|
RiverLink Welcomes
New Education Coordinator & Riverkeeper Assistant
RiverLink
is very excited to have 2 new staff members through the Americorp Project
Conserve Program; Ashley Brown replacing Kathryn Blau as the Education
Coordinator and Palmyra Romeo as the Riverkeeper Assistant.
RiverLink received applications from many qualified applicants and after
a month long interview/selection process, selected Ashley and Palmyra
based upon their impressive educational background and work experiences.
Please join us in welcoming Ashley and Palmyra to RiverLink!
 Ashley Brown comes to Riverlink with
a background in education and visual art. After graduating from Davidson
College with a BA in Studio Art, she worked with the Americorps VISTA
program in Philadelphia at a home for severely emotionally disturbed
children. She has developed an extensive education background
through her work as a therapist for troubled teens at SUWS of the
Carolinas and Phoenix Outdoor and teaching experience last year at
Asheville Montessori School. In her spare time, Ashley enjoys hiking with
her dog Dylan, painting, creating music, and cracking corny jokes. She is
excited to begin work with RiverLink and hopes she can inspire a love and
appreciation for the river through teaching, artistic expression, and a
little light heartedness.
 Palmyra Romeo is a recent graduate
from North Carolina State University where she studied Botany and
Environmental Technology. Palmyra complemented her undergraduate
study of the environment by working in the field and doing research, one
summer alongside the botanist for the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park, and another summer with biologists in Brazil. A study abroad
semester in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands piqued her interest in the
importance of sensitive and sustainable human interactions with the
environment and natural resources. Time in South America has also taught
Palmyra conversational Spanish.
Prior to RiverLink, Palmyra worked as an environmental technology and
education intern with Integrated Water Strategies, a Chatham County, NC
based company that develops on-site, low-impact systems for water
treatment and reuse. While there, Palmyra's tasks included system design
and maintenance, water quality testing and the development and
presentation of educational materials about sustainable water management
practices.
Palmyra spends much of her time out of doors either in the woods hiking
and camping or in her garden. When inside, she enjoys playing upright
bass with local bluegrass musicians and cooking fresh gourmet meals.
Palmyra is looking forward to exploring the nooks and crannies of the
French Broad River and working with the exceptional RiverLink staff and
its many volunteers to promote conservation, stewardship and sustainable
community use of North Carolina's precious waterways.
|
What is Muddy Water Watch (MWW)?
MWW is a state-wide initiative to reduce sediment runoff from
construction sites by providing training workshops and materials to help
volunteers understand erosion control violations, and how they can help
prevent our biggest polluter- sediment.
MWW organizers are looking for volunteers. No previous
knowledge of erosion and sedimentation is needed, just a motivation to
learn. We are looking for people to:
-monitor construction sites and take pictures of potential violations
-document and report streams, creeks, and other waterways that are
polluted with excessive sediment
-learn how to use several data storage websites
-take photographs after heavy rainfalls
-MUCH MORE!
Training Dates
The trainings will take place at RiverLink's office in Asheville on:
Sept. 9th (5:30-8:30pm)
Sept 23rd
(5:30-8:30pm)
Here you will find directions, job descriptions, contact
information, workshop dates and locations, and much more.
|
|
Save the French Broad!
As far back as the Cherokee
Indians, the French Broad Watershed has attracted people with its
stunning natural beauty and clean water. For the first time in over three
decades, the river is declining and threatened as never before.
Because of this critical moment in the
history of the French Broad River, RiverLink
and Sweetwater Beer are working
to Save the French Broad.
Numerous participating restaurants, bars,
and retail stores are partnering with RiverLink and Sweetwater Brewery to
help raise money to further RiverLink's mission, to make the French Broad
River a place to live work and play. Each business is selling paper fish
with the slogan "I gave my liver to save the river," and
t-shirts with the businesses logo on the front and the "Save the
French Broad" logo on the back.
Pick up a fish or shirt at one of these
participating businesses: RiverLink,
Eblen Short Stop (8 locations), Mellow Mushroom, Wildwings, Rocket Club,
Square Root, Scully's, Hannah Flannagins, Westville Pub, Lobster Trap,
Bier Garden, Tourist Stadium, Orange Peel, Vaso de Vino Wine Market,
Greenlife, and Biltmore Farms.
Stay tuned for more details on a
benefit concert at the Orange Peel.
www.savethefrenchbroad.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Give
us your ideas on how to make Karen Cragnolin Park your Park!
RiverLink and members of the French Broad River Garden Club
Foundation set up an information booth stocked with surveys, cookies and
lemonade to solicit input on the future uses at Karen Cragnolin Park on
Sunday August 24th. If you have some ideas about this "missing
link" click
here to take the survey and give us your
suggestions too!
Thank you for your input.
|
|
RiverLink
Volunteer River Cleanups
August River
Cleanup Tally
127 Volunteers
254 volunteer
hours
139 Bags
A big thank you to
all our awesome river cleanup volunteers!
Montreat College -
Swannanoa River
Mosaic
Church Adopt-A-Stream Team
Sweeten
Creek Fairview Rd to confluence with Swannanoa River
French
Broad Fly Fishers Adopt-A-Stream Team French Broad River
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upcoming River Cleanups
see Upcoming Events above
for more details
Sept
4, 10am
River
Cleanup for Hands on Asheville - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Sept
20, 10am
River
Cleanup with Biltmore Lakes Adopt-a-Stream Team
Oct.
11, 9am
Keep
America Beautiful Big Sweep River Cleanup with RiverLink & Quality
Forward
Oct
18
Neighborhood
Clean Your Stream Day
details
coming soon
|
|
French
Broad River Camps
The inaugural summer of RiverLink's French Broad River Camps were a great
success! Forty campers learned, played, and volunteered for the river.
Activities included canoeing, river cleanups, watershed education,
camping, whitewater rafting, and much more!
Click here to view photos of River
Camps
Thanks to everyone who helped our campers have a great time
on the river, and see you next year!
Thanks
to our generous sponsor!
|
|
|
|
River News
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
The river district artists gathered to celebrate John
Payne's life and contributions to the river arts on Saturday August
30. Led by the Firecracker Jazz band Johns family and friends
walked across the RiverLink Bridge with a New Orleans style parade
to his building on Roberts Street and the Wedge Brewing Company.
 In honor of John's soaring spirit
doves were releases over his building and we suspect John enjoyed every
minute of this well deserved tribute to his life and his art!
|
Interested
in the I-26 connector?
Come
on Tuesday September 16, to the Renaissance Hotel for a formal
presentation starting at 7:00 pm. A copy of all draft environmental
Impact Statement is available at http://www.ncdot.org/projects/126connector.
The presentation will consist of an explanation of the proposed corridor
location, design, right of way, relocation requirements/procedures and
the state/federal relationship. The hearing will be open to
those present for statements, questions and comments. There are currently
several alternatives under consideration. Public input will be part
of the information used in selecting an alternative.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
August
2008 Newsletter Correction:
Hollowpoint
was the "People's Choice" winner for the Rockin' RiverFest
Music Showcase & Competition on Saturday August 2nd. They were
given the $500 gift certificate to Musician's Workshop and the White
Water Recording studio time.
Jazz the Ripper won the "Wild Wings Choice"
award where they played at Wild Wings for the Rockin'
RiverFest after party and also received a $250 Wild Wing gift
certificate & $250 in cash.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
30-acre park planned near river
Citizen Times, August 25.
Citizen Times, August 23.
Citizen Times, August 22.
Citizen Times, August 17.
RiverLink Press Release, August 15.
Charlotte Observer, August 15.
Hendersonville Times-News, August 15.
Citizen Times, August 15.
Citizen Times, August 15.
Hendersonville Times-News, August 14.
Citizen Times, August 14.
Citizen Times, August 12.
Citizen Times, August 12.
Asheville Citizen Times, August 1.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
RiverLink
Magazine
Check out the latest issue of
RiverLink's magazine insert in Citizen Times!
Paper copies available at RiverLink's
offices and throughout the watershed at restaurants, coffee shops, and
bookstores.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
River
Fact
According to Melanie Williams, the
French Broad River Basin Planner with the North Carolina Department of
Water Quality, the miles of the French Broad that can be considered
"impaired" rose from 130.9 miles in 2006 to 273.8 miles in 2008.
Impaired waters are defined as those that "are not meeting water
quality standards or uses."
Williams estimated that nearly
two-thirds of the 273.8 miles of impaired waters were designated impaired
because of turbidity, also known as the presence of sediment in the water.
River Photo
Chris Manderson casts his fishing
rod in the the French Broad River on Tuesday. Because of the drought, the
river level is low.
Photo by Erin Brethauer, Asheville Citizen-Times
River
Quote
Water
is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and our children's
lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we
live on the land.
-
Luna Leopold
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Drought Update
Does the current drought have you wanting to conserve more water? If you
have questions or want to discuss how to build a rain barrel or install a
cistern, log on to the community
water harvesting and. Send an email to the
moderator to join.
The French Broad River watershed is currently in an
Exceptional Drought, the most severe level.
For more on the drought visit www.ncdrought.org/
|
|
