In the wake of Hurricane Helene, MountainTrue is dedicated to addressing the urgent needs of our community.
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!
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.
Join MountainTrue in our last-ditch effort to get outside before winter arrives and we're stuck inside! This hike will be led by MountainTrue's Ecologist and Public Lands Director, Bob Gale. The hike is on the Summit Trail, a 4-mile out and back trail, that offers spectacular views of Mount Jefferson, Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell, and more!
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.