MountainTrue

Want to paddle in style? Grab a raffle ticket for a chance to win a paddle designed and crafted by Broad Riverkeeper David Caldwell! Proceeds support MountainTrue and the Broad Riverkeeper program. This paddle is made of walnut, basswood, oak, and mahogany; it's 150 cm long and weighs 32 oz. Unlike most “production” paddles, which have a hard finish, Caldwell Carvings’ paddles have an oil finish that is warm to the touch and easily maintained. The raffle winner will be drawn on September 14. Learn more & purchase tickets: bit.ly/3VFqtWR

MountainTrue has joined forces with SELC and other environmental groups to petition the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reclaim authority over water pollution regulation in North Carolina. Through sabotage, the General Assembly has severely weakened our state's ability to protect our waters and communities. Learn more about the situation and what this means for the future of our environment. 🌊 https://bit.ly/4ekccW7

Join your Broad Riverkeeper on Saturday, September 7, for the 9th Annual Sarah Sweep near Lawndale, NC🛶 The day will begin with a river cleanup at 10:00 a.m., followed by an evening of fabulous food and tunes at the First Broad River Festival, featuring Doug Fortenberry's delicious barbecued chicken and ribs served from 5:30-7:00 p.m., and live music featuring Red Crayon and Bruised Rhino from 6-9:00 p.m., with special guest Steve Spencer. Learn more & sign up: bit.ly/3xlJPqn

MountainTrue is teaming up with Street Creature Puppet Collective to create a hellbender puppet for community events, including the Asheville Holiday Parade (stay tuned for more parade deets). This will be crafted out of tan and gray plastic bags, and lightweight, colorful, clean(ish) items from the river — think bottles, flip flops, toys, etc. Keep your eye out for river items on your summer adventures! Contact amy@mountaintrue.org to drop off your plastic bags and salvaged river items before Saturday, August 31.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 14! Join your fellow members, MountainTrue Board, and staff to celebrate another year of growing our reach and deepening our roots. Hear highlights from the year; help us recognize outstanding volunteers and partners; eat, drink, and be merry; and don’t forget to stick around for a fun night of trivia after the main program wraps! Learn more & RSVP: bit.ly/4azZtwe

Join us at Trailside Brewing Co for the next installments of Hendersonville Green Drinks, presented by MountainTrue, Conserving Carolina, and Trailside Brewing Co: 🍺 Thursday, September 12, from 5:30-7pm: "Localization: the answer to more than just the environmental crisis?” w/ Tia Wackerhagen, RN, BSN, Food & Agriculture Committee Co-chair & member of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. bit.ly/3WRQPEl 🍺 Thursday, October 10, from 5:30-7pm: "Conserving Carolina’s Trails - Conservation and Recreation” w/ Max Howes, Trails & Land Management Coordinator for Conserving Carolina. bit.ly/4fWLap6 🍺 Thursday, November 14, from 5:30-7pm: Green Drinks w/ Green Built Alliance's Clean Energy Program Manager, Jamie Wine. bit.ly/3yO8zID

Check out French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson in The Transylvania Times: bit.ly/4cxxbmN

🛶 Win a sweet paddle made by the Broad Riverkeeper 🛶 Want to paddle in style? Grab a raffle ticket for a chance to win a paddle designed and crafted by Broad Riverkeeper David Caldwell! Proceeds support MountainTrue and the Broad Riverkeeper program. This paddle is made of walnut, basswood, oak, and mahogany; it's 150 cm long and weighs 32 oz. Unlike most “production” paddles, which have a hard finish, Caldwell Carvings’ paddles have an oil finish that is warm to the touch and easily maintained. The raffle winner will be drawn on September 14. Read the full guidelines & purchase tickets: bit.ly/3VFqtWR

Join us for the Paddling Film Festival World Tour at New Belgium Brewing in Asheville next Thursday, August 22! Organized by Paddling Magazine and Rapid Media, sponsored by Headwaters Outfitters, and hosted by New Belgium Brewing, this event is a fundraiser for MountainTrue’s French Broad Riverkeeper program, which includes Swim Guide and the French Broad Paddle Trail. You’ll be inspired to explore rivers, lakes and oceans, push extremes, embrace the paddling lifestyle, and appreciate the wild places. Find out more and buy tickets: bit.ly/4cLVqOz

Check out our superstar High Country team in this article from Associated Press: "On the whooshing Watauga River, excavators claw at the remains of Shulls Mill Dam, pulling concrete apart piece by piece and gradually opening a waterway kept in check for nearly two centuries... 'What’s so important about the hellbender is they need special habitat — clear, clean, cold, heavily oxygenated water,' said Andy Hill, a Watauga Riverkeeper with MountainTrue, which teamed up with American Rivers to remove the dam in July. 'The hellbender is kind of a keystone species for a mountain stream ecosystem, and removal of this dam will create new habitat.'" More: bit.ly/4df3qrY