| KCP Greenway Phase Breaking Ground Karen Cragnolin Park is an ambitious vision nearly twenty years in the making. Filling a vital link in Asheville’s growing network of recreational greenways and pollinator highways, the Greenway Phase of this former brownfield will create a new park to memorialize legendary French Broad River advocate and RiverLink founding Executive Director Karen Cragnolin. Tremendous gratitude to the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and the many generous supporters who brought fundraising for the $1M+ Greenway Phase across the finish line. Construction will begin in March with a community-wide ribbon cutting planned for Summer of 2023. |
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| |  | | | $1.2M Impact to Watershed Health 2022 was a rewarding and impactful year for our Watershed Resources Program. Highlights from this past year include: - 67 storm drains adopted through the Adopt-A-Storm Drain program
- 120 free rain barrels given to residents in 5 Asheville communities
- $574,000 awarded for the A-B Tech Green Infrastructure project, aimed to improve water quality in Haith Branch and the French Broad River.
A big thanks to our funders at E.P.A., N.C. Land & Water Fund, Pigeon River Fund and to the volunteers who have adopted a storm drain! 2023 promises to be another great year for work to protect and improve watershed health. In March, the Adopt-A-Storm Drain program will expand into the Reed Creek Watershed of North Asheville. Meanwhile, construction on the $650,000 Southside Community Stormwater Project is underway now; stay tuned for the planting of 6,111 native, edible, and medicinal plants including blueberry, cranberry, paw paw, and elderberry! |
| Upcoming Event: Streambank Repair Workshop We are partnering with NC Cooperative Extension to host a stream bank repair workshop on Saturday, March 18. Join us to learn how to improve and stabilize streambanks at risk! Click here to register |
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|  | |  | 4,300+ Future River Stewards Empowered Our education programs also made a significant impact in 2022: - 4,284 students explored local streams and rivers, deepened their understanding of freshwater ecology, and made meaningful connections with their environment.
- 42 schools in 4 counties received free programming.
- 48 campers had adventures and made memories on the river.
The demand for our education programs is continually growing and we've been thrilled to make connections with many new schools and community groups this past year. We brought our programming into multiple Title 1 schools including the Leicester community, summer school programs in Henderson County, plus afterschool and community-based groups. Anastacia Walsh, manager for a migrant education preschool program in Henderson County, had this to say: "The families and children we work with don't have many opportunities to spend time in nature, much less to find and identify life in streams or other natural places. Our stream exploration with RiverLink was important for parents and students to realize that there are jobs in science and conservation, and that healthy streams are worth protecting!" |
| Summer Camp Registration is Open! Our RiverCamp campers will visit waterfalls, national forests, lakes, swimming holes and more. They’ll learn about their local rivers and environment through science experiments, tours, and rafting/tubing trips down the river. This is a week-long day camp for rising 3rd-8th graders. RiverCamp is $350 for the week; full scholarships are available. |
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| Summer Camp Registration is Open! Our RiverCamp campers will visit waterfalls, national forests, lakes, swimming holes and more. They’ll learn about their local rivers and environment through science experiments, tours, and rafting/tubing trips down the river. This is a week-long day camp for rising 3rd-8th graders. RiverCamp is $350 for the week; full scholarships are available. |
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|  | | | 25 Easements and 139 Acres Protected Forever A new property expands our portfolio by 13% | RiverLink is excited to partner with Olivette Riverside Community & Farmwork to ensure 16.63 acres of the 400-acre "agrihood" remains preserved in perpetuity. Residents will learn about best management practices to support the conservation values that the easement was established to protect. The new easement, which closed in December 2022, safeguards 450 linear feet along Newfound Creek. The property hosts two North Carolina Heritage Program-priority species -- Eastern hemlock and riverbank wild rye -- and provides suitable habitat for several other rare and important native species. |
| | Land Managers, a Goodbye and a Hello Jack Henderson, mapmaker extraordinaire, experienced land trust professional, and generally great guy is moving on to his next endeavor. A paddler at heart, Jack is stepping into his dream role as French Broad Paddle Trail and Recreation Manager for Mountain True. We are so grateful for his excellent work to strengthen RiverLink’s Land Resources Program and forge lasting relationships within the communities we serve. Fair winds and following streams, Jack! |
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| Hailing from the same Potomac watershed in Northern Virginia as Jack, RiverLink’s new Land Resources Manager has arrived to carry the torch. Aweed Nyoka is trained in climate science, environmental policy, and organizational sustainability, and he brings a passion for eco-cultural restoration. He looks forward to promoting equitable river access, and we are excited for him to join our team. Aweed will work closely with RiverLink’s Watershed Resources Manager, Development Manager, and Stewardship Coordinator as the Land Resources Program continues to evolve. |
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| Hailing from the same Potomac watershed in Northern Virginia as Jack, RiverLink’s new Land Resources Manager has arrived to carry the torch. Aweed Nyoka is trained in climate science, environmental policy, and organizational sustainability, and he brings a passion for eco-cultural restoration. He looks forward to promoting equitable river access, and we are excited for him to join our team. Aweed will work closely with RiverLink’s Watershed Resources Manager, Development Manager, and Stewardship Coordinator as the Land Resources Program continues to evolve. |
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|  | |  | It’s been said that gratitude is the quickest path to joy – so let us take a moment to count our blessings, even as we make our blessings count. In 2022, some 800 RiverLink contributors delivered a watershed of support for our programs, surpassing our Annual Fund goal and generously supporting the creation of Karen Cragnolin Park's Greenway Phase. When you make a gift to RiverLink’s Annual Fund, you underwrite everything we do – from the creation of new parks and greenways to watershed health and restoration to discovery education delivered FREE to kindle the next generation of river stewards. For planting the seeds that will bear fruit for transformation in 2023 – for your belief in our mission – we thank you from the bottom of our hearts! Our Q4 contributors include area businesses that care about watershed health: |
| - Bear’s Smokehouse
- Baker Construction
- Blue Earth Planning, Engineering & Design
- Blue Heron Whitewater
- Bolton Construction & Service of WNC
- Equinox Environmental
- French Broad Outfitters
- French Broad Pediatric Associates
- Hellbender Paddleboards
- Lyman Street Investors
- New Belgium Brewing
- Penrose Environmental, LLC
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| - Bear’s Smokehouse
- Baker Construction
- Blue Earth Planning, Engineering & Design
- Blue Heron Whitewater
- Bolton Construction & Service of WNC
- Equinox Environmental
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- French Broad Outfitters
- French Broad Pediatric Associates
- Hellbender Paddleboards
- Lyman Street Investors
- New Belgium Brewing
- Penrose Environmental, LLC
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| Huge thanks to all our contributors through the 2022 Give!Local campaign at Mountain Xpress! Congratulations to the winners of the rain barrel kit: Doug and Olive Gates will be harvesting rainwater for use in their yard this year! Another rooftop recruited for sustainability! |
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| 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! |
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| | Contact Us information@riverlink.org | 828-252-8474 |
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