting Alabama’s waters.

Our Wild & Scenic festival is a selection of films from the annual festival held in Nevada City, CA which is now in its 14th year. The festival focuses on films that speak to the environmental concerns and celebrations of our planet, and works to build a network of grassroots organizations connected by the common goal of using film to inspire activism.

The 2016 Wild & Scenic festival will take place under the open sky at Sierra Nevada’s new outdoor amphitheater located on the banks of the French Broad River at their Mills River brewery. The event begins at 7 p.m.; show starts at 8 p.m. Get there early to grab a drink, explore the gardens and snag a prime viewing spot for the main event!

WHEN: September 1
WHERE: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Fletcher, NC 28732
Price: General Admission $15; $10 for students

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is made possible by the support of national partners: Patagonia, CLIF Bar, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Orion Magazine, Klean Kanteen, Earthjustice, and Barefoot Wine & Bubbly. There will be door prize giveaways, silent auction items and chances to win premium raffle prizes generously donated by our sponsors. Tickets can be purchased at http://bit.ly/WSFFWNC.

For more information, contact Susan Bean, susan@mountaintrue.org, (828) 258-8737 or mountaintrue.org.

About MountainTrue MountainTrue fosters and empowers communities throughout the region and engages in policy and project advocacy, outreach and education, and on the ground projects. To achieve our goals, MountainTrue focuses on a core set of issues across 23 counties of Western North Carolina: sensible land use, restoring public forests, protecting water quality and promoting clean energy – all of which have a high impact on the environmental health and long-term prosperity of our residents. MountainTrue is the home of the Watauga Riverkeeper, the primary watchdog and spokesperson for the Elk and Watauga Rivers; the French Broad Riverkeeper, the primary protector and defender of the French Broad River watershed; and Broad River Alliance, a Waterkeeper Affiliate working to promote fishable, swimmable, drinkable waters in the Broad River Basin. For more information: mountaintrue.org

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Festival Tickets on Sale

Get your tickets to the 2016 Wild & Scenic Film Festival at Sierra Nevada before they sell out.

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Save the French Broad, One Fish at a Time

Save the French Broad, 1 Fish at a Time

For the month of August, fishing will be good throughout the French Broad River Watershed for both fishers and non-fishers alike. In partnership with Sweetwater, MountainTrue is hosting a campaign to clean up the French Broad River through the sale of paper fish in local restaurants, bars and businesses. You can show your support for swimmable, fishable and drinkable water in the French Broad by buying a $1 fish at the following locations:

Bier Garden in downtown Asheville
Mellow Mushroom in downtown Asheville
Cascade Lounge in Asheville
WALK (West Asheville Lounge & Kitchen)
Ole Shakey’s next to the French Broad
Asheville Outdoor Center
Hang Out at Climbmax next to the French Broad
Thirsty Monk
Universal Joint in Asheville
Boondocks Brewing Tap Room & Restaurant in downtown West Jefferson
Triangle Stop gas stations around Asheville

MountainTrue and Sweetwater have teamed up 10 years in a row to sell paper fish and encourage locals to help clean up the French Broad River. Throughout those 10 years, over $150,000 has been raised to fund the rejuvenation and continual improvement of the French Broad River.

The selling of paper fish occurs in conjunction with the annual Save the French Broad Raft Race where local businesses race each other down the whitewater section of the French Broad. This year, you can expect teams from Bier Garden, Brixx, The Matt & Molly Team, Prestige Subaru, Cascade Lounge, Mellow Mushroom in Asheville, WALK, Liquid Logic, The Southern and Edward Jones to battle their way down the river in rafts donated by Blue Heron Whitewater for a chance to become raft race champions.

If you see the paper fish hanging on the wall at a local eatery, bar or business, buy one and show your support for the French Broad!

Thank you to our Save the French Broad sponsors!

9/10: Henderson County Big Sweep

Sept. 10: ‘Big Sweep’ Comes to Henderson County

Join the Big Sweep, and Help Keep Our Rivers Clean

Sign Up!

Henderson County, NC – The community is invited to lend a hand and help clean up Henderson County’s rivers and streams. On Saturday, September 10, MountainTrue hosts the annual Henderson County Big Sweep.

The Big Sweep is a county-wide litter cleanup program that brings citizens and community organizations together to clear trash from their waterways. Civic organizations, Scout troops, church groups, school groups, Adopt-A-Stream teams, neighborhood associations, city and county departments, local businesses, and individuals can all pitch in to make our waters cleaner and healthier.

“People get excited for our annual Big Sweep and it’s really inspiring,” says Gray Jernigan, MountainTrue Southern Regional Director. “By working together we can have a huge impact in just one day. Last year we pulled about 1,800 pounds of trash out of area streams. Every year we try for more.”

Participants can join in the fun by registering here.

Form a team with friends and family or join an existing team. Teams will hold cleanups between 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. in waterways throughout the county. For more information or to volunteer for Henderson County Big Sweep with MountainTrue, click here or call (828) 692-0385 ext. 1001.

MountainTrue has hosted Henderson County‘s annual stream clean-up event since 1991, and the Big Sweep is one way it has demonstrated a legacy of engaging citizens in environmental stewardship. Last year, 8 teams made up of 37 volunteers donated 148 hours and removed 1,800 pounds of trash from our streams! Let’s make this year even more successful!

In addition to Big Sweep, MountainTrue’s Clean Water Team coordinates an Adopt-A-Stream monitoring program to keep our waterways clean and healthy all year. Find more information about the MountainTrue at www.mountaintrue.org.