High Country Region

Livestaking is the process of planting live cuttings of dormant trees in the riparian buffer zone along the stream bank which helps filter stormwater runoff, protect vital aquatic habitat, and prevent soil erosion and sediment pollution. As these planted stakes grow into trees, they stabilize the sides of the rivers and creeks where we plant them and reduce the overall amount of sediment and toxins getting into the river. Come plant with us at one of our livestaking work days from December through March!

Join members of the High Country Habitat Restoration Coalition on March 18 from 4-6 p.m. to remove non-native invasive species along the pathways and trails. We will be working to eradicate invasives. Bring your love of native plants and your desire to keep Boone beautiful!

Join the Watauga Riverkeeper and water team on Earth Day for a river cleanup on Winkler’s Creek near our trash trout. We will provide trash bags and waders for volunteers.

Join members of the High Country Habitat Restoration Coalition on April 23 at Todd Island Park from 1-3 p.m. to remove non-native invasive species along the pathways and trails. We will be working to eradicate invasives. Bring your love of native plants and your desire to keep Boone beautiful!

Join members of the High Country Habitat Restoration Coalition on May 7 at Brookshire Park from 1-3 p.m. to remove non-native invasive species along the pathways and trails. We will be working to eradicate invasives. Bring your love of native plants and your desire to keep Boone beautiful!

We are excited to announce the official launch of the 2022 Swim Guide sampling season! Swim Guide sampling will begin May 25, and we need volunteers to collect water samples every Wednesday throughout the summer. Sites include various swimming and recreational sites along the Watauga (NC & TN), Elk, and New rivers. We are adding several new sampling sites this year that we need a group or an individual to adopt. The E. coli results are uploaded as pass/fail and updated every Friday on www.swimguide.org to provide the public with up-to-date recreational bacteria levels. If you are interested in becoming a Swim Guide volunteer with us please attend this training session to learn more about the program and testing procedures.

Join members of the High Country Habitat Restoration Coalition on May 20 from 4-6 p.m. at Valle Crucis Park to remove non-native invasive species along the pathways and trails. We will be working to eradicate invasives. Bring your love of native plants and your desire to keep Boone beautiful!

Come join the Trash Trout cleanout at the Middle Fork Greenway on May 24th from 3:30-4:30 p.m.