In the Center for Cultural Preservation’s latest documentary, Guardians of Our Troubled Waters: River Heroes of the South, filmmaker David Weintraub investigates the history of figures such as French Broad crusader Wilma Dykeman and the roles they played in fostering environmental change.
The gospel of okra: Chris Smith’s new book urges us all to embrace the slime
In The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration, the author defends a vegetable that’s long been maligned by millions.
The Collider shifts leadership, seeks path to financial sustainability
The Collider announced that Claire Callen, owner of the Wells Fargo Building, will join the nonprofit’s board as president and assume all responsibility for daily operation of the organization.
The natural wine movement gains momentum in Asheville
Produced with a focus on sustainable farming practices and low-intervention fermentation, natural wines are increasingly finding their way onto local wine lists and retail shelves.
Green burial cares for loved ones and the earth
According to the Green Burial Council, burials in the United States annually put 4.3 million gallons of embalming fluids, 20 million feet of wood, 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete, 17,000 tons of copper and bronze and 64,500 tons of steel into the ground. Local green burial sites offer an alternative with less environmental impact.
Mother Earth News Fair goes hands-on
Along with more than 150 traditional workshops and seminars, six keynote speakers and hundreds of exhibitors, this year’s fair now features hands-on and extended workshops that dig deeper into an array of topics selected by the magazine’s editorial team.
Koji claims the culinary spotlight
Local fermentation expert Meredith Leigh will present a workshop on preserving food with the koji mold at the Mother Earth News Fair.
Trash becomes treasure on the runway at eco-fashion shows
On Friday, April 26, Goodwill hosts its fifth annual Color Me Goodwill upcycled fashion show at The Orange Peel. The following evening, Saturday, April 27, Asheville GreenWorks kicks off its second Environmental Awards and Trashion Show at the DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville-Biltmore.
French Broad River Garden Club hosts plant sale and gardening discussion
Gardeners can shop for conifers, annuals, perennials, herbs and much more, and local farmer Annie Louise Perkinson will offer a talk about growing a cut-flower garden.
Bill Fleming builds community through Get Off the Grid Fest
“Culture is the closest to my heart,” says Fleming, who plays steel guitar, of activities at the second biennial Get Off the Grid Fest . “The best way to build the culture of a community is through music and dance, and we have an incredibly strong line-up. It’s an empowering and joyful event.”
WNC adjusts to shifts in recycling market
Eric Bradford, director of operations at local environmental nonprofit Asheville GreenWorks, calls China’s restriction of its recyclables market a wake-up call for domestic recyclers. “We were basically paying China to be our landfill for these ‘recyclables,’ and we felt good about it,” he says.
Buncombe County master gardeners offer telephone, in-person resources
Free programs from the Buncombe County Master Gardeners offer guidance in sustainable growing practices.
Kids Seed Co. promotes generational sustainability
A few summers ago, Laszlo told his parents, Thomas Stern and Laura Gazzano, that he wanted to set up a stand to sell cucumbers in their driveway. Now 8 years old, Lazlo and his two younger sisters, Mina and Csilla, play a central role in the family business, an online seed store that launched on Thanksgiving 2017.
WNC farmers and beekeepers collaborate to support honeybee health
Beekeepers in the United States experienced an estimated 40 percent loss in their colonies between April 2017 and April 2018, and last year, North Carolina’s honeybee population experienced a 50 percent loss, no doubt impacting the state’s $84 billion agriculture industry.
Jon Nilsson promotes biochar as soil superstar
“With charged biochar, you’re building a better biome for the plant, permanently changing soil’s ability to hold nutrients, water and beneficial biology,” Nilsson says. “You can buy a carbon-sequestering tomato that was organically grown and also contributed to building the biome — it’s a path out of climate change.”
Kathryn Long teaches nature connection at Growing Wild Forest School
Before Long cofounded Growing Wild in 2016, she taught in a conventional preschool. “I thought the kids were miserable, and it showed in their performance and behavior,” she recalls. “I started taking them outside for longer and longer periods of time, doing lessons with natural materials, and everyone did better.”
Beyond sustainability — restoring, repairing and creating resiliency in our community
“We need to have as much say as possible over the decisions that affect our lives, the money that informs our projects, the food that we eat and every system we touch,” writes Lee Warren, executive director of the Organic Growers School. “Relocalizing means taking back our power in every possible way.”
Zoë Mihalas gets young people outside
Mihalas received the Distinguished Service Award for Youth Education from Trout Unlimited last year for her work in creating a new generation of conservation-minded youth. She challenges young people to share photos of fishing or having outdoors fun with friends on Instagram to bridge the gap between nature and social media.
Shane Benedict leads Green River trash pickup
Started in 2011, the Green River Spring Cleaning has grown every year, with ever more participants paddling in to cover the Lower Green and the Upper Green. “Our goal is to work the entire Green River, from Lake Summit to Lake Adger, about 30 miles,” Benedict says. “That’s a lot, but I believe we can do it.”
Sarah Duffer shifts student consciousness on climate change
Last year saw Duffer lead Asheville High School against 765 other teams from across the globe in the Drawdown EcoChallenge. The students achieved victory over the Taiwan Sugar Corporation in a leapfrogging race to make the most impact, earning most of their points through their time spent studying solutions to reverse climate change.
Asheville GreenWorks hosts inaugural tree giveaway
Hundreds of native tree varieties, including pawpaws, maples, oaks, river birches, sourwoods and more, will be up for grabs at the March 30 event.