Environmental & Conservation Organization is dedicated top reserving the natural heritage of Henderson County and the mountain region through Service, Education, Recreation, and Civic Action.
Environment
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Trout Unlimited Land-of-Sky is an organization of anglers and conservationists dedicated to the protection of trout and their habitat. Visit their site to learn more about those trout streams within casting distance of Asheville.
Become an Energy-Efficiency Volunteer to help weatherize low-income homes
Looking for a fun hands-on volunteer opportunity to make a real impact in our WNC community by helping to lower the energy cost burden of limited-income families AND reduce energy consumption in the fight against climate change? Energy Savers Network does just that. Our team is comprised of passionate, dedicated volunteers who share their talents contributing to a wide variety of tasks–from weatherizing homes with energy-efficiency upgrades to building interior storm windows and canvassing low-income neighborhoods in Buncombe County. Come learn new skills and enjoy meeting new people in the process.
Our Client workdays consist of going out to homes and implementing small energy-efficiency upgrades and retrofits that save the client 25-50% on their energy bills. You can sign up for a full workday on a home from 9:30am – 2pm or you can sign up for our Housing Authority of Asheville (HACA) project from 10am-1pm. There will be a Team Leader to help guide you through the process and you must sign a volunteer waiver as well as read through our Volunteer Preparation & Client Communication page.
Our Window Workshops are meant to build interior storm windows for our low-income single-pane homes to help keep them warm in winter. They are scheduled on Thursday evenings as needed.
Our Canvassing Volunteer opportunity helps with Client Outreach and can happen on your own time using an online Canvassing map, clipboard, signup sheets, and fliers to hand out. If you know spanish this is a huge plus as we do visit latin x communities!
Asheville GreenWorks is a volunteer-based organization working to achieve a clean and green Asheville and Buncombe County through community organizing, educating and environmental stewardship.
If you want to get involved in helping to preserve Asheville and Buncombe County’s heritage, then get involved with this organization.You will enjoy the people and the projects on which you will have an opportunity to work.
Riverlink is a regional non-profit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River and its tributaries as a place to live, work and play.
A Western North Carolina community-based collaborative focused on sustaining farms and rural communities through an integrated action program of farmland protection, sustainable production systems, policy development, and promotion.
The Western Carolina Botanical Club (WCBC) was founded in 1973 by a small group of residents in Western North Carolina who wanted to learn about the plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The mission of the Club is to identify and study native plants and their habitats and to advocate the protection of biodiversity in our natural world.
The Black Mountains Conservation Project is a project of the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition which seeks to educate local communities about this unique biological region.
Mountain True, previously called WNC Alliance, is a grassroots environmental organization that works to promote a sense of stewardship and caring for the natural environment. Citizens and chapters protect and preserve our natural land, water and air resources through education and public participation in policy decisions at all levels of business and government. They have chapters in Haywood, Buncombe, Macon, Jackson, Clay, Cherokee and Watauga Counties, as well as task forces dedicated to forests and public parks.
WNC Green Building Council is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization whose mission is to promote environmentally responsible and health conscious building practices through community education.
Green roofs, naturally built bus shelters, beautiful murals and mosaics, tree plantings, neighborhood gathering places built by the people who live there,; ponds that catch, clean, and re-use rain water, simultaneous neighborhood block parties, multicultural exchanges, herb walks downtown, theatre in the streets, urban regeneration, more community gardens; more bicyclists; a Green Kid’s Parade & Festival, Pritchard Park as Vilalge Squar, volunteering for a better Asheville.
The Western North Carolina Nature Center is the first place where area children meet the animals they have read about. Deers, bears, cougars, wolf, racoons, birds and even farm animals are there for all to learn about. Exhibits on area poisonous snakes are worth absorbing. An aviary, self-guided nature trail and petting zoo make this a great place for the family. Small admission fee.
Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project is dedicated to the protection of Southern Appalachian’s native ecosystems and wildlife through education, public organizing, and legal advocacy.
CarolinaHealth and Environment Community Center is a virtual center where individuals and community groups can find information about health and environmental issues.Dogwood Alliance is a growing regional network, comprised of 70 grassroots organizations in 17 states and concerned citizens from across the nation. We share a mission of protecting Southern forests and communities by engendering broad-based, diverse support for ending unsustainable industrial forest practices.