Conservation

New Partnership Provides Comprehensive Events Calendar for Earth Month

Hanni Muerdter pulls garlic and mustard. Photo courtesy of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy

By Emma Castleberry

With the warmer (and often rainier) weather of April comes not only an appreciation for the springtime flowers and green grass, but also a community-wide celebration of the planet itself. As you admire the blooming trees and daffodils, you might find yourself wondering how you can celebrate the fast approaching Earth Day. There are a myriad of opportunities for celebration and service and, fortunately, there is now a central resource that can help you plan your activities.

WNC for the Planet is a collective partnership of nonprofit organizations, universities and businesses that will host environmentally themed events and activities throughout the Western North Carolina area in April. “This partnership was created for the purpose of building community,” says Michael Craft of New Belgium Brewing Company, a partner of WNC for the Planet. “We wanted to collaborate, instead of compete, with each other. Instead of searching each nonprofit’s website, we created a central hub where environmentally focused nonprofits could share information for how and where the public can get involved.”

The calendar is already quite full with a variety of events, from trail workdays in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to cleanup days on the French Broad River. The partnership has ensured that there are events available for all ages and levels of ability. “By providing a central resource, we hope that people will have an easier time deciding what event or service project will be a best fit for them,” says Pauline Heyne, director of philanthropy at the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, a WNC for the Planet partner organization. “We are so fortunate to live in a community where people care about their environment and this resource will only make it easier for them to get involved.” Additionally, the cross-promotion of events will allow volunteers and donors to be introduced to organizations they might not be familiar with and make new connections in the community.

The calendar culminates Earth Month with a week of parties. RiverLink will host the Earth Day Kid’s Festival on Saturday, April 21, at Salvage Station. MountainTrue’s annual Earth Day Vigil, with a tree planting led by GreenWorks, will be held on Sunday, April 22, at First Baptist Church. Also on Sunday, New Belgium Brewing Company will host a celebration honoring volunteers and environmental advocates at its Liquid Center. “Once the month of April is over, the partnering organizations will meet to discuss what worked and what did not and see if there is a need from the community to have a year round environmental nonprofit calendar,” says Heyne. “We are lucky to have so many fantastic nonprofits working towards bettering our environment and an outstanding community that supports our work.”

For more information, including the online calendar of events, visit wncfortheplanet.org.

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