MountainTrue

Practicing Shalom in Our Time of Climate Change
2019-04-24 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak Street, Asheville, NE, 28801, United States
We are happy to present this 4-part series for our church and our community to examine climate change. We will consider its effects on our world, and explore the role of our Christian faith in response. Join us as leaders share their expertise.
April 24 – “Living in this time of Climate Change” Deke Arndt, Chief, Monitoring Branch, National Center for Environmental Information, NOAA From his experience as climate scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Deke will speak to us about the recent report from the National Climate Assessment, helping us understand major points of interest. Additionally, he will speak to conditions we might expect in the Southeastern US with regard to cli- mate change. We are fortunate to have Deke share his scientific expertise with us.
May 1 – “Practicing Shalom in Climate Change” Rev. Nancy Sehested, Co-pastor, Circle of Mercy Congregation Nancy will lead us in an exploration of the relationship between our faith and climate change. What can we glean from our Scriptures that speak to this issue? How are we then called to respond?
May 8 – “Asheville Responds” A Panel of Local Leaders:
Sophie Mullinax, Blue Horizons Project, Coordinator Dawn Chavez, Asheville Greenworks, Director Scott Hardin-Nieri, Mountain True, Director of Creation Care Alliance From these community leaders, we will learn of their efforts in Asheville and Buncombe County to mitigate climate change. Additionally, they will help us know ways we can participate with them or on an individual basis to make a positive difference in combating climate change.
May 15 – “First Baptist Responds” Dr. Mack Dennis, Pastor Mack will give an overview of ways our church has already taken steps to reduce our energy consumption and live more sustainably. Where do we go from here? Mack will share ideas that are being explored and visions for our future of ways we can help as we live in this time of climate change.

Earth Day Vigil
2019-04-28 17:30 - 19:30 | First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak Street, Asheville, NE, 28801, United States
The Creation Care Alliance of WNC welcomes people of all faiths to an Earth Day Vigil on Sunday, April 28 at 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.(Labyrinth walk at 4:15) at the Sacred Garden/Labyrinth of First Baptist Church, 5 Oak Street in downtown Asheville. This event is a celebration of creation, and a call to spiritually grounded action to care for it during a time when it is in peril. The theme is “Walking the Path” and will include interactive and contemplative practices. This year, instead of hosting the Vigil closer to Earth Day, it will be offered on April 28th to make space for those observing Passover and Easter.
The vigil will be structured as if moving through a Labyrinth in four movements, Remembering, Releasing, Receiving, and Returning with song, poetry, messages of inspiration and invitations to action from local faith and community organizations and leaders.The time will have
Words of reflection and blessings will be delivered by Rev. Carol Hovis from Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, Rev. Nancy Walton of Trinity United Methodist Church, Rev. Tommy Bratton and Marian Sadler Arledge of First Baptist Church, Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri of the Creation Care Alliance of WNC, Dr. Hun Lye, Founder and Spiritual Director of Urban Dharma, and Isa Whitaker a member of the Islamic Center of Asheville and the Community Garden Network Coordinator at Bountiful Cities. Sound and musical leadership will be offered by Jenna Lindbo from Land of the Sky United Church of Christ and Joe Hallock of Solar Powered Sound.
Following the Earth Day Vigil, there will be a reception upstairs with donated food and drink. Also opportunities to walk the Labyrinth in mediation and prayer will be available after the vigil.
Creation Care Alliance reminds those interested in attending to consider biking, carpooling or taking public transportation, First Baptist is close to the Charlotte @ College Bus Stop. In the event of rain or bad weather, the vigil will take place just inside of First Baptist Church in the Sanctuary with a labyrinth available inside in the chapel.

One Cello, One Planet: Winston-Salem
2019-08-11 15:00 - 16:30 | Parkway United Church of Christ, 1465 Irving St, Winston-Salem, NC, 27103

One Cello, One Planet: Black Mountain
2019-08-16 19:30 - 21:00 | First Christian Church of Black Mountain, 201 Blue Ridge Rd., Black Mountain, NC, 28711, United States

One Cello, One Planet: Tryon
2019-08-18 15:00 - 16:30 | The Congregational Church – United Church of Christ, 210 Melrose Ave, Tryon, NC, 28782

One Cello, One Planet: Hendersonville
2019-08-23 19:30 - 21:00 | Trinity Presbyterian Church, 900 Blythe street, Hendersonville, NC, 28791

One Cello, One Planet: Asheville
2019-08-25 16:00 - 17:30 | Jubilee! Community Church, 46 Wall St, Asheville, NC, 28801, United States

Bearwallow Contemplative Hike w/ CCA
2019-12-04 09:00 - 12:00 | Bearwallow Mountain, 4854 Bearwallow Mountain Rd, Hendersonville, NC, 28792

Creation Care Retreat
2020-02-07 12:30 - 2020-02-08 18:00 | Montreat Conference Center-Anderson Auditorium, 303 Lookout Rd., Montreat, NC, 28757

Virtual Earth Day Vigil
2020-04-26 18:00 - 19:30

Climate Interactive Game
2020-05-12 18:30 - 20:30

Solar 101 with CCA & NCIPL
2020-05-28 18:00 - 19:30

Discerning Next Steps in Creation Care - Live Virtual Workshop
2020-06-16 12:00 - 13:30 | Webinar–online

Pandemics and Prejudice: How Can Democracy Survive in a Hotter Time?
2020-07-10 19:00 - 20:30
The Creation Care Alliance is proud to co-sponsor, along with Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, this presentation by Dr. David Orr, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Studies & Politics at Oberlin College. Dr. Orr will be presenting a lecture about the moral imperative to restore our democracy as well as the urgency of environmental stewardship. Dr. Orr writes: “The COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing crisis of race in America are both an indictment and a preview of what’s coming in a hotter, more divided world with vast economic inequities. Both are symptoms of the tragic failure of democratic institutions.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Orr will not present in person, but we will do this via livestream on Youtube. This event is sponsored by the EARTH team at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church (GCPC) and the Creation Care Alliance. The presentation will be streamed via GCPC’s Youtube channel which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKuBtmmmrbsqrCQsEd92rhQ/featured
Dr. Orr will be introduced by Marcia Mount Shoop who will facilitate the question and answer period after his presentation.

MountainTrue University: Faith, Ecology & Race
2020-09-23 12:00 - 13:00 | Webinar–online

Creation Care Virtual Symposium
2021-01-28 - 2021-01-29 | Webinar–online
Workshops will include:
Solar 101 for Congregations presented by Sarah Ogletree, NC Interfaith Power and Light and Eliza Stokes, MountainTrue
Sacred Lands (food, trees, land and faith) presented by Emma Childs, Christmount Conference Center
Next Steps in Creation Care presented by Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri, Creation Care Alliance
Eco-Justice/Eco Racism presented by Jacqui Patterson, Environmental and Climate Justice Director, NAACP
Climate Change 101 presented by Rev. Kevin Bates
Eco/Climate Grief Circles presented by Connie Burns, Sacred Paths Counseling and Sarah Ogletree, NC Interfaith Power and Light
Our part of the Covenant: Congregations, Disasters and the Climate Crisis presented by Rev. Carol Divine, Green Chalice, Rev. Caroline Hamilton-Arnold, Week of Compassion and Rev. John Frey Hewlett Packard Enterprises
Seeds for Congregational Action – A Conversation with Green Teams and congregations doing creation care in Western North Carolina

Bearwallow CCA Spring Hike
2021-04-22 09:00 - 12:00

Earth Day Vigil
2021-04-25 18:00 - 19:15

Virtual The Story of Plastic Film Screening
2022-01-26 - 2022-02-01
Register below to receive a link for the film, The Story of Plastic, and a recorded Q&A hosted by MountainTrue and partners Asheville GreenWorks, Environment NC, To the Brim Refill Store, and WENOCA Group of the NC Sierra Club.
Access to viewing the film, The Story of Plastic, will be available until Feb 1.

Shaping North Carolina's Clean Energy Future Webinar
2022-07-13 12:00 - 13:00

2023 Creation Care Alliance Retreat and Symposium
2023-02-06 13:00 - 2023-02-07 17:30

2023 MountainTrue-a-thon
2023-06-15 00:00 - 2023-08-31 23:59
Calling all hikers, bikers and paddlers! Raise money for MountainTrue while doing your favorite activities this Summer. Participants of any experience level collect pledges from family and friends for miles completed between June 15 and August 31st.
We have some awesome prizes this year for the participant raising the most $ for MountainTrue AND for the participant in each category (hiking, biking and paddling) that completes the most miles.
Check out our Resource Page for recommended trails, packing lists and helpful tips on how to ask for support from family and friends. What are you waiting for?! Sign up now and help us put the FUN in FUNDRAISING this Summer.

Fall 2023 Eco-Grief Circle
2023-10-10 12:00 - 2023-11-21 13:15
Join us for an Eco Grief Circle this Fall! We will meet weekly on Tuesdays beginning October 10 and ending November 21 from 12pm-1:15 ET. This seven-week online experience will be offered in sessions that last about 1 hour and fifteen minutes. Together we will explore grief and sorrow, anxiety and fear, guilt and shame, anger, and despair. This experience is designed to offer mutual support, healing, insight, and love but is not a grief therapy experience. Past participants expressed profound gratitude for being among people who could talk honestly about grief, suffering, and the ecological and social challenges of our time. The leadership team includes counselors, pastors, and environmental advocates.
All times are Eastern time. There is limited space for this online experience. Sign up to let us know you are interested in joining us.

The River Runs On Screening in Hendersonville, NC
2023-10-13 19:00 - 20:45 | Trinity Presbyterian Church, 900 Blythe street, Hendersonville, NC, 28791
After three years in the making, we’re excited to finally bring to Hendersonville the feature documentary, The River Runs On! This film explores the release of a forest plan that decides the fate of two of the most important national forests in the country – the Pisgah and Nantahala. Featuring some of the top conservationists and most popular spots within the region, the documentary reflects on our relationship with these public lands and what the future may hold for this unique part of the world.
Presented by Mountain True, this screening will be held in the Sanctuary at Trinity Presbyterian Church. The doors will open at 6:30pm and the film will begin at 7:00pm.
Shortly following the film, we will have a Q&A with the director of the film, Garrett Martin, and Mountain True’s Public Lands Field Biologist, Josh Kelly. Members of the audience will be able to ask questions about the Pisgah-Nanatahala Forest Plan and its release.
To learn more about the film, please visit www.theriverrunson.com
Watch the trailer at https://vimeo.com/764170588
Get tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-river-runs-on-film-screening-tickets-707948552177?aff=oddtdtcreator

MountainTrue 2023 Annual Gathering in Asheville, NC
2023-10-14 15:00 - 17:00 | Devil’s Foot, 131 Sweeten Creek Rd., Ste 10, Asheville, NC, 28803, United States
You’re invited! We look forward to seeing your smiling faces at our Annual Member Gathering on Saturday, October 14th. This year’s event will be held at Devil’s Foot Beverage in Asheville, NC.
Get ready for a night of fun and camaraderie with like-minded folks as we celebrate our achievements and honor the relationships each of us have to each other and to the natural world. We are all interconnected. Healthy forests and sustainable development make for clean water. The built environment has profound effects on the natural environment. Understanding the interconnectedness of our world guides our work and is key to building a better future for the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains.
General programming will begin at 3 pm and will include voting on new Board Members, reflecting on our achievements this year and honoring outstanding Volunteers.
This year our doors open early for a Plastics Rally beginning at 2 pm. Learn about the progress that MountainTrue, our members and partners have made in the fight against plastic pollution. French Broad Riverkeeper, Hartwell Carson, will discuss our work to pass a plastic bag ban in Buncombe County and how North Carolina towns and counties are empowered to reduce plastic pollution by NC’s Solid Waste Management Act. Attendees will get fired up and learn from local organizers how they can do their part to stop plastic pollution.
But there’s more! Stick around for our exciting Jeopardy game show featuring one contestant from each of our four regions. The winner will get to designate what MountainTrue work donations collected at the event will fund. Interested in playing? Check out the event page for more information.
Come snack on some hors d’oeuvres and grab a drink on us!
“I want more information or want to RSVP”
This event is open to current members of MountainTrue. Click here to check your membership status or email members@mountaintrue.org. If you’re not a current member, we would love to have you join us — You don’t want to miss out on the fun!
Come raise a glass with us to another year of being stronger together!

No Man's Land Film Festival Screening
2023-11-28 19:00 - 21:00
MountainTrue is excited to host the No Man’s Land Film Festival again this year on November 28, 2023 in coordination with Giving Tuesday – a global generosity movement helping to transform communities and the world. Although you can register to watch the films for free, we hope you will consider supporting the work of MountainTrue with a contribution.
Screening will be offered both in person in Asheville, NC at New Belgium Brewing’s Liquid Center AND virtually.
Full event information and RSVPs can be found here: https://mountaintrue.org/nmlff2023/

2024 CCA Retreat & Symposium
2024-02-02 08:00 - 2024-02-03 17:00 | Montreat Conference Center-Anderson Auditorium, 303 Lookout Rd., Montreat, NC, 28757
Sacred Symbiosis: Relationships for Creation Justice
The theme of our 2024 Creation Care Alliance Symposium is “Sacred Symbiosis.” Our presentations, workshops, and conversations will explore the relationships needed to build and nurture justice for all creation–human and non-human. We’re excited to dive in and learn together!
This retreat is designed with congregational lay leaders, environmental professionals, and clergy in mind. Whether new to creation care or a long-time advocate, you’ll gain new language and tools to inspire your congregation or community and find space to invigorate your imagination, creativity, and spiritual practice.
The symposium will begin on Friday, February 2nd, with a full day of workshops and conversations and will run through Saturday, February 3rd. Our keynote speaker, Mary Crow of Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), will speak on the 3rd. Unlike past years, Friday and Saturday’s programs are open to all and will not be limited to clergy. We hope you join us!
We will be hosted at the Montreat Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC. If you would like to stay on-site at the conference center, you may book a room through this separate form: ROOM RESERVATION FORM HERE. We have limited rooms available, so please book yours early to ensure your spot.
Discounts:

Early-bird discount. Register before December 4th to receive $15 off both days of the conference. If you attend both days, that is $30 savings!
Group discount. Groups of three or more people from the same congregation are eligible for the group discount of $10 off both days of the conference. If your group attends both days, that is a $20 discount per person. This offer is open until the close of registration on January 19th. Go here to register your group and receive your discount.

Student discount. If you are a current student, you can attend the symposium for a fraction of the cost ($20 on Friday and $30 on Saturday). We hope you will join us!

We don’t want cost to be a barrier to anyone who would like to attend. Scholarships are available to those in need. Please contact Sarah Ogletree at sarah@creationcarealliance.org for more information. Put “scholarship” in the subject line of your email. We’re happy to assist!
Friday’s Workshops:

Get to Know Your Neighbors: The Trees of Southern Appalachia
Transforming Food Systems as People of Faith
Beekeeping as Creation Care
Housing & Faith Communities: The Creation Care Connection
Electrification & Solar: A Congregational Approach
Community Organizing 101
The Why & How of Seedsaving
Creation Care in Worship: A Conversation for Clergy

Saturday’s Workshops:

Keynote by Mary Crow
Success Stories from Congregations: Get Inspired!
Working for Energy Justice
Eco-Grief Ritual & Meditation
Understanding & Protecting Your Watershed
“Painting the Sacred” Workshop
Supporting Local Farmers
Planning Earth Day in Your Congregation: A Conversation with Religious Educators
Creative Writing Workshop
Forming your Green Team 101
Guide to Creation Care 2.0 w/ Sarah Ogletree

For full workshop descriptions, click here

Plastic Jesus: Real Faith in a Synthetic World Webinar
2024-03-12 13:00 - 14:00 | virtual
Everywhere we look in our culture, you will find plastic. One place where you will not find plastic, however, is in the Bible. Join us for a conversation about plastic and the call to a genuine faith with special guests Avery Davis Lamb (Co-Director of Creation Justice Ministries) and Anna Alsobrook (MountainTrue Watershed Science and Policy Manager).
We will discuss the plastic crisis and what we can do–highlighting MountainTrue’s campaign to address single-use plastic pollution and Creation Justice Ministries’ new resource for Christian faith communities on Earth Day Sunday, Plastic Jesus: Real Faith in a Synthetic World.
*This webinar will be recorded with a copy of our conversation sent out to all who register. Even if you can’t attend in person, we hope you sign up to get the recording!

Earth Day Kid's Merchandise Design Contest
2024-04-22 08:00 - 2024-05-31 23:59
Calling all budding artists aged 10-14. In Honor of Earth Day, MountainTrue is hosting our first Kid’s Merchandise Design Contest.
The winner will receive the chance to work with a professional designer to make their design merchandise ready AND a wearable item with their design on it. They will also be featured in a MountainTrue e-newsletter as the contest winner.
Complete guidelines and requirements are below:
Theme: I love mountains
1. A preference will be given to designs that incorporate the beauty and biodiversity of the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains
2. A preference will be given to designs that encourage others to share your love of our mountains and region
We want you to use your creativity to show why you love mountains. What makes them special to you?
Other rules:
1. No designs will be considered if they contain offensive material or profanity
2. Applicant must be within the age range at the time of submission
3. Must be available in August to meet virtually with the designer
4. No restrictions on the number of colors used for the design or the number of entries you can submit
Submission deadline: May 31, 2024
Winner selection Process: Three finalists will be selected by MountainTrue staff on June 3rd. The three final designs will be presented to MountainTrue supporters and the general public for voting through June 30th. The final winner will be notified during the first week of July.
Submit my design. (Parent/Guardian permission required to participate).

Earth Month Vigil in Asheville, NC
2024-04-27 15:00 - 16:00 | Land of Sky UCC, 15 Overbrook Pl, Asheville, NC, 28805
Join the Creation Care Alliance for a time of ecumenical prayer in the Educational Garden at Land of the Sky UCC in Asheville. Our service will be followed by refreshments in the fellowship hall in addition to an opportunity to put your hands in the soil.
Please bring a blanket or camping chair if you want to sit during the prayer service (which will last 20-30 minutes). We look forward to lifting our prayer for the earth alongside your own!
This event is rain or shine. We’d love for you to bring your kids! In fact, if you have little ones attending, email sarah@mountaintrue.org and we will incorporate some extra special stuff for them.
