WNCA’s Bob Gale works with a volunteer crew on exotic invasive plant removal at Richmond Hill Park.
Summary of Position: Recruit, train, and reward volunteers. Oversee WNCA’s volunteer program; work closely with program staff to ensure volunteer needs are filled. Ensure that inquires are promptly responded to, volunteers are prepared, events are well organized, “thank you” emails are sent, and handling data input.
Responsibilities: Corresponding by email with volunteers, signing up volunteers for WNCA events which are often on weekends, posting volunteer opportunities on “Sign Up Genius” and keeping up to date with other public posting sites. Tasks include: recording volunteer work time, surveying their experience, evaluating their work, supporting office staff in the office and at events, mailing out maps, books, T-shirts and other items for sale through our website.
Skills/Experience Required: Customer service skills, organized and proficient with MS Word, Excel, and websites, prior volunteer experience.
Training and Support for Volunteer: One week of on-site training by WNCA volunteer coordinator
Date(s) Needed and Time Commitment: June 1-July 31, 20-30 hours per week, includes some Saturdays
Benefits of Position: Experience of working in the office of an established and busy environmental non-profit. Practice with the online sign up form ‘Sign Up Genius’.
Deadline: Apply by April 30 to Cynthia@WNCA.org with resume and cover letter.
The 15-month Opt-In SWNC project wraps at the end of May, so it’s time for one more check-in with the citizens and leaders of the region — and this will be the biggest gathering yet.
A Regional Summit dinner is planned for May 8 in the Council Fire Ballroom on the second floor of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Hotel in Cherokee. Doors open at 5:30. Dinner and the program will begin promptly at 6.
The event is free and open to everyone, but because space is limited, reservations are required. Sign-up information is below.
Hosted by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and the Southwestern Commission Council of Governments organization, the Summit will be part report-out of Opt-In’s draft Regional Vision and part celebration of the historic collaboration that produced it. Regional business and non-profits are sponsoring the dinner to assure affordability for everyone.
The event comes in the last month of a process funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Federal Highways Administration and the North Carolina Department of Transportation. It’s overseen by the Southwestern Commission, which represents the state’s seven westernmost counties. A consulting team headed by the Atlanta-based TSW planning and design firm has worked with the Commission and with citizens and businesses to shape a draft Regional Vision.
Its purpose: To better inform regional, county and town decision-making over the next two and a half decades. The near-final draft of that vision will be the Summit’s main topic.
Western North Carolina Chancellor David O. Belcher will keynote. Government, Tribal, business and non-profit leaders at the local, state and federal levels will be among the guests and presenters.
For more information about Opt-In’s background and progress to this point, check out the project website here.
To sign up for the Regional Summit on May 8, register online here:
If you have questions, please contact Ben Brown, Opt-In communications director, at ben@placemakers.com or by calling him at (828) 508-5002.
AmeriCorps Project Conserve is a national service program in which members come from across the nation to dedicate themselves to serving Western North Carolina for an 11-month service term. Members are selected based on skill, education, experience, passion and commitment to service. Project Conserve was founded in September of 2004 as an initiative of Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy (CMLC) to respond to the growing conservation needs in Western North Carolina. The program focuses on collaboration with nonprofit organizations, community groups and local governments to provide service throughout the region.
WNCA has listed the following positions with AmeriCorps Project Conserve:
- French Broad Assistant Riverkeeper
- The French Broad Riverkeeper Assistant will work with the French Broad Riverkeeper to protect and improve the water quality in the French Broad River watershed by engaging in water sampling, education, direct conservation, and volunteer recruitment.
- Forest Keeper Coordinator
- Forest Keepers are citizens that love their public lands and take an active role in their stewardship and management to help protect and restore these precious forests in a time of declining government funding. The Forest Keeper Coordinator will work with a group of dedicated Forest Keepers to schedule service learning events, organize stewardship activities, archive data, and facilitate citizen involvement in land management in the biologically and culturally rich Southern Blue Ridge Mountains.
- Outings and Education Coordinator
- The Outings and Education Coordinator will work to engage citizens in environmental protection in Western North Carolina through outings such as hikes and paddle trips, outreach, and environmental education in both schools and the community. The Coordinator will also host a variety of educational events including the Wild & Scenic Film Festival and Asheville’s weekly Green Drinks’ programs.
Join the Western North Carolina Alliance and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy on Saturday, April 26 for an outing that will mix work with pleasure.
We will hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail near Max Patch that features a vivid wildflower display, great panoramic mountain views of Mt. Mitchell to the east, the Smokies to the west, and a serious infestation of the non-native invasive plants, garlic mustard and Japanese spirea. Time will be split between enjoying wildflowers and pulling garlic mustard and spirea.
Hike leaders are John Odell of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Josh Kelly of WNCA.
Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
Details:
This is a moderate hike. All participants must come prepared for wet weather and bring food, water, sturdy footwear, and work gloves (optional).
Carpool from Asheville: Meet at the Westgate Shopping Center parking lot across from Jason’s Deli at 7:50 a.m.
Meet at the Max Patch parking lot at 9 a.m. depart by 4 p.m.
Spiraea japonica (Japanese spiraea)
RSVP Required:
To RSVP, please email Education and Outings Coordinator Isabelle Rios, at Isabelle@WNCA.org.
Clean Energy For Us, a local program that makes the adoption of solar power and energy efficiency upgrades cheaper and easier, will present a free educational workshop from 6-7:30 p.m. March 26 at The Mill Room, 66 Asheland Ave., Asheville.
The event will give the public an opportunity to learn more about the program, and solar, energy efficiency, and financing experts will answer your specific questions.
“Last fall we launched Solarize Asheville, a pilot program that resulted in 51 area homeowners adopting solar power,” said Katie Bray, program director. “But not everyone can afford solar power, so we added energy efficiency to the mix and opened the program up to homeowners, businesses, schools, and nonprofits in Buncombe County.”
The Western North Carolina Alliance and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy serve as the campaign’s non-profit partners and the local Self-Help Credit Union will provide financing for those who need it.
Clean Energy For Buncombe features a free energy audit and discounted solar pricing for homeowners, businesses, non-profits, schools, and worship centers who sign up before the March 31 deadline.
The March 26 educational workshop will feature presentations on solar energy, energy efficiency, financing, tax credits and a 30-minute Q&A.
Chad Pregracke, CNN’s 2013 “Hero of Year,” is coming to the Harvest House in Boone to give a free presentation at 7 p.m. Monday, April 14. (map)
The event is open to the public.
Through his non-profit Living Lands & Waters, he has organized more than 70,000 volunteers remove 7 million pounds of debris from streams and rivers across the country.
Learn more about his story this April, or click here.
Sponsored by Watauga River Partners and Mountain Keepers
