MountainTrue

Invasive Plant Workday on the Murphy River Walk 2/6
2023-02-06 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | McClelland Street Trailhead, 133 McClelland St,, Murphy, NC, 28906, United States

Bryson City Island Park Workday 2/7
2023-02-07 13:00 - 15:00 | NC

Invasive Plant Workday on the Murphy River Walk 2/13
2023-02-13 14:00 - 16:00 | McClelland Street Trailhead, 133 McClelland St,, Murphy, NC, 28906, United States

Invasive Plant Workday on the Murphy River Walk 2/20
2023-02-20 14:00 - 16:00 | McClelland Street Trailhead, 133 McClelland St,, Murphy, NC, 28906, United States

Invasive Plant Workday on the Murphy River Walk 2/27
2023-02-27 14:00 - 16:00 | McClelland Street Trailhead, 133 McClelland St,, Murphy, NC, 28906, United States

Winter Tree ID Hike near Hiawassee, GA 3/4
2023-03-04 13:00 - 15:00 | NC

Winter Bird Watch on Lake Chatuge 3/11
2023-03-11 07:30 - 10:00 | NC

Jackson Greenway Workday 3/18
2023-03-18 13:00 - 16:00 | Jackson County Greenway Loop, Monteith Gap Rd, Cullowhee, NC, 28723, United States

Bryson City Island Park Volunteer Workday 3/29
2023-03-29 13:00 - 15:00 | Bryson City Island Park, 213 Bryson St, Bryson City, NC, 28713, United States

15th Annual Hiwassee Watershed Gala
2023-03-30 17:30 - 20:30 | Young Harris College, 228 Maple St., Young Harris, GA, 30582, United States
The 15th Annual Hiwassee Watershed Gala will take place at Young Harris College on Thursday, March 30, 2023. Join us for an evening of laughter, fun, and camaraderie…and to honor the winner of this year’s Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award! To join us, visit this link to purchase tickets and see the event details: https://mountaintrue.org/2023-watershed-gala/

Wildflower Walk on the John Muir Recreation Trail near Reliance, TN
2023-04-15 10:00 - 16:00 | NC

Bryson City Island Park Volunteer Workday 4/20
2023-04-20 13:00 - 15:00 | Bryson City Island Park, 213 Bryson St, Bryson City, NC, 28713, United States

Nature Walk prior to the Spring Fling Street Fair & Nature Expo in Andrews, NC 4/22/2023
2023-04-22 10:00 - 11:00 | Heritage Park, 155 Wilson St., Andrews, NC, 28901, United States

Jackson Greenway Workday 4/29
2023-04-29 13:00 - 16:00 | Jackson County Greenway Loop, Monteith Gap Rd, Cullowhee, NC, 28723, United States

Nature Walk at Nodding Trilliums Private Nature Preserve in Cullowhee
2023-05-12 10:00 - 13:00 | NC

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.

Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail Kickoff at Island Park in Bryson City, NC
2023-08-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Bryson City Island Park, 213 Bryson St, Bryson City, NC, 28713, United States
Beat the heat and help us celebrate the launch of the Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail in Bryson City! We invite you to kick off the new Island Park Snorkel Site on Saturday, August 26th from 10:00am-12:00pm. We will unveil our new educational signage, then get in the river and explore our underwater backyard. Snorkelers will be treated to a beautiful array of creatures like Tangerine Darters and Warpaint Shiners, which are common at this site, as well as other fish, salamanders, freshwater mussels, crayfish, macroinvertebrates, and more. Don’t have a snorkel? We’ll bring one for you! Just indicate on the form below if you will need one. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please fill out the form below, then grab your bathing suit and get ready to see the world from a fish’s-eye view. Wear a swimsuit or other clothes to get wet, including shoes. Bring a towel.
There is no designated parking for the park at this time. You will need to park in available public parking spaces downtown and walk to the park. This event is weather dependent. If it rains heavily in the days leading up to the event, the water will be cloudy and we will reschedule. Please, no pets.

Field Session for new Adopt-A-Stream volunteers in Young Harris, GA
2023-09-09 09:00 - 16:00 | Cupid Falls Park, Young Harris, GA
MountainTrue is offering the opportunity for residents that value clean water in the Hiwassee River watershed to get involved in a hands-on way with our volunteer water quality monitoring program. Volunteers can get certified to sample Water Chemistry and/or Bacteria. In the Water Chemistry workshop volunteers will learn how to test stream samples for dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH and conductivity. Those participating in the Bacterial sampling will learn how to test for and identify the presence of E. coli in our waterways. This field session will be divided into two parts with Water Chemistry practices in the first two hours and Bacterial practices in the last hour, with a short break in between. If you are only certifying in Water Chemistry, you may leave after the first part of the field session is complete. Although there is no charge for the workshops, pre-registration is required.
Volunteers can choose any stream they would like to sample; however, we have also identified sites in both Georgia and North Carolina where we would like to have data to help plan or evaluate water quality improvement projects. Certified volunteers can check-out monitoring equipment (free of charge) from locations in Hiawassee, Young Harris, Blairsville, Hayesville, and Murphy.
**You must also participate in a Part 1 Water Chemistry session before attending this field session. These are being offered virtually via the Zoom meeting platform. You may also choose a Part 1 Bacterial session if you would like to be certified for monitoring E.coli too. When you register for a field session, you’ll receive links to sign up for Part 1 of the courses.

2023 Fall Native Tree & Shrub Sale
2023-09-18 - 2023-11-05 | MountainTrue Western Regional Office, 90 Tennessee Street, Murphy, NC, 28906, United States
In order to raise awareness about the beautiful, resilient plants that are native to our Southern Appalachian Mountains and to provide a little funding for our ongoing invasive plant eradication efforts, we are again holding a Native Tree and Shrub Sale this fall. Choose from 30 species of native trees and shrubs, ranging from large shade trees, native ornamentals, pollinator species, and those particularly beneficial to wildlife.
**Your order must be picked up in Murphy, NC on Saturday, November 18th between 9:00am & 12:00pm unless, due to exceptional circumstances, other arrangements are made PRIOR to placing the order.**
All plants are quality local nursery stock.
1-gallon – $18
2-gallon – $20
3-gallon – $25
2023 Tree-Shrub species price list
2023 Tree-Shrub descriptions for sale
Orders will be accepted through Sunday, November 5, while supplies last. You must pay for the order at the time you submit it in order to secure your species and size of choice. Then, pick up your order from the MountainTrue Western Regional Office parking lot in downtown Murphy on Saturday, November 18 between 9:00am – 12:00pm.
Complete your order using the form below and pay with any major credit card. We are no longer accepting mail-in orders.
Plants that are found here inspire a “sense of place” and pride in our mountain communities and promote wise stewardship and conservation of natural resources. For questions related to these or other native and invasive plant species, contact program coordinator, Tony Ward at tony@mountaintrue.org.

Bartram Trail Hike: Jones Gap to Whiterock Mountain
2023-09-23 10:00 - 15:00 | Bartram Trail at Jones Gap, 35°04'33.7"N 83°17'16.6"W, Sugarfork, NC
This 4.6-mile lightly trafficked section of the Bartram Trail near Highlands, NC features spectacular views into the Tessentee Valley of Macon County. Jones Knob and Whiterock Mountain are a pair of peaks that lie along this rather tame stretch of the Bartram Trail, one of North Carolina’s premier long distance trails. Though both measure well below 5,000 feet in elevation what sets this pair apart is that they are plutons – mountains comprised of erosion resistant rock sporting massive open cliff faces. The trail is rated as moderate; there is approximately 940 feet of elevation change. Dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on a leash.

Fall 2023 Eco-Grief Circle
2023-10-10 12:00 - 2023-11-21 13:15 | NC
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.

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!

Community Invasive Plant Workday on Jackson County Greenway in Cullowhee, NC 10/27
2023-10-27 13:00 - 16:00 | Jackson County Greenway Loop, Monteith Gap Rd, Cullowhee, NC, 28723, United States
MountainTrue is hosting a community volunteer workday to control non-native invasive plants and restore native habitat at the Jackson County Greenway. We will primarily be pulling up roots and using hand tools to remove invasive shrubs like Chinese privet and then treat the stumps.
No prior experience is necessary; we will provide tools and training. Please register in advance so that we will have enough tools, gloves, etc. We have large and small tasks available, so you don’t have to be able to do strenuous physical labor to participate. Please, no pets.
Please bring:
Closed-toed shoes required
Long pants
Long-sleeved shirts recommended
Water and snacks
Let’s work together to improve the wildlife habitat and natural beauty of the Greenway! Contact western region program associate Eve Davis with any questions (wro-wq-habitat@mountaintrue.org).

2023 Lake Chatuge Shoreline Cleanup-13th Annual near Hiawassee, GA
2023-11-04 09:00 - 11:00 | Towns County Swim Beach Pavillion, US-76, Hiawassee, GA, 30546
Join with other lake loving volunteers on Saturday, November 4th for the 13th Annual Lake Chatuge Shoreline Cleanup. The event will kick off at 9am at the Towns County Swim Beach Pavilion across from the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds where volunteers will get their assigned cleanup locations and be given bags, gloves, and safety information. Coffee and grab-n-go breakfast snacks will be available, along with free Rivers Alive t-shirts for the first 30 volunteers. After two hours of shoreline cleaning at the assigned site, volunteers will meet back at the pavilion at 11:30 for prizes. Three prizes will be given on the day of the cleanup: Most Trash Collected by a Group, Most Creative Trash Photo, and Most Unique Trash Item Found. Enter to win by taking photos and sending them to callie@mountaintrue.org. Thanks to TVA for sponsoring this event again this year!
What to bring:
Closed toed shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty
Water
Sun protection
Trash grabber, if you have one

Other Reminders:
While we love our furry friends, please, no pets. In the case of a rainy forecast, we will communicate with registered participants about plans in advance of the event.

Community Invasive Plant Workday on Jackson County Greenway in Cullowhee, NC 11/10
2023-11-10 13:00 - 16:00 | Jackson County Greenway Loop, Monteith Gap Rd, Cullowhee, NC, 28723, United States
MountainTrue, in partnership with the WCU Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CESL) and the Mainspring Conservation Trust, is hosting a community volunteer workday to control non-native invasive plants and restore native habitat at the Jackson County Greenway. We will primarily be pulling up roots and using hand tools to remove invasive shrubs like Chinese privet and then treat the stumps.
No prior experience is necessary; we will provide tools and training. Please register in advance so that we will have enough tools, gloves, etc. We have large and small tasks available, so you don’t have to be able to do strenuous physical labor to participate. Please, no pets.
Please bring:

Closed-toed shoes required
Long pants
Long-sleeved shirts recommended
Water and snacks

Let’s work together to improve the wildlife habitat and natural beauty of the Greenway! Contact western region program associate Eve Davis with any questions (wro-wq-habitat@mountaintrue.org).
The rain day for this event will be held on Friday, 11/17. Please mark your calendar.

Pickup Event for Western Region Fall Native Tree & Shrub Sale in Murphy, NC
2023-11-18 09:00 - 12:00 | MountainTrue Western Regional Office, 90 Tennessee Street, Murphy, NC, 28906, United States
This is the pick up event for plants that are pre-ordered and paid for through our western region Fall Native Tree & Shrub Sale fundraiser. The plants are delivered by the nurseries to the MountainTrue Western Regional Office parking lot on the morning of the event, so no early pick up is available. We will not be ready to fill orders until 9:00 sharp! If you arrive early, please find a parking place. Do not form a line in your cars that will quickly prevent others from entering the parking lot.
What to expect: Your plants are entering dormancy this month, which is a kind of “hibernation” for the winter. Don’t be surprised if they have no leaves at all! It’s perfectly natural, as this is the time of year that deciduous trees lose their leaves. Also, some of the 3-gallon trees will be 8-10′ (feet) tall. We’ve folded them into a Prius before, but it’s not easy!
If you cannot make it on Saturday 11/18 and there’s no one else who can pick up your order for you, please contact us as soon as possible either by emailing tony@mountaintrue.org or calling 828-837-5414. We do not want to move your plants around unnecessarily!
This event will be held rain or shine!

No Man's Land Film Festival Screening
2023-11-28 19:00 - 21:00 | NC
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/

Hike to Standing Indian Mountain near Hayesville, NC-CANCELLED
2023-12-03 13:00 - 16:00 | Deep Gap Trailhead Parking, Franklin, NC, 28734, United States
Due to the Collett Ridge Fire and the lack of rain in the forecast, the air quality is poor and not expected to improve before the hike. Sadly we are canceling this hike but we hope you can join us for another outing soon!
We’ll use Deep Gap Rd before it closes for the season (Jan 2) to access the Appalachian Trail for a 5-mile round trip out-and-back hike to Standing Indian Mountain, elevation 5,439′. It’s a gentle incline all the way up with only 1,095′ of elevation gain over 2.5 miles. There are gorgeous views from the top, especially in December when all the leaves are off the trees!

Community Invasive Plant Workday on Jackson County Greenway in Cullowhee, NC 12/9
2023-12-09 13:00 - 16:00 | NC
MountainTrue, in partnership with the Mainspring Conservation Trust, is hosting a community volunteer workday to control non-native invasive plants and restore native habitat at the Jackson County Greenway. We will primarily be pulling up roots and using hand tools to remove invasive shrubs like Chinese privet and then treat the stumps.
No prior experience is necessary; we will provide tools and training. Please register in advance so that we will have enough tools, gloves, etc. We have large and small tasks available, so you don’t have to be able to do strenuous physical labor to participate. Please, no pets.
Please bring:
Closed-toed shoes required
Long pants
Long-sleeved shirts recommended
Water and snacks
Let’s work together to improve the wildlife habitat and natural beauty of the Greenway! Contact western region program associate Eve Davis with any questions (wro-wq-habitat@mountaintrue.org).

First Day Hike in the Brasstown Wilderness near Young Harris, GA
2024-01-01 10:00 - 14:00 | Miller Trek Trailhead, Young Harris, GA, 30582, United States
Join MountainTrue’s Western Regional director on the first day of the New Year for a moderate 6-mile loop hike in the Brasstown Wilderness. The trail climbs at a consistent rate of 500 ft/mile for almost three miles, skirting around Rocky Knob where we’ll take a short spur trail out to some rock outcrops for lunch and amazing views of both Hiawassee and Young Harris. The rest of the hike descends almost at the same rate it ascended, passing through beautiful mature forests on the way back to the trailhead. There is nothing particularly challenging about this hike. It’s rated moderate for the length and elevation gain of about 1,500′.
