Interested in helping preserve our waterways? Then join us for SMIE (or Stream Monitoring Information Exchange) training! SMIE is a program that examines macroinvertebrates to determine stream health. We need YOUR help! If you are interested in attending SMIE training, please sign up below!
Interested in helping preserve our waterways? Then join us for SMIE (or Stream Monitoring Information Exchange) training! SMIE is a program that examines macroinvertebrates to determine stream health. This program runs from October 10th to November 16th and the training will be online. Volunteers are expected to collect samples for the MountainTrue High Country Office. We need YOUR help! If you are interested in attending SMIE training, please sign up below!
Creation Care Ministries at First United Methodist Church in Waynesville is proud to present this online presentation by MountainTrue Field Biologist Josh Kelly. RSVP to join this important conversation!
Join MountainTrue's Ecologist and Public Lands Director, Bob Gale, for a gorgeous and educational hike through Pisgah National Forest. This hike offers breathtaking views of the fall foliage, and if we are lucky, we will catch glimpses of the Monarch Butterfly migration. Due to the pandemic, we are restricting group size for outings to 10 participants. Sign up today!
We will be hiking the Pilot Cove Loop Trail in Pisgah, which is approximately 4 miles long. The trail starts in a lesser known part of Pisgah National Forest and winds upward among the brightly colored sourwood and black gum trees. After opening up onto a beautiful rocky outcrop, the trails travels through recently logged forested as well as much older sections of forest. There are some steep inclines on this trail, but Bob will be making frequent stops to rest and interpret the flora and fauna.
Join us for the 2nd annual Broad River Race Day! We welcome folks to race at their own pace, and enjoy these 5 miles on the most beautiful stretch of the Broad River. Remember, the hare may not always out run the tortoise! We will meet at the Lake Houser put in at 1:00 sharp to drop off boats. Due to covid-19, you must have your own shuttle arrangements to get back to the starting line this year. There is a $5 parking fee at Lake Houser and at the Greenway.
Each year, MountainTrue hosts a gathering of our members to recognize and honor outstanding volunteers, vote on new board members, and reflect on a year of hard work and – hopefully – some big wins! This October 21st, while we cannot gather in person, we hope you’ll join us online to celebrate another year of protecting the places we share. We still want to see you, even if it’s only your head, neck and shoulders! If you are having any trouble accessing the meeting, please contact Adam Bowers at 828-680-0738 or at adam@mountaintrue.org
MountainTrue's Southern Regional Director, Gray Jernigan, and Henderson County Environmental Programs Coordinator, Christine Wittmeier, will discuss municipal recycling and waste diversion programs in WNC. They will cover what materials can and cannot be recycled, logistical challenges with recycling vendors, local and global markets, and new opportunities that are emerging in the field.
Join us for a hike on the Bartram Trail, one of North Carolina's premier long distance trails. We'll tackle a 4.6-mile lightly trafficked section near Highlands, NC that provides spectacular views into the Tessentee Valley of Macon County. On this stretch we'll summit Jones Knob and Whiterock Mountain. Though these peaks measure well below 5,000 feet in elevation, they are good examples of a spectacular geological feature found in our region: both are plutons, mountains comprised of erosion resistant rock sporting massive open cliff faces.
MountainTrue's Western Regional Office will host the 10th Annual Lake Chatuge Shoreline Cleanup, in conjunction with Georgia Rivers Alive! The event will kick off at the Towns County Swim Beach Pavilion at 9:00 AM. After the waivers are signed, volunteers will be assigned to specific areas of the lake to clean up trash. Bags, gloves, coffee and grab-n-go breakfast snacks will be available, but we ask that, due to COVID-19, volunteers not congregate in the pavilion before heading out to their assigned site. We will also not gather for awards after the cleanup; however, your team can still win prizes for your good work! Just be sure to take photos and send them to callie@mountaintrue.org for a chance to win! More details on the categories and prizes will be available at the event.
This year, we are encouraging participants to register by noon on the Friday before the cleanup to make the site assignments easier for event organizers. When registering it is important to verify the number of vehicles, in addition to the number of people in your group, so that we can properly assign people to clean up areas with sufficient parking. We ask that participants do not carpool with others outside of their families. As in prior years, volunteers will leave trash piled up near the entrance to the assigned site for pickup by the big truck toward the end of the event.
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!
