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December 2020
Virtual Hendersonville Green Drinks: Recycling – What Can and Can’t be Recycled, and Why!
On Thursday, December 10th, Virtual Hendersonville Green Drinks welcomes Christine Wittmeier the Environmental Programs Coordinator for Henderson County. Christine will be discussing the ins and outs of recycling in your area.
Do you know what you should be recycling at home? Recycling contamination and "wishful recycling" are big problems for local recycling partners and can put recycling in your community at risk. Join Henderson County Environmental Programs as we discuss the state of recycling in our area. You will leave with an understanding of what can/can’t be recycled, why some items are not recyclable, and where to bring your hard to recycle items.
Find out more »Live Staking Workday
The Watauga Riverkeeper and MountainTrue are combating sediment erosion in our local waterways. Sediment is a major polluter in our river basin, clogging fish and aquatic habitats, increasing water temperatures, and transporting toxic substances. We are helping to reduce the amount of sediment that flows into our rivers by planting live-stakes along eroding riverbanks. As these stakes grow into trees, they stabilize the sides of the rivers and creeks where we plant them and reduce the overall amount of sediment getting into the river. So, come help us reduce erosion along our local rivers!
Find out more »Island Park Invasive Plant Volunteer Work Sessions
MountainTrue has joined forces with the Tuckasegee River Alliance to help eradicate nonnative invasive plants at Island Park in Bryson City. Island Park - which is currently closed to the public pending storm damage repairs - is an island in the Tuckasegee River that hosts a beautiful riparian forest with some very large trees. However, infestations of non-native invasive plant species threaten native diversity, especially in terms of wildflowers and forest understory, creating the need for restoration work to bring the island back to its full splendor.
Volunteer work sessions are being scheduled to start the work of eradicating these non-native invasive pest plants. There are three opportunities this fall to participate in. Advance registration is required. There will be two workshop sessions on Wednesday, November 11th, a morning session from 9 am to noon, or an afternoon session from 1 to 4 pm. A third workday is planned for December 12, from 11 am to 2 pm. Each work session is limited to 15 participants.
Find out more »MountainTrue University: Rethinking Smart Growth
Join us on December 16th, at 12 pm to hear from Chris Joyell, director of the Asheville Design Center, as we re-examine the role Smart Growth plays in community planning and development.
For years, designers and planners have relied upon "Smart Growth" principles to guide their work in communities. Walkable, compact neighborhoods connected to open space by a network of greenways, bike lanes, and sidewalks--what's not to love?
But what if Smart Growth initiatives instead end up contributing to the decline of a neighborhood? Scarce public funds may be directed towards projects the community doesn't need, while Smart Growth "upgrades" can potentially accelerate the gentrification and displacement of long-time residents.