MountainTrue

State of the River: How Land Use Planning Can Make or Break Water Quality-- with Gray Jernigan & Hartwell Carson
2022-05-12 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York) | NC
On Thursday, May 12 from 6:00-7:00 p.m., Hendersonville Green Drinks presents the fourth of our four-part webinar series entitled Good Growth Makes Good Sense. The guest speakers will be MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper, Hartwell Carson, and MountainTrue’s Central Regional Director, Gray Jernigan. The presentation, State of the River: How Land Use Planning Can Make or Break Water Quality is in direct response to public input, as reflected in the results of the early phases of Henderson County’s 2045 Comprehensive Planning process. This special monthly series is a collaboration between MountainTrue and Conserving Carolina.
Click here to read Hartwell and Gray’s op-ed detailing the important relationship between water quality and land-use planning in relation to Henderson County’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR.

Previous Good Growth Makes Good Sense presentations:

February 10- Smart Growth: Looking to the Past to Plan for Our Future – Chris Joyell

March 10- The Value of Conserving Open Space and Farmland – Tom Fanslow

April 14- Nature for All: Planning for Inclusive Greenways, Trails, and Parks – Rebekah Robinson

Rhythm & Brews Waste Station Volunteers Needed in Hendersonville, NC 5/19/22
2022-05-19 18:30 - 20:00 | NC
Are you passionate about sustainability/waste management? Join the Rhythm and Brews event on Thursday, May 19th and volunteer with MountainTrue’s Recycling Team to educate participants and monitor the waste station! In this position, you’d be monitoring the waste stations to make sure folks are putting compostables, recycling, and trash in the appropriate bins.
To sign up look for the term Waste Station Educator, which indicates how volunteers will help educate attendees on why it’s important to keep the waste stream sorted properly.
Volunteer at Rhythm & Brews

Pop-up Broad River Headwaters Fun Float near Shelby, NC 5/21/22
2022-05-21 10:00 - 15:00 | NC

Jackson Park BioBlitz in Hendersonville, NC 6/4/22
2022-06-04 09:00 - 13:00 | NC

Rhythm & Brews Waste Station Volunteers Needed in Hendersonville, NC 6/16/22
2022-06-16 18:30 - 20:00 | NC
Are you passionate about sustainability/waste management? Join the Rhythm and Brews event on Thursday, June 16th and volunteer with MountainTrue’s Recycling Team to educate participants and monitor the waste station! In this position, you’d be monitoring the waste stations to make sure folks are putting compostables, recycling, and trash in the appropriate bins.
To sign up look for the term Waste Station Educator, which indicates how volunteers will help educate attendees on why it’s important to keep the waste stream sorted properly.
Volunteer at Rhythm & Brews

Broad River Race Day and Fun Float near Boiling Springs, NC 6/18/22
2022-06-18 13:00 - 17:00 | NC

Broad River Summer Sweep near Boiling Springs, NC 7/10/22
2022-07-10 13:00 - 17:00 | Lake Houser, Township 2, Boiling Springs, NC, 28017, United States

Invasive Plant Walk and Talk in Hendersonville, NC 7/13/22
2022-07-13 09:30 - 11:30 | NC

Rhythm & Brews Waste Station Volunteers Needed in Hendersonville, NC 7/21/22
2022-07-21 18:30 - 2022-09-28 20:00 | NC
Are you passionate about sustainability/waste management? Join the Rhythm and Brews event on Thursday, July 21st and volunteer with MountainTrue’s Recycling Team to educate participants and monitor the waste station! In this position, you’d be monitoring the waste stations to make sure folks are putting compostables, recycling, and trash in the appropriate bins.
To sign up look for the term Waste Station Educator, which indicates how volunteers will help educate attendees on why it’s important to keep the waste stream sorted properly.
Volunteer at Rhythm & Brews

Rhythm & Brews Waste Station Volunteers Needed in Hendersonville, NC 8/18/22
2022-08-18 18:30 - 20:00 | NC
Are you passionate about sustainability/waste management? Join the Rhythm and Brews event on Thursday, August 18th and volunteer with MountainTrue’s Recycling Team to educate participants and monitor the waste station! In this position, you’d be monitoring the waste stations to make sure folks are putting compostables, recycling, and trash in the appropriate bins.
To sign up look for the term Waste Station Educator, which indicates how volunteers will help educate attendees on why it’s important to keep the waste stream sorted properly.
Volunteer at Rhythm & Brews

3rd Annual Broad River Fishing Tournament
2022-08-27 - 2022-09-05 | NC
Go out on your own or with your friends to your favorite locations on the Broad River or any tributary. You can fish one day or all week long!
This is a for-fun and “bragging rights”-only tournament, so no cash or material prizes will be given. Recognition as the “Broad’s Best Angler” will be given to the fisher person with the highest combined total length of their three biggest fish. We will also recognize winners for catching the biggest bass, biggest catfish, biggest panfish (bream or crappie), and for the most unusual fish.
Here’s how it works: when you catch a “nice one”, take a photo of the fish lying on a fish ruler, and send it via e-mail to david@mountaintrue.org. We will tally up the fish measurements after Labor Day, the last day of the tournament, and announce winners that week.
If you’d like to support our Broad Riverkeeper program, you can purchase a Custom Deluxe fishing ruler by contacting David at david@mountaintrue.org or at 704-284-9002

Broad River Moonlight Float near Boiling Springs, NC 9/9/22
2022-09-09 19:00 - 23:30 | NC

Waiting List: Lower Green River Inflatable Kayak Trip near Saluda, NC 9/10/22
2022-09-10 13:00 - 17:00 | NC
**Please note – this event has been rescheduled from September 3 to September 10. Any reference to the 3rd is out of date.

Rhythm & Brews Waste Station Volunteers Needed in Hendersonville, NC 9/15/22
2022-09-15 18:30 - 20:00 | NC
Are you passionate about sustainability/waste management? Join the Rhythm and Brews event on Thursday, September 15th and volunteer with MountainTrue’s Recycling Team to educate participants and monitor the waste station! In this position, you’d be monitoring the waste stations to make sure folks are putting compostables, recycling, and trash in the appropriate bins.
To sign up look for the term Waste Station Educator, which indicates how volunteers will help educate attendees on why it’s important to keep the waste stream sorted properly.
Volunteer at Rhythm & Brews

7th Annual Sarah Sweep on the First Broad River near Lawndale, NC 9/24/22
2022-09-24 11:00 - 21:00 | Double Shoals Mill, 199 Old Mill Rd., Shelby, NC, 28150, United States
7th Annual Sarah Sweep and After-Party on the Broad River

Click here to register

We’re so grateful to these terrific companies for their generous sponsorship of this event:

Jodi and Joe Morgan of J. Morgan Company
Biz Hub – Coworking space in Shelby, NC
Pharr Technologies
Joy Pharr – Realtor – Ivester Jackson Blackstream
Community First Media

We’re excited to announce that our 7th Annual Sarah Sweep will include an expanded after-party this year and we hope you’ll be able to join us for any part of this wonderful day! Fill out the form to register for either the cleanup or the after-party. If you’re volunteering for the clean-up, you don’t need to buy a ticket for the after-party!

Broad River Cleanup Volunteer Opportunity: We’re kicking things off at 11 a.m. with a river cleanup open to any volunteers willing to come out and honor Sarah Spencer by helping improve the health of the Broad River. All are welcome to join us on this lovely section of the river that Sarah Spencer held dear to her heart. While paddling the shallow, shaded, cool waters that flow between rock cliffs and rhododendron, Sarah would always stop to pick up any litter along the way. Sarah, Beejay, Billy, and Davey died tragically in 2016 in a car accident. This event is in remembrance and honor of these friends and their love for our river. Register below as a volunteer to join the clean-up and then you’re welcome to enjoy food and music for free at the after-party!

After Party Details: For those who can’t make the clean-up, we hope you can come out between 5:30 – 6:30 to enjoy a delicious BBQ Chicken & Ribs dinner with all the trimmings prepared by local favorite Doug Fortenberry. Also starting at 5:30 p.m. will be live guitar music performed by Sarah Spencer’s father, Steve Spencer. Steve will perform until 6:45 p.m. and then at 7 p.m., The Shrimp Pistols will take the stage to close out the event with a bang! Tickets for the after-party are $15 for adults while kids under 8 and all clean-up volunteers eat free.

The rain date for this event will be October 1.
Contact: David Caldwell, Broad Riverkeeper, david@mountaintrue.org704-284-9002

Pop-up Fall Float down the Broad River near Boiling Springs, NC
2022-10-15 10:00 - 16:00 | Broad River Greenway Canoe Access, 126 Broad River Drive, Shelby, NC, 28152, United States

Holiday Recycling at Jackson Park - Bring Your Trees & Volunteer!
2023-01-07 08:30 - 14:00 | Jackson Park Ball Field, 801 Glover St, Hendersonville, NC, 28792, United States

Henderson County Comprehensive Plan Community Meeting
2023-01-30 17:30 - 19:00 | NC
NEWS

Sign up for our E-News
All News
MountainTrue Raleigh Report
Newsletters Archive

EVENTS

Volunteer Opportunities
All Events
2026 Watershed Gala

GET INVOLVED

MountainStrong Recovery & Resilience Fund
Become a MountainTrue Member
Volunteer With Us
Take Action
Sign up for our E-News
Corporate Sponsorships Inquiry
Boards and Commissions
Manage Your Account

ABOUT US

Our Successes
Regions

Central Regional Office
High Country Office
Southern Regional Office
Western Regional Office

Staff & Board
Jobs and Internships
Our Commitment to Racial Justice & Equity
Financial Reports

OUR WORK

Clean Waters

Monitoring and Waste Programs

State of Our Rivers Report
Swim Guide

Farmer Resources

Western North Carolina Farmer Resource Guide

Plastic-Free WNC
Broad Riverkeeper
French Broad Riverkeeper
Green Riverkeeper
Watauga Riverkeeper

Healthy Communities

Housing

Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC

Public Transit
I-26 ConnectUs Project

Resilient Forests

Invasive Species

Smart Plant Buyer Guide

Make Your Voice Heard on the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Management Plan

Creation Care Alliance of WNC

MERCH

MountainTrue is hosting a Comprehensive Plan-focused community meeting on Monday, January 30, at 5:30 p.m. Join us at the Edneyville Community Center in Hendersonville to learn more about ways to support the best possible plan for growth in Henderson County and advocate for our environment. We’ll review the planning process, goals, and proposed improvements and answer your questions.
Click here to read Southern Regional Director Nancy Díaz’s open letter to County Commissioners detailing MountainTrue’s concerns with the draft Comprehensive Plan. Click here to learn more and get involved.
What: Comprehensive Plan Community Meeting
When: Monday, January 30, 5:30-7 PM
Where: Edneyville Community Center, 15 Ida Rogers Dr., Hendersonville, NC

Henderson County Comprehensive Plan Community Meeting
2023-02-27 17:30 - 19:00 | NC
NEWS

Sign up for our E-News
All News
MountainTrue Raleigh Report
Newsletters Archive

EVENTS

Volunteer Opportunities
All Events
2026 Watershed Gala

GET INVOLVED

MountainStrong Recovery & Resilience Fund
Become a MountainTrue Member
Volunteer With Us
Take Action
Sign up for our E-News
Corporate Sponsorships Inquiry
Boards and Commissions
Manage Your Account

ABOUT US

Our Successes
Regions

Central Regional Office
High Country Office
Southern Regional Office
Western Regional Office

Staff & Board
Jobs and Internships
Our Commitment to Racial Justice & Equity
Financial Reports

OUR WORK

Clean Waters

Monitoring and Waste Programs

State of Our Rivers Report
Swim Guide

Farmer Resources

Western North Carolina Farmer Resource Guide

Plastic-Free WNC
Broad Riverkeeper
French Broad Riverkeeper
Green Riverkeeper
Watauga Riverkeeper

Healthy Communities

Housing

Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC

Public Transit
I-26 ConnectUs Project

Resilient Forests

Invasive Species

Smart Plant Buyer Guide

Make Your Voice Heard on the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Management Plan

Creation Care Alliance of WNC

MERCH

MountainTrue is hosting a Comprehensive Plan-focused community meeting on Monday, February 27, at 5:30 p.m. Join us at the Hola Cultural Center in Hendersonville to learn more about ways to support the best possible plan for growth in Henderson County and advocate for our environment. We’ll review the planning process, goals, and proposed improvements and answer your questions.
Click here to read Southern Regional Director Nancy Díaz’s open letter to County Commissioners detailing MountainTrue’s concerns with the draft Comprehensive Plan. Click here to learn more and get involved.
What: Comprehensive Plan Community Meeting
When: Monday, February 27, 5:30-7 PM
Where: Hola Cultural Center, 801 4th Ave. East, Hendersonville, NC

Waiting List: Green River Gorge Hike 3/18
2023-03-18 10:00 - 16:00 | Green River Cove Trail, 3770 Green River Cove Road, Saluda, 28773, United States

Waiting List: Spring Headwaters & Wildflower Hike 4/13
2023-04-13 10:00 - 16:00 | Strawberry Gap Trailhead

13th Annual Green River Spring Cleaning in Saluda, NC
2023-05-06 10:00 - 16:00 | Fishtop Access, 2302 Green River Cove, Saluda, North Carolina, 28773
Join MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper and Liquidlogic Co-founder Shane Benedict for the 13th Annual Green River Spring Cleaning! We’ll meet at the Fishtop Access (2302 Green River Cove Rd, Saluda, NC 28773) at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 6th where we will divide into teams then get on the river to pull out as much litter as possible before the summer paddling season. We need paddlers of all skill levels to tackle each section of the Green all the way from the Upper Green below the Tuxedo hydroelectric station, through the Narrows, down the Lower Green, and all the way to Lake Adger. Bring your boat, paddling gear, snacks/lunch, and water, and be prepared to get dirty and wet.
After party in downtown Saluda at the Spring Green Bash with Green River Adventures! Information about the after party and purchasing raffle tickets for the event giveaway can be found here: https://mountaintrue.org/event/2023-spring-green-bash/

2023 Spring Green Bash
2023-05-06 17:00 - 21:00 | Green River Adventures, 111 E. Main Street, Saluda, NC, 28773, United States
2023 Spring Green Bash
Get ready for an exciting day full of kayaking trips, waterfall rappelling, treks, cold beer, and good music when the Spring Green Bash — Saluda’s favorite river and block party — returns on Saturday, May 6th!
The whole Green River community is invited to the Spring Green Bash block party at Green River Adventures in downtown Saluda, NC. We’ll enjoy great beer from Oskar Blues Brewing and music by Pretty Little Goat Stringband. We’ll also announce the winner of the charity raffle for a Liquidlogic Remix XP kayak! Proceeds from the raffle benefit MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper – the protector and defender of the Green River Watershed.
The party will be held from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the parking lot for Green River Adventures at 111 E Main St., Saluda, NC 28773.
Where: Green River Adventures, 111 E. Main Street, Saluda, NC
When: Saturday, May 6, 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
HOW TO ENTER THE RAFFLE:
1. Enter online by completing this form and paying with credit card, OR
2. Pay cash in person at the event on May 6.

Moss Lake Paddle Race and Fundraiser for Broad Riverkeeper
2023-05-20 10:00 - 13:00 | Camp Creek Boat Ramp, 863 New Camp Creek Church Rd., Kings Mountain, NC, 28086, United States
All are invited to join us in this first ever paddle race at Moss Lake!
We will meet up at 10:00 sharp at the public access/boat ramp at 863 New Camp Creek Church Rd, Kings Mountain, NC 28086. Your Broad Riverkeeper, David Caldwell, will give a brief introduction and explain the race course and rules, and the race will start at about 10:45. We will paddle up the lake approximately 2 miles, circle around an island, and race back down to the finish line in the boat landing area. Volunteer Safety/Observer boats will be anchored along the race course to help guide the way and assist anyone who might have trouble.
Rules for the race are simple:

You must wear a pfd (life jacket) the entire time on the water
No motors allowed
No sails or pedal power
Boats may include: canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, other small craft
Paddle solo, tandem, or as many people who will safely/legally fit in the boat
No interfering with other boats. Keep it clean.

Prizes: $200 for first, $100 for second, $50 for third.
Event sponsors are:
City of Kings Mountain
Joy Pharr Realty – Ivester Jackson Blackstream, Christie’s International Real Estate
Michael Cheng
We are looking for “safety boat” volunteers who can anchor their vessels along the course. Email david@mountaintrue.org for more information.

Headwaters Fun Float on the Broad River in Shelby, NC
2023-06-03 10:00 - 16:00 | Cooke’s Hometown Market, 4601 Polkville Rd, Shelby, NC, 28150, United States
We are heading up to the South Mountain foothills for a fun paddle on the cool shady waters of the First Broad River. The water is likely to be pretty shallow and “bony”, that is, we will be scraping and dragging over quite a few rocks and gravel beds.
Meet up at Cooke’s Hometown Market at 10:00 am sharp! (4601 Polkville Rd, Shelby, NC 28150) You can follow us to the put-in to drop off boats. Then we’ll take all the vehicles to the take-out spot and shuttle back to begin paddling.
Please bring your boat, paddle, and lifejacket, water, lunch, sunscreen, sturdy water shoes or sneakers (no flip-flops), towel and a dry change of clothes. We have some kayaks available to rent for an additional fee, please be sure to purchase rental gear at checkout if you need it.
The rain date for this paddle will be June 10th.

Lewis Creek Preserve Nature Walk in Hendersonville, NC 6/7/23
2023-06-07 09:00 - 11:00 | Lewis Creek Nature Preserve, 15 Ida Rogers Dr., Hendersonville, NC, 28792, United States

2023 MountainTrue-a-thon
2023-06-15 00:00 - 2023-08-31 23:59 | NC
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.

CANCELLED - Green Clean Series 6/22
2023-06-22 17:30 - 20:00 | Fishtop Access, 2302 Green River Cove, Saluda, North Carolina, 28773
THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED – Due to ongoing flash floods and rain we are cancelling this event. Please sign up for one of our other upcoming Green Clean events in July and August!
Join the Green Riverkeeper on Thursday, June 22nd to kick off our Green Clean Series! This event will continue to happen the 4th Thursday of every month June-August from 5:30-8ish. You do not have to kayak to be a part of the monthly cleans. We absolutely welcome road-side helpers too! We’ll meet at the Fishtop Access at 5:30pm to split into teams before heading out!
Please bring water, snacks, gear appropriate for the water or roadside (gloves, closed-toed shoes, sunscreen, medical needs, etc). We will provide trash bags.
Green River Brew Pub will offer one free drink to clean up volunteers that present a ticket after each clean up this summer! As a thank you, The SPOT offers you a gift to enjoy within a week of your participation in the clean-up!
If you have any questions about the clean-ups please contact our Green Riverkeeper at erica@mountaintrue.org. Let’s protect our special places, friends!

5th Annual Broad River Race Day and Fun Float
2023-07-08 13:00 - 16:00 | Lake Houser Put In, NC
The meetup address is: 1350 Lake Houser Rd, Mooresboro, NC 28114
Coordinates: 35.220358, -81.731398

The River Runs On
2023-07-20 18:00 - 21:00 | New Belgium Brewing Company, 21 Craven St, Asheville, NC, 28806, United States
The River Runs On 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 to these public lands and what the future may hold for this unique part of the world.
Presented by MountainTrue, this screening will be held in the brewhouse at New Belgium. The doors will open at 6:00pm and the film will begin at 7:00pm.
**Seating is limited and will be on a first come basis, so be sure to arrive early and snag a beer and seat before it begins! (MountainTrue will receive all bar tips from the event).

Purchase Tickets
Immediately following the film, we will have a panel discussion where members of the audience will be able to ask questions about the Pisgah-Nantahala Forest Plan and it’s release. Joining the discussion will be characters from the film, including Josh Kelly with MountainTrue, David Whitmire from Headwaters Outfitters and Will Harlan from the Center for Biological Diversity.
To learn more about the film, please visit www.theriverrunson.com. Want to watch the trailer? Find it on Vimeo, here.
