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.

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!

Join us on November 9th for an informative discussion between MountainTrue's High Country Water Quality Administrator Hannah Woodburn and Broad Riverkeeper David Calwell. They will be talking about their ongoing studies focusing on the levels of heavy metal pollution in fish tissues. Through this study, they hope to better understand the impacts of anthropogenic pollution and raise awareness for affected communities.

In partnership with AARP NC, Building Our City is excited to present this virtual tour of accessory dwelling units titled: Much Ado About ADUs. What is an Accessory Dwelling? Although many people have never heard the term, the greater Asheville area is speckled with examples of these creative ways to foster aging in place. Learn more about the concept and explore examples in our community at this virtual tour.

Join us on November 12th at 6 pm as we hear from MountainTrue's French Broad River Keeper Hartwell Carson about the many issues plaguing the French Broad River and what is being done to combat them.
The French Broad, like so many American rivers, was grossly polluted before the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972. Since the passage of the act, the river has rebounded and now supports a thriving recreation community, but there are still a lot of threats to the river. Recently the water quality has been getting worse. Many sites that the French Broad Riverkeeper monitors for E. coli, failed over 80% of the time during the summer of 2020. We can and need to do more to make sure we finally meet the goals of the Clean Water Act, providing fishable and swimmable river access to all.