MountainTrue

MountainTrue Riverkeeper Beer Series Clean-up in Asheville, NC with Hi-Wire Brewing 8/23
2025-08-23 13:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Hi-Wire Brewing RAD location, 284 Lyman St, Asheville, NC, 28801
Our region’s rivers were heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene, and with breweries playing a key role in our tourism economy, MountainTrue, the French Broad Riverkeeper, and Hi-Wire Brewing are teaming up to help restore our waterways.
Join us on August 23rd for a river cleanup! We’ll head out for an on-the-water cleanup, then return to the brewery to celebrate with beer and prizes.
We encourage you to bring your own boat to clean-up. Please make sure you bring a PFD if you bring your own boat. If you need to borrow a boat, MountainTrue has boat spots for 20 people***Please click here to reserve your spot in a MountainTrue boat.
All participants, regardless of whether borrowing a boat or bringing their own, MUST pre-register using the “sign-up” link to ensure we can adhere to safety standards.
More details about meet-up location and shuttles will be emailed to registered participants the week before the event.
All volunteers are eligible to receive a complimentary annual membership to MountainTrue. Please email members@mountaintrue.org to request yours!
Kids under the age of 18 are welcome as long as accompanied by a parent or guardian AND they feel comfortable in a boat for several hours.
A HUGE thank you to Hi-Wire Brewing, Eno and Recover brands for sponsoring this event!
The afterparty will be at the RAD location: 284 Lyman St, Asheville, NC 28801

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Monday Pint Nights at Iron Key Brewing in Columbus, NC through the end of 2025
2025-09-01, 2025-09-08, 2025-09-15, 2025-09-22, 2025-09-29, 2025-10-06, 2025-10-13, 2025-10-20 and 6 more dates | Iron Key Brewing Co., 135 Locust St., Columbus, NC, 28722
From September 1 through the end of 2025, every Monday at Iron Key Brewing Co. is dedicated to the Green River. They will donate $2 from every pint sold to MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper program. Sip your favorite brew, support clean water, and help protect the Green River — one pint at a time.

Old Fort Recovery Resource and Job Fair in Old Fort, NC 9/6
2025-09-06 10:00 - 12:00 | 49 E. Main St., Old Fort, NC, 49 E. Main St., Old Fort, NC, 28762
MountainTrue is partnering with the G5 Collective, the Conservation Corps of NC, and McDowell Tech Trail School to host a job and recovery resource fair in Old Fort. We have good jobs doing meaningful environmental recovery work right in McDowell County.
MountainTrue will partner with the Catawba Riverkeeper to clean the upper Catawba from Helene damage, while G5 is hiring trailbuilders. Stop by to learn about these and other recovery efforts in Old Fort, and grab a hot dog on us!

10th Annual Sarah Sweep and First Broad River Festival near Lawndale, NC 9/6
2025-09-06 10:00 - 22:00 | Double Shoals Mill, 199 Old Mill Rd., Shelby, NC, 28150, United States
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 between rock cliffs and rhododendrons, 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.
Meet up to clean up is behind Double Shoals Mill at 10:00 am. We will drop our boats there beside the river and take vehicles down to Zion Church Rd., then catch a shuttle back to the mill to begin.
Please remember to bring: your boat, paddle, lifejacket, water, lunch, sunscreen, gloves, sturdy water shoes or sneakers (no flip-flops), and a dry change of clothes. We have some extra kayaks available only if you reserve them in advance. If you are borrowing a boat, please call David @ 704-300-5069 to confirm PFD (life jacket) size.
After the clean-up we will head back to the Double Shoals Mill for an evening of fabulous local music and food at the First Broad River Festival. We hope you will stay and join us. More details will be sent out to participants who register below.
Volunteers eat FREE. If you are not volunteering but want to join for music and food, you can purchase a ticket for $20. Kids under 13 are $5 for music and dinner.

Music and dinner start around 5:00. Camping is available.
Live music with Steve Spencer, Bruised Rhino, and Proto Giraffe.
Doug Fortenberry’s famous BBQ chicken and ribs dinner.
Anyone under the age of 18 who is comfortable paddling is welcome to volunteer if a parent or guardian accompanies them for the entire duration of the outing.
The rain date for this sweep and festival will be September 20th!

Riverside Cleanup in Chimney Rock, NC 9/20
2025-09-20 10:00 - 13:00 | Chimney Rock Village Public Parking, 432 Main St, Chimney Rock, NC, 28746
Join MountainTrue for a riverside cleanup in the heart of Chimney Rock Village. We will meet up at 10:00 am in the paved public parking lot beside Chimney Rock Smokehouse. MountainTrue will supply trash bags, gloves, safety vests, trash grabbers, shovels, a couple of trucks, a dump trailer, and a dumpster.
Please remember: wear sturdy shoes (no flip flops) and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Please bring: a change of clothes for afterward, water and any needed snacks.
We will wrap up at around 1:00 and walk over to the Smokehouse for a cold beverage, our treat for volunteers.
All volunteers are eligible to receive a complimentary annual membership to MountainTrue. Please email members@mountaintrue.org to request yours!
Please, nobody under the age of 18 for safety reasons.

MountainTrue Post Hurricane Helene river clean-up AND after-party with Oak & Grist near Swannanoa, NC 9/20
2025-09-20 10:00 - 14:00 | NC
Come join the Mountain True team and Oak and Grist as we clean up the trash left behind by Hurricane Helene in the Swannanoa River. We will be removing trash and debris along the riparian areas. Please note this will be a land-based clean-up. All volunteers are invited for FREE food after the clean-up, sponsored by Oak & Grist.
Please wear closed-toe shoes, long pants, and long sleeves (and waders if you have them), and bring drinking water, lunch/snacks, and perhaps a change of clothes for afterward in case you get wet or dirty. We will have plenty of trash bags, gloves, safety glasses, and buckets for use, along with some hand tools such as shovels, loppers, hand saws, rakes, etc., however, feel free to bring your own if you would like. We will have our dump trailer there for the removal of collected garbage and recyclables.
LOCATION:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/f5iWAy1t5xn8pvLJ9

82 State Rd 2754
Asheville, NC 28805
35.581049, -82.473118

We will meet in the parking lot across the river from the buildings (No one needs to cross the bridge). Participants will be wading during the event.

You’re invited!Our friends at Oak & Grist will feed all volunteers and their immediate family members for FREE at their distillery after the clean-up.1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain, NC 28711The after-celebration starts around 3:30 pm. Please make sure to RSVP so they can ensure there is enough food for everyone.
The distillery will also be contributing 5% of seasonal cocktail, beer, and wine sales for the day to MountainTrue. So tell your friends that even if they can’t make the clean up, they can still support our efforts by raising a glass for a good cause.
To thank you for your time, volunteers are also eligible to receive a complimentary annual membership to MountainTrue. Please email members@mountaintrue.org to request yours.

MountainTrue Trash Trout Cleanout with 828 Real Estate in Boone, NC 9/23
2025-09-23 10:00 - 12:00 | Boone Fire Station #2, 1075 State Farm Rd, Boone, NC, 28607
Want to get in the river AND contribute to its health? Assist MountainTrue and our friends at 828 Real Estate with cleanout and inventory of trash types and brands found within the Trash Trout. This trash trout cleanout will be at Winkler’s Creek. Made from recycled materials, this passive litter collection device will be sure to get you asking questions and feeling good about what we can do to mitigate the trash found in the river.
Kids are welcome at this event, however, anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the entire duration of the event.
Please Bring:

Water
Snacks
Clothes you don’t mind getting dirty
You are welcome to bring your own boots and waders if you have them

Anyone borrowing boots/waders from MountainTrue must provide sizing on the sign-up form.

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MountainTrue & NECHAMA Reverse Tashlich river clean-up & celebration near Asheville, NC 9/28
2025-09-28 10:00 - 14:00 | NC
Join Jewish disaster relief organization, NECHAMA, and MountainTrue for a river clean-up and celebration of Reverse Tashlich. Reverse Tashlich, an initiative by Repair the Sea, invites communities to take hands-on, meaningful action during the High Holidays by cleaning up our waterways. Clean-up will focus on Hurricane Helene Debris and will be land-based.
Participants can expect to learn about NECHAMA and take part in a short ritual to honor Reverse Tashlich during the clean-up.
During Tashlich on Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, followers symbolically cast “sins” into water. In Reverse Tashlich, that ritual is turned into action by removing human “sin” from the water – cleaning up local waterways and starting the year with purpose and care.
Join us for a more extensive celebration after the clean-up at the Jewish Community Center in Asheville, NC from 2:30 to 4 pm. Can’t join the clean-up? Just come for the party!
LOCATION: The exact location will be communicated closer to the cleanup and is dependent on the Army Corps of Engineers. We expect to be close to the Asheville, NC area.
Please wear closed-toe shoes and bring drinking water, snacks, weather-appropriate attire, and a change of clothes for afterward in case you get wet or dirty. We will have plenty of trash bags, gloves, safety glasses, and buckets for use, along with some hand tools such as shovels, loppers, hand saws, rakes, etc., however, feel free to bring your own if you would like. We will have our dump trailer there for the removal of collected garbage and recyclables.
To thank you for your time, volunteers are eligible to receive a complimentary annual membership to MountainTrue. Please email members@mountaintrue.org to request yours.
NECHAMA, rooted in the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world, is the sole national Jewish organization dedicated to disaster relief and have been in the region helping out since Hurricane Helene.

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MountainTrue French Broad River Section 10 Clean-Up #1 in Tennessee 10/2
2025-10-02 09:00 - 17:00 | Paint Rock, Lower Paint Creek Rd, Greeneville, TN, 37743
Volunteers are invited to help clean up Helene-deposited trash from the French Broad River in Cocke County, Tennessee with MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper team and outfitters associated with the Nolichucky Outdoor Recreation Association. This clean-up will be boat-based and focus on the river between the North Carolina / Tennessee state line at Paint Rock and Wolf Creek Boat Launch in Del Rio. This stretch of river is often referred to as “Section 10” and contains numerous class II rapids.
Previous whitewater paddling experience is required and experience with river clean-ups is strongly encouraged. MountainTrue can provide a limited number of rafts and inflatable kayaks to volunteers, but attendees are otherwise requested to bring their own boats and equipment. If you bring your own gear, make sure to bring a whitewater-suitable PFD and weather-appropriate clothing. MountainTrue will provide gloves, grabbers, trash bags, a dump trailer for trash removal, and a shuttle to the put-in.
We will meet at Paint Rock on River Road on the state line at 9:00 AM; drop boats, gear, and non-drivers; and then drive vehicles to the take-out at Wolf Creek Boat Launch in Del Rio. We will then be shuttled back up to Paint Rock where we will put on the river and head downstream. This section is 6 miles and will likely take around 6 hours to paddle.
If you need to borrow a boat from MountainTrue, email (jack@mountaintrue.org) or call (703-638-3616) Jack Henderson at least 2 days before the event.
Please Bring: whitewater-appropriate paddling equipment and clothing, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen, drinking water, snacks, lunch, a change of clothes for afterwards, and any medications you might need on the water.
All participants must sign-up in advance to ensure we adhere to logistics and safety standards.
**Kids under the age of 18 are allowed as long as they are accompanied by a parent or guardian and are experienced whitewater paddlers.
To thank you for your time, volunteers are also eligible to receive a complimentary annual membership to MountainTrue. Please email members@mountaintrue.org to request yours.
This event has been generously funded by the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Reservoir & Community Cleanups program and is occurring in partnership with Cherokee National Forest’s Unaka Ranger District. We are very grateful for both entities for their support.

MountainTrue French Broad River Section 10 Clean-Up #2 in Tennessee 10/9
2025-10-09 09:00 - 17:00 | NC

MountainTrue French Broad River Section 10 Clean-Up #3 in Tennessee 10/16
2025-10-16 09:00 - 17:00 | NC

MountainTrue Winkler's Creek Clean-up in Boone, NC 11/4
2025-11-04 10:00 - 12:30 | Boone Fire Station #2, 1075 State Farm Rd, Boone, NC, 28607
Want to get in the river AND contribute to its health? Assist your High Country MountainTrue crew with a river cleanup! We’ll work along the banks and in the water of Winkler’s Creek along the Boone Greenway. Thank you to our friends at the Town of Boone for keeping our Trash Trout safe as we repair and relocate it! With no Trash Trout in the water, there is sure to be plenty of trash and debris along the banks to keep us busy.
Kids are welcome at this event, however, anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for the entire duration of the event.
Please wear closed-toe shoes, long pants, and long sleeves (and waders if you have them), and bring drinking water, snacks, and perhaps a change of clothes for afterward in case you get wet or dirty.

Broad Riverkeeper Volunteer Appreciation Party in Shelby, NC 11/5
2025-11-05 17:00 - 19:00 | Newgrass Brewing, 213 S Lafayette St., Shelby, NC, 28150, United States
Calling all Volunteers who have helped out with Broad Riverkeeper cleanups. Come out after work on Wed, Nov. 5 and let us treat you to a cold beverage with veggie and charcuterie snacks.
We’ll celebrate our victories and discuss challenges on the river this year and plan good things for 2026!
Newgrass Brewing has created a brand new Broad River Pale Ale to salute clean water in the Broad River Watershed, part of sales revenue from this beer will go to MountainTrue’s Broad Riverkeeper program.

Don’t forget that MountainTrue volunteers are eligible for a complimentary annual membership to MountainTrue. To receive your complimentary membership, please email members@mountaintrue.org.

MountainTrue clean-up in Chimney Rock, NC 11/7
2025-11-07 10:00 - 13:00 | Chimney Rock Village Public Parking, 432 Main St, Chimney Rock, NC, 28746
Join MountainTrue for a riverside cleanup in the heart of Chimney Rock Village.
Volunteers will meet up at 10:00 am in the paved public parking lot beside Chimney Rock Smokehouse. MountainTrue will supply trash bags, gloves, safety vests, trash grabbers, shovels, a couple trucks, and a dump trailer. Please wear sturdy shoes (no flip flops) and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
Due to potential safety risks, all volunteers must be age 18 or older to participate.
This event will be rain or shine.
To show our appreciation for the time and energy you dedicate to MountainTrue, all volunteers are eligible to receive a complimentary annual membership to MountainTrue. To activate your membership, please email members@mountaintrue.org.

MountainTrue Post Hurricane Helene river clean-up AND after-party with Oak & Grist near Swannanoa, NC 11/15
2025-11-15 10:00 - 14:00 | NC
Come join the Mountain True team and Oak and Grist as we clean up the trash left behind by Hurricane Helene in the Swannanoa River. We will be removing trash and debris along the riparian areas. Please note this will be a land-based clean-up. All volunteers are invited for FREE food after the clean-up, sponsored by Oak & Grist.
Please wear closed-toe shoes, long pants, and long sleeves (and waders if you have them), and bring drinking water, lunch/snacks, and perhaps a change of clothes for afterward in case you get wet or dirty. We will have plenty of trash bags, gloves, safety glasses, and buckets for use, along with some hand tools such as shovels, loppers, hand saws, rakes, etc., however, feel free to bring your own if you would like. We will have our dump trailer there for the removal of collected garbage and recyclables.
LOCATION:
The exact location will be emailed to participants closer to the event date. Location is largely based on where the Army Corps of Engineers is working, parking, and other factors. We expect to be in or around Swannanoa, NC.
You’re invited!
Our friends at Oak & Grist will feed all volunteers and their immediate family members for FREE at their distillery after the clean-up.
1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain, NC 28711
The after-celebration starts around 3:30 pm. Please make sure to RSVP so they can ensure there is enough food for everyone.
The distillery will also be contributing 5% of seasonal cocktail, beer, and wine sales for the day to MountainTrue. So tell your friends that even if they can’t make the clean up, they can still support our efforts by raising a glass for a good cause.

To thank you for your time, volunteers are also eligible to receive a complimentary annual membership to MountainTrue. Please email members@mountaintrue.org to request yours.

MountainTrue's Green Riverkeeper Community Listening Session: Saluda Library in Saluda, NC 12/4
2025-12-04 16:00 - 17:30 | Saluda Library, 44 W Main St, Saluda, NC, 28773
MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper, Erica Shanks, will host two community listening sessions highlighting the past, present, and future work of MountainTrue on the Green and Pacolet rivers. Both listening sessions will take place in Polk County in December and are free and open to the public.
The listening sessions will begin with a showing of the brief PBS segment featuring MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, after which the Green Riverkeeper will discuss the work conducted by MountainTrue’s Debris Cleanup Crews over summer 2025, thanks to grant funding from the Polk County Community Foundation.
Attendees will also learn about MountainTrue’s lobbying efforts to bring more recovery and resilience funding to WNC; community resiliency hubs; streambank restoration and water sampling; and the ongoing and future work of MountainTrue’s Debris Cleanup Crews and the Green Riverkeeper. Both listening sessions will conclude with a Q&A period.

MountainTrue Monthly Clean-up in Chimney Rock, NC 12/5
2025-12-05 10:00 - 13:00 | Chimney Rock Village Public Parking, 432 Main St, Chimney Rock, NC, 28746
Join MountainTrue for a riverside cleanup series in the heart of Chimney Rock Village. Clean-ups will happen monthly beginning in November 2025 and running through June of 2026. ***Please note, this event has been rescheduled from 12/6 to 12/5.
Volunteers will meet up at 10:00 am in the paved public parking lot beside Chimney Rock Smokehouse. MountainTrue will supply trash bags, gloves, safety vests, trash grabbers, shovels, a couple trucks, and a dump trailer. Please wear sturdy shoes (no flip flops) and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.
Due to potential safety risks, all volunteers must be age 18 or older to participate.
This event will be rain or shine.
To show our appreciation for the time and energy you dedicate to MountainTrue, all volunteers are eligible to receive a complimentary annual membership to MountainTrue. To activate your membership, please email members@mountaintrue.org.
