Riding a bike in Western North Carolina is an immersive experience of flying on miles of single-track trails, cruising over creeks and under the tree canopy. Yet full access to nature is challenging for mountain bikers living with disabilities.
Residential composting programs heat up across Buncombe County
The popularity of composting is growing in Buncombe County, and government-sponsored food-scrap collection programs are helping some residents divert food waste from landfills.
A father and son’s soaked journey through the 2023 Firefly Gathering
Firefly Gathering is the largest earth-skills gathering in the country. Held at Deerfields, the 940-acre retreat center in the Pisgah National Forest near Mills River, the annual event transforms a quiet mountain hollow into a self-sufficient village.
Green in brief: Ecusta Trail gains $46M in federal support
The roughly 19-mile greenway along an unused rail line between Brevard and Hendersonville, first proposed in 2009, received about $46 million toward its estimated $53.5 million construction cost.
‘Purple bag program’ for homeless seeks to address litter
Among the complaints Asheville residents have about their city, litter is one that most can agree on. A new pilot program initiated this spring by the city Public Works Department seeks to address an underserved population by the city’s Sanitation Division services: people who are unhoused.
WNC goatscaping services offer sustainable land management
Grazing goats are an increasingly popular means of eliminating invasive plants.
Green in brief: MountainTrue report flags bacterial levels in French Broad
A new report by conservation nonprofit MountainTrue finds that E. coli concentrations in the French Broad River near Asheville regularly exceed eight times the standard considered safe for swimming by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Top of the town: Conservancy may save Deaverview from development
The 342-acre tract atop Deaverview Mountain, just five miles from downtown Asheville, was purchased by an anonymous conservationist in March with the intention of selling the land to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. SAHC has three years to obtain federal and state grants to repay the buyer, then it plans to turn the property over to Buncombe County as a park or preserve.
New series spotlights Wilma Dykeman’s novels
Led by expert speakers, the monthly talks at the West Asheville Library will examine the novels “The Tall Woman” (1962), “The Far Family” (1966) and “Return the Innocent Earth” (1973).
Why I volunteer: Becoming a citizen scientist
Jim Clark has volunteered with MountainTrue since 2014, collecting water samples for E-coli testing along the French Broad River. Today, he also collects microplastic water samples and conducts monthly plastic counts at Pierson Bridge.
Why I volunteer: Energy-saving practices
Darlene Kucken is a volunteer for Green Built Alliance’s Energy Savers Network. Through volunteers, the network installs energy-efficiency measures in homes with limited income in Western North Carolina.
Why I volunteer: Passion for the environment
Grady Nance is a volunteer at MountainTrue. The nonprofit champions resilient forests, clean waters and healthy communities in the Southern Blue Ridge.
Why I volunteer: Tree-passionate people
Pat Strang is a volunteer at Asheville GreenWorks, which works to create an equitable, climate-resilient future for the community.
Why I volunteer: New knowledge
Bettye Fox Boone and Saylor Fox are volunteers with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. The organization conserves unique plant and animal habitat, clean water, farmland, scenic beauty in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. How long have you been volunteering with the conservancy and what inspired you to join? We have been volunteering with the Southern […]
No Mow May: Bees will thank you if you leave the mower in the shed
Letting your lawn get a little scruffy in early spring creates a smorgasbord of wild flowers on which pollinators can feast.
Q&A: A developer’s perspective on value of conservation
Andy Baker has spent the last 17 years building a home for himself, his family and many others through his development projects in Western North Carolina. Originally from Michigan, Baker graduated from Purdue University with a degree in forestry before pursuing a career in real estate development. Earlier this year, the Southeast Regional Land Conservancy […]
Thinking green: All hands on deck
Joe Franco is a senior at UNC Asheville, majoring in international studies with minors in political science and environmental studies.
Thinking green: Take heed
Anne Craig is an environmental activist.
Asheville considers ban on single-use plastic bags
“A third of microplastics we’re seeing in the French Broad watershed is coming from these plastics that we might use for 12 minutes and end up throwing away. So anything we can do to curb the input of that into our daily lives the better,” said Anna Alsobrook, watershed science and policy manager for MountainTrue.
Commissioners consider criteria for conservation easements
According to a presentation available prior to the meeting, the county plans to use a point system to score eligible projects. Points will be awarded for work that would protect a scenic viewshed, preserve water quality and conserve working forests, among other criteria.
Thinking green: adaptiveness and resiliency
Roger Helm is an instructor on global climate change at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville.