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The numbers are in and the river's looking great!

Annual Fund 2021: RiverLink supporters go beyond!

Early in 2021, RiverLink set a fundraising goal for our Annual Fund, which supports a healthy organization and undergirds every program from education to land protection to watershed health. With all donations counted, we’re thrilled to announce that you exceeded the goal by $20,000!! Thank you to the 444 supporters who contributed this year!! We celebrate your commitment to our mission, and we can’t wait to unveil some exciting projects in 2022!

Meet Our New Board Members

RiverLink is thrilled to welcome seven new community leaders to serve on our Board of Directors in 2022. These individuals bring a wealth of relevant skills and backgrounds to our organization that will further our mission to restore and revitalize the French Broad River Watershed. We appreciate their commitment to this community!

Please welcome:

Amita Peltz
Doug Baughman
Dr. Edward “Woody” Orris

Elizabeth Ann Gullum
Jenny Ostendorf
Ken Brame
Renee Mazurek

Get to Know Them Better

Give!Local Campaign Rain Barrel Winner

Give!Local is an annual fundraiser benefiting local nonprofits, sponsored by the weekly tabloid MountainXpress. This year, the first ten donors to make gifts of $100 and up to RiverLink were entered into a drawing to receive a free rain barrel. And the winners are... Sarah & Sam Hess from Haw Creek! Happy stormwatering, and thanks for your support for sustainability!

Land Protection by the Numbers

Thanks to your support, RiverLink has permanently protected over 140 acres across 35 properties throughout our time as a land trust. Our portfolio consists of lands we own as public parks and preserves, conservation easements we hold with partnering landowners, and easements on stream restoration projects.

One of our favorite projects is the Barnard Tract (pictured above), which protects 10 acres of riverside land and upland habitat in Madison County, and includes a campsite for travelers on the French Broad Paddle Trail. We are looking forward to protecting more land, and restoring more streams throughout 2022 and onward!

Thanks for all the hard work, KC Park Crew

We want to thank all the fantastic volunteers that gave their time, energy, and resources toward making the future Karen Cragnolin Park a reality. Our last KC Crew day came to a close in mid-December, netting a total of 831 volunteer hours invested in remediating KC Park since 2017! That's the equivalent of more than a month of round-the-clock work, including invasive plant removal, litter pick-ups, and more.

Essential goals are coming into view for the park honoring our founder, and we appreciate everyone who's contributed to this project so far. There's still plenty to do, and we hope you'll join us as the transformation of this riverfront green space continues.

Investing in the Next Generation

2021 was a great year for our education programs, thanks to the fantastic students, teachers, and campers who explored the river with us! We recently received $20,000 from the Walnut Cove Members Association to help fund our work empowering the next generation of river stewards! We are so grateful for their continued support of these experiential learning programs. These funds will allow RiverLink to continue offering high-quality environmental education at no cost to schools throughout the watershed, and will help underwrite another summer of RiverCamp. Here's to another awesome year of river education in 2022!

Adopt-A-Storm Drain

Thanks to the efforts of some devoted citizens, 100 storm drains in the Central Asheville Watershed have been adopted by individuals, couples, businesses, and groups! Before now, maintenance of these drains was haphazard or absent, leading to clogs and other misuses that direct waste to local streams and cause flooding in streets. We deeply appreciate the volunteers who have taken on the stewardship of these storm drains. Thanks to your effort and dedication, the Central Asheville Watershed is cleaner, more resilient, and better prepared for storms of all sizes.

TEASER: Due to the enormous success of our pilot Adopt-A-Storm Drain Program, we will be adding another Asheville-area watershed in need. Stay tuned to see if you work, live, or play in the next watershed to be included in RiverLink's Adopt-A-Storm Drain Program.

Hold the Salt

Salt can really damage our waterways. Just 12 ounces of salt — or a full coffee mug — is all it takes to effectively 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.

Learn Best Practices for De-Icing

We are excited for the journey ahead--and thrilled you are with us.

Whatever part of our mission inspires you--whether it's educating the next generation of river stewards... advancing land and water management for a healthy watershed...or energizing economic vitality and public access in a thriving French Broad riverway...