By Jon Christie, Wild Mountain Bees Bees and other pollinators are an essential component to the health and function of our environment. Managed honeybee colonies alone contribute over 16 billion dollars of economic value to agriculture in the US. It is estimated that 30 percent of the food we eat is entirely dependent on bee-pollinated […]
The Asheville Tool Library is basically like a regular library — but instead of books you get to rent out tools. We provide low-cost access to a wide range of tools, literature and knowledge. The community-driven project empowers individuals through affordable access to resources that encourage rehabilitation, creativity, entrepreneurship and livability. Here’s how it works: […]
By Mudluscious Pottery & Gardens Herbs work as pollinators: At least a third of what we buy in the market is dependent on pollinators, but our pollinators (including honey bees, wild bees, butterflies, wasps and flies) are having problems due to pesticides, disease, climate change, loss of habitat and more reasons. Some great herbs for […]
The construction industry provides the basic human need of shelter. Like other fundamental industries, such as the food industry, economic/social shifts such as the recent recession have spurred our industry to evolve and reinvent ourselves around current conditions. Due to this changing economy and industry, many training and re-training opportunities are needed. The latest version […]
Asheville Green Drinks is proud to be one of the most consistent events in Asheville, NC. Part of the self-organizing, international, grassroots networking event series, Green Drinks, we connect our local community to environmental consciousness, green endeavors, sustainable media and social justice action. All over the world people who are interested in environmental issues and […]
The Lenoir-Rhyne University Sustainability Studies master’s program is beginning its journey close to home by taking a look at the university’s sustainability practices on its Asheville campus. A Reese Institute Fellowship is providing students the opportunity to make change happen. Lenoir-Rhyne shares a building with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce where this year’s Reese […]
Ujamaa Freedom market is a worker-owned, cooperative mobile market that sells fresh local produce, healthy prepared foods and other household necessities in communities throughout Asheville on a weekly basis, particularly focusing on communities experiencing poverty and food deserts. The mission of Ujamaa Freedom Market is to feed and nourish the whole community through access to […]
Transition Asheville is part of a growing international transition movement that provides a model for communities to engage in a co-creative process for building local resilience. We’re joining cities and towns from around the world to face the challenges of economic instability, climate change and fossil fuel dependency. There are hundreds of transition initiatives worldwide […]
Western North Carolina Alliance is the only grassroots environmental advocacy group focused solely on conserving Western North Carolina’s natural heritage. We were founded in 1982 by citizens in Macon County who organized to successfully protect their local national forests from oil and gas leasing. Utilizing a combination of policy advocacy, scientific research and community collaboration, […]
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s mission is to help local farms thrive, link farmers to markets and supporters and build healthy communities through connections to local food. Our vision is of strong farms, thriving local food economies and healthy communities where farming is valued as central to our heritage and our future. As an organization, we […]
The Green Restaurant Association is a national nonprofit that provides the only official Certified Green Restaurants mark in the country. For 23 years, the GRA has pioneered the Green Restaurant movement and has been the leading voice within the industry encouraging restaurants to listen to consumer demand to “green” their operations using transparent, science-based certification […]
RiverLink is a regional nonprofit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its watershed as a destination for everyone to work, live and play. We accomplish our mission by providing permanent public access to the river through conservation and recreation easements and reclaiming contaminated lands for public use and enjoyment. […]
Did you know you can source hops locally? Using locally grown hops to brew your beer means that you can enjoy the freshest hops available without the energy waste of transporting them across the country. Blue Ridge Hops is a small family farm, located in Marshall, North Carolina, where spectacular long-range views surround the hops […]
At Biltmore, sustainable thinking has been the centerpiece of our efforts to serve as a model in our community regarding environmental stewardship. Our emphasis on sustainability has been inspired by George Vanderbilt’s vision of Biltmore as a working estate. Our current projects include solar panels to generate our own renewable energy source. We now have […]
Downtown Asheville boasts one of the oldest public fruit forests in the world. For this reason, the Buncombe Fruit and Nut Club started in 2008 to care for The George Washington Carver Park, an edible park about an acre in size that contains 40 different varieties of edible fruits and nuts. BFNC is a place […]
The asheville-Buncombe Food policy Council (ABFPC) is a community-based advisory group that identifies and proposes innovative policy solutions to improve local food systems, spur local economic development and make food systems environmentally sustainable and socially just. ABFPC members include nonprofit organizations, local government representatives, community advocates, farmers, local businesses, students and others. The organization formed […]
School of Integrated Living’s (SOIL) mission is to inspire and empower people to live responsible and creative lives by providing experiential education in integrated living and regenerative systems. We are based out of Western North Carolina at Earthaven Ecovillage, a 20-year-old intentional community devoted to sustainable education. This village and farming community has the unique […]
Quietly, day after day, the dedicated staff at CMLC works to protect special open space lands for the public to enjoy. In 2013, the nonprofit had its biggest year ever, conserving about 4,000 acres, including Bearwallow Mountain (pictured above).
Asheville-Buncombe Community Relations Council Program Director Lucia Daugherty and Fair Housing Outreach Coordinator Cassidy Moore talk about the issues and how you can get help.
By Ami Worthen It might not surprise Vernon White II’s former teachers and classmates at T.C. Roberson High that this two-time MVP, who was awarded a full basketball scholarship to N.C. A&T State University, is once again tackling a challenge with his trademark persistence, energy and enthusiasm. With a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine and […]
From the Western North Carolina Aids Project Dining Out for Life®, presented by Prestige Subaru, returns to Western North Carolina April 24, with participating restaurants in Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell and Transylvania Counties donating 20% of sales to support Western North Carolina AIDS Project. Dining Out For Life® volunteers, called Ambassadors, attend […]
