This easy hike along the beautiful state Wild & Scenic section of the Hiwassee River in Tennessee follows the route taken by one of the early founders of the conservation movement, John Muir, during his "Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf."
Beat the heat and help us celebrate the launch of the Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail in Bryson City! 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.
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.
A key component to a healthy stream or lake and good water quality is native trees and shrubs. 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.**
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.
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.
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!
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 Watershed Gala is an upscale social gathering that celebrates good water quality still being measured in many rivers, lakes, and streams and recognizes those who work to sustain it. This year’s event will be shorter and slightly less formal, featuring a menu of heavy hors d'oeuvres, along with wine, beer, sodas, and water.
There is a 90% chance of rain on Saturday, March 9th so we must cancel this event. We hope to reschedule this at a later date.
MountainTrue is hosting the 18th Annual Winter Bird Watch outing around Lake Chatuge! Participants will meet at Chatuge Dam and carpool/caravan to various sites around the lake. Typically 18-25 different species of birds are observed on the outing, ranging from small songbirds to larger birds of prey and wintering waterfowl associated with more northern climes (like loons!).