Come plant native trees with MountainTrue’s Watauga Riverkeeper at the historic former site of Wards Mill Dam! This project has been completed for 2 years, and we are able to continue repairing the vegetative buffer thanks to support from TVA’s Shade Your Stream program and the Tennessee River Basin Network.
If you’re looking to get outside and help us restore and replenish streambanks, these work days are a great way to meet new friends and do some good work for Mother Nature too!
Live staking involves taking dormant cuttings of a living tree and planting them along the river’s edge. For the remainder of 2023, our live staking goals prioritize improving riparian habitat connectivity at high-priority stream sites in the Watauga drainage following the historic Ward’s dam removal.
What to bring:
- Lunch/snacks
- warm layers & gloves (we’ll be on the water, so dress for weather, but also make sure it’s things you don’t mind to get dirty)
- rubber boots and/or waders (We have some, but not many so bring your own if you have them.)
- water to drink
We will meet at the Old Watauga River Rd at the Ward’s Mill Dam site. Park along the sides of the gravel road. Please DO NOT block the barn or driveways.
Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC Intern
About Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC & Position Description:
Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC is a program of MountainTrue, a regional nonprofit organization championing resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. We know that healthy communities exist within the context of a healthy environment — and right now, both are threatened. There is a housing crisis across the country, with many hard-working families unable to find an affordable place to live. There is also a climate crisis, with greenhouse gas emissions threatening the stability of all our planet’s ecosystems and biodiversity. Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC advocates for building dense, infill housing within existing communities as a way to increase the housing supply for our neighbors while also minimizing carbon emissions by decreasing vehicle miles traveled, preserving farms and forests from additional sprawl development, and reducing energy demand by building small, multi-family housing instead of large, single-detached housing. An intern for Neighbors for More Neighbors WNC will support program goals by creating social media content, conducting general program outreach, event planning, research on best practices in the pro-housing movement, and more.
Start date: Flexible within the month of January 2024
End date: Flexible
Work schedule: Flexible between 4-12 hours/week
Compensation: Mileage reimbursed at approximately $0.655 per mile
Location: This position will work with staff in our Asheville office, though much of the work can be done remotely.
Supervisor: Susan Bean, MountainTrue Housing & Transportation Director
Please answer the following questions in your cover letter and attach that document when submitting your application form:
- What skills and experience can you bring to this internship?
- What skills and experience are you hoping to gain from the internship?
- Is this internship for school credit or for personal experience?
- What connection do you see between the built environment and the natural areas MountainTrue is working to protect?
Applications due by October 30, 2023. Including a resume is optional. Apply through this form.
Sacred Symbiosis: Relationships for Creation Justice
The theme of our 2024 Creation Care Alliance Symposium is “Sacred Symbiosis.” Our presentations, workshops, and conversations will explore the relationships needed to build and nurture justice for all creation–human and non-human. We’re excited to dive in and learn together!
This retreat is designed with congregational lay leaders, environmental professionals, and clergy in mind. Whether new to creation care or a long-time advocate, you’ll gain new language and tools to inspire your congregation or community and find space to invigorate your imagination, creativity, and spiritual practice.
The symposium will begin on Friday, February 2nd, with a full day of workshops and conversations and will run through Saturday, February 3rd. Our keynote speaker, Mary Crow of Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), will speak on the 3rd. Unlike past years, Friday and Saturday’s programs are open to all and will not be limited to clergy. We hope you join us!
We will be hosted at the Montreat Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC. If you would like to stay on-site at the conference center, you may book a room through this separate form: ROOM RESERVATION FORM HERE. We have limited rooms available, so please book yours early to ensure your spot.
Discounts:
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- Early-bird discount. Register before December 4th to receive $15 off both days of the conference. If you attend both days, that is $30 savings!
- Group discount. Groups of three or more people from the same congregation are eligible for the group discount of $10 off both days of the conference. If your group attends both days, that is a $20 discount per person. This offer is open until the close of registration on January 19th. Go here to register your group and receive your discount.
- Student discount. If you are a current student, you can attend the symposium for a fraction of the cost ($20 on Friday and $30 on Saturday). We hope you will join us!
We don’t want cost to be a barrier to anyone who would like to attend. Scholarships are available to those in need. Please contact Sarah Ogletree at sarah@creationcarealliance.org for more information. Put “scholarship” in the subject line of your email. We’re happy to assist!
Friday’s Workshops:
- Get to Know Your Neighbors: The Trees of Southern Appalachia
- Transforming Food Systems as People of Faith
- Beekeeping as Creation Care
- Housing & Faith Communities: The Creation Care Connection
- Electrification & Solar: A Congregational Approach
- Community Organizing 101
- The Why & How of Seedsaving
- Creation Care in Worship: A Conversation for Clergy
Saturday’s Workshops:
- Keynote by Mary Crow
- Success Stories from Congregations: Get Inspired!
- Working for Energy Justice
- Eco-Grief Ritual & Meditation
- Understanding & Protecting Your Watershed
- “Painting the Sacred” Workshop
- Supporting Local Farmers
- Planning Earth Day in Your Congregation: A Conversation with Religious Educators
- Creative Writing Workshop
- Forming your Green Team 101
- Guide to Creation Care 2.0 w/ Sarah Ogletree
For full workshop descriptions, click here
