|  |  | | | Now Hiring: Science and Equity Educator We are so excited to add this brand new position to the RiverLink team! This Science and Equity Educator will help expand our educational programs into the afterschool realm by working with community partners that prioritize students of color and working families. A recent study by the Racial Justice Coalition surveyed families from predominantly black neighborhoods in Asheville and found that youth programming is a top concern for many community members. This new educator will be able to support the great work being done by groups like Open Doors, Christine Avery Learning Center, and other community centers by providing enrichment opportunities for students to connect with the outdoors. This is a full time position with a $40,000 salary and great benefits. Applicants do not need a college degree but they must be 21 or older. We will begin reviewing applications in early January, so if you or someone you know is interested we encourage you to apply. |
| | |
|
| |
|
|  | | | | Natural Wreath Making – Sans Invasives As the holidays approach, many of us are hanging up our decorations and stringing lights, and if you are looking for a fun holiday craft idea, consider making your own wreath! A common way to create a base for a wreath is to use our native grape vine, as it offers both strength and flexibility. Here we propose an ecological alternative: porcelain berry. Belonging to the same family as our native grapes (Vitaceae), it shares the qualities that make native grape vines such a good base for a wreath. And by harvesting porcelain berry, you are also removing an exotic invasive species that tends to smother native plants. Achieve an interesting mix by adding other invasive vines, including Japanese honeysuckle, wisteria, and Oriental bittersweet, whose bright orange fruits offer a festive look for decorating. Although we love finding a use for invasive vines that encourages removal, it is important to observe proper transportation and disposal to avoid spreading the fruits and seeds. We recommend using vines with no fruits, removing the fruits altogether before transport, or bagging your plant material if you wish to keep the fruits. No invasive plants should be thrown back outside unless they are completely dried, and have no seeds! |
| | |
|
|  | |  | Hold the Salt, Protect the River 12 ounces of salt — or a full coffee mug — is all it takes to treat ice on a 20-foot-long driveway, or about 10 squares of sidewalk. As we ease into winter, we want to remind everyone of best practices when using salt to melt icy driveways and sidewalks. Why should we care about how much salt is used during the winter? Excess salt washes into our streams via storm drains, increasing chloride levels in the water and making it toxic to aquatic life. Using more salt than is recommended does not yield better results, so it also saves money to apply the correct amount. Learn more. The best method is to apply the recommended amount of salt for the size of the area you are treating before frozen precipitation covers an area. If you see salt left on the ground after the snow and ice clears, you should sweep up the excess to keep it from entering our waterways. Thank you for helping protect the French Broad River this winter! |
| |
|
|  | |  | For many of us, the end of the year is an opportunity for reflection. “There is in us a deeply seated response to the natural universe, which is part of our humanity,” wrote biologist Rachel Carson, who sparked an environmental movement with her book Silent Spring. A decade earlier, reflecting on her spiritual bond with nature—and with water in particular—local historian Wilma Dykeman wrote of a spring near her childhood home in Beaverdam: “I stood beside the damp sand of one of the best and most ancient of these springs, beneath a clump of high, straight poplars on a ledge of rock, and I remembered the clear flowing water that filled the basin there. A spring is fed by veins—tiny threads of water leading from many sources—that we can destroy by probing too deeply for its delicate feeders. Gradually the springs and streams and rivers have changed before our very eyes. They need our concern and respect.” We couldn’t agree more. If you resonate with the vision of a healthy watershed coursing with clean water serving thriving communities—if you’d like to help grow the next generation of environmental stewards—we invite you to join us with a gift at year’s end. If you have given already this year, thank you. If you have yet to give, we invite you to make a contribution aligned with the value you place on the French Broad River as a place to live, learn, work, and play. |
|  | |
|
| | | | A Season of Gratitude, Where the Earth Draws A Bath For many of us, the end of the year is an opportunity for reflection. “There is in us a deeply seated response to the natural universe, which is part of our humanity,” wrote biologist Rachel Carson, who sparked an environmental movement with her book Silent Spring. A decade earlier, reflecting on her spiritual bond with nature—and with water in particular—local historian Wilma Dykeman wrote of a spring near her childhood home in Beaverdam: “I stood beside the damp sand of one of the best and most ancient of these springs, beneath a clump of high, straight poplars on a ledge of rock, and I remembered the clear flowing water that filled the basin there. A spring is fed by veins—tiny threads of water leading from many sources—that we can destroy by probing too deeply for its delicate feeders. Gradually the springs and streams and rivers have changed before our very eyes. They need our concern and respect.” |
| We couldn’t agree more. If you resonate with the vision of a healthy watershed coursing with clean water serving thriving communities—if you’d like to help grow the next generation of environmental stewards—we invite you to join us with a gift at year’s end. If you have given already this year, thank you. If you have yet to give, we invite you to make a contribution aligned with the value you place on the French Broad River as a place to live, learn, work, and play. |
| |
|
|
|
| Congratulations are in order…to the winner of our drawing for the standup paddleboard package from Asheville’s own Hellbender Paddleboards: Frank Southecorvo! Frank enjoys an occasional paddle, but we understand this inflatable board, paddle, and carrying case will be making someone on Frank’s Christmas list very happy. Many thanks to Hellbender for jump-starting the end-of-year giving season at RiverLink! |
|
|
| Thanks for being part of our French Broad River community! |
| RiverLink promotes the environmental and economic vitality
of the French Broad River and its watershed. Please join us with a gift today! |
|
|
| | Contact Us information@riverlink.org | 828-252-8474 |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
