Find out how you can celebrate our planet for Earth Month
Western North Carolina is a beautiful place, and its people have a special connection to our mountains and the rivers and streams that flow from their pristine headwaters and wind their away around our villages, towns and cities. This love of earth and planet is deep, and it binds us to the fates and fortunes of people, plants and animals everywhere.
That’s why Western North Carolina is celebrating Earth Day throughout the entire month of April by coming together to act locally and think globally. This year, local community and environmental groups have teamed up to offer a myriad of virtual and socially distanced service opportunities, workshops, educational events, and celebrations.
All of these opportunities to connect with your environment have been collected into an interactive bingo card for you to explore. Make sure to track any activities you engage with, and for every row or column of activities that you complete you can be entered to win a swag bag from the participating environmental groups!
Our Impact … and Counting
2021 by the numbers
| Join the celebration and complete an activity on this years bingo card! |
GET INVOLVED
Think Globally, Act Locally.
LATEST ARTICLES
Follow the latest in the lead-up to and throughout the month of April.
Volunteer Testimonials: Take Their Word for It
We know organizations are telling you to get involved in their work all the time. As a collective of environmental non-profits, we too think that you should help us take care of our planet. But you don't have to take our word for it, hear what our volunteers have to say about it instead. "Our planet is sending us signals that we need to take better care of it. Recent devastating fires and floods are both examples that come to mind. There is no doubt that action is needed so we can continue to live safely as [...]
OPINION: Promoting Appreciation First, the Problem of Ecophobia
By: Justin Young, Program Manager, RiverLink I believe that many environmentalists are deterring children from engaging with nature. Most of us in WNC have a passion for showing our kids the beauty of their natural surroundings. We want them to appreciate the peace and serenity that nature provides and the way that we as humans rely on the environment. Unfortunately, with all of the problems facing the planet it can be hard to focus on what made nature so special when we were kids. It’s difficult for teachers, parents and the general public to talk about environmental concepts without bringing [...]
OPINION: Know Your Public Lands for Earth Month
By: Marielle DeJong, North Carolina Communications & Operations Coordinator, Friends of the Smokies On any given weekend, North Carolinians seeking out a scenic day outdoors could venture to Looking Glass Rock in Pisgah National Forest as easily as Cataloochee Valley in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Both spots offer hiking, opportunities for wildlife viewing, and scenic views of sunrises and sunsets. But behind the scenes, the ways that they’re managed and funded differ significantly. These places are among the many natural landscapes and waterways accessible to the public in Western North Carolina, all of which are managed by different federal, [...]
OPINION: Why good environmental policy is good business
By Bob Wagner and Carl Silverstein, GUEST COLUMNIST Published 7:17 a.m. ET April 27, 2018 When we talk about conservation and the environment, we often talk about the personal sacrifices we make to live more sustainably. However, caring for the planet is about more than altruism — it’s also good business, with demonstrable economic benefits. For those of us living in Western North Carolina the payback for our environmental efforts is profound: tons of outdoor recreation opportunities and a vibrant local economy. Outdoor recreation in North Carolina generates $28 billion in annual consumer spending, pays $8.3 billion in wages and [...]
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