Hendersonville Green Drinks: Connecting Land and People in Whole Communities
Hendersonville, N.C. — On Thursday, November 9, Hendersonville Green Drinks welcomes Tony Beurskens, the Community Engagement Manager and Summer of Service Program Coordinator for Conserving Carolina. Tony is working to create a world in which he can be proud of, one that celebrates our uniqueness and appreciates our oneness. He holds a degree in Park and Natural Resources Management from the University of Illinois, a Permaculture Professional Design Certificate, and has attended Racial Equity Institute (REI) training.
Who: Tony Beurskens, Conserving Carolina
What: November Green Drinks topic: Connecting Land and People in a Whole Community
When: November 9, 2017 – 5:30 networking, 6:00 presentation
Where: Black Bear Coffee, 318 N. Main St. Hendersonville, NC
Inspired by a letter by Peter Forbes (co-founder of the Center for Whole Communities in Fayston, Vermont) titled, “What is a Whole Community?” Tony will be appealing to those who care for and restore the land. He will be leading us in a conversation to deepen our connection to the people and places we love so much while acknowledging our society’s need to redefine success in our effort to create a balanced and diverse ecosystem. Our existing ways of defining success have fallen short of solving our complex issues. Our relationships, our language and our love of the land has too often perpetuated a perceived divide of our communities. We will delve deeper into how we can work toward a reality that assumes all people(s) have something to offer while cherishing diversity and balance of every kind.
About Hendersonville Green Drinks
Hendersonville Green Drinks is presented by MountainTrue, Conserving Carolina and Black Bear Coffee. Come to Green Drinks to learn more about current environmental issues, have relevant discussions, and meet with like-minded people. This is a monthly event and everyone is welcome. You don’t have to drink at Green Drinks, just come and listen. Black Bear Coffee offers beer, wine, coffee drinks and sodas. A limited food menu will be available.
Join us for the MountainTrue Fall Gathering at New Belgium!
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Oklawaha Walk & Talk, August 20: The Glory of Fall Wildflowers
Over the next several months, the Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway will host “Oklawaha Greenway Walks and Talks,” a series of educational outings. The second in the series — on Saturday, August 20, at 10 a.m. — focuses on the glory of fall wildflowers growing along the Greenway. The program is open to the public at no charge. Meet at Patton Park in the circular pavilion near the basketball courts. The walk will be about 90 minutes, returning to Patton Park. The hike will be held rain or shine.
Michele Skeele and Penny Longhurst will lead the hike. Skeele has taught wildflower identification at BRCC, and has led numerous wildflower walks in Jackson Park and Patton Park over the years. She earned a degree in Biology at UNC-Wilmington and has lived in North Carolina more than 50 years. Longhurst lives in Brevard and is president of the Western Carolina Botanical Club.
“A new section of Hendersonville’s Oklawaha Greenway was recently opened, creating a three-mile-long paved walkway meandering through meadows, wetlands, and forests and linking Jackson Park, Patton Park, and Berkeley Park,” said Suzanne Hale, a member of Friends of Oklawaha Greenway. “We are a group of people who see beauty and multiple values in our wonderful greenway and who want to use it as a tool to learn more about our natural environment.”
Greenway parking is available at Berkeley Park, Patton Park, and Jackson Park, with smaller parking areas on Seventh Avenue East at Mud Creek and on North Main Street at Mud Creek.
The next “Walks and Talks Along the Greenway,” on Saturday, September 7, will focus on “Clean Water, Healthy Water,” led by Philip Ellis. OnOctober 8, the walk will focus on Migratory Birds, led by Cherie Pittillo.
The Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway is a group of local organizations and area residents who recognize the many community values offered by greenway trails, such as improved health, recreation, off-road transportation, connectivity, preserved open space, and economic opportunity. The Oklawaha Greenway currently connects Berkeley Park, Patton Park, and Jackson Park. The Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway plan to promote the use of the existing greenway, and are working to connect it to Blue Ridge Community College. Their members include the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, Friends of the Ecusta Trail, MountainTrue, the League of Women Voters of Henderson County, and representatives from the community at large.
Hendersonville Tree Board – sponsor of the Fall Wildflowers walk — is commissioned by the City of Hendersonville to provide advice on the selection and care of trees and shrubs in public places. The Tree Board also educates the public concerning the economic and aesthetic benefits of trees, shrubs, and pollinator plants for the community. The city became a Bee City USA in 2015.
For more information about “Walks and Talks Along the Greenway” contact Jack Robinson, Friends of Oklawaha Greenway, at 828-335-2479 orjackrobinsonmerida@gmail.com.
