Asheville Greenworks Home
Latest News
May 21st through the 25th! Be a Bus Ambassador for the roll out of A-R-T and Strive Not To Drive.
There’s a natural connection between public transportation and interacting with people. Riding the bus sparks conversation and fosters real face time with others in the community. Now, the City of Asheville is looking for volunteers who have the knack for both to be “Bus Ambassadors” and help us introduce riders to the changes that are part of the new upgraded ART Transit System.
As the May 21 roll out date approaches, the City of Asheville has been engaging with the community to unveil the new routes, increased service frequencies and other changes that are part of the implementation of the first phase of the Transportation Master Plan. A touring gallery of new maps, route information and Google Transit demonstration has been making the rounds throughout City of Asheville neighborhoods to let people know about coming enhancements.
“We have had some very successful events and we have more planned, but what we need now are people from the community to help us spread the word about the great changes we’re going to see,” said Transportation Planner Mariate Echeverry.
In the weeks surrounding the roll-out, volunteer bus ambassadors will be stationed on buses and at the downtown Asheville transit center to provide tips and answer questions and help other riders get acquainted with the new system.
No experience is necessary and everyone is encouraged to take part; volunteers will take part in a training session about enhancements like Google Transit and route optimization and be equipped with maps, FAQ’s and a cool ART systems map T-shirt they can keep.
“This is a great opportunity for fans of multi-modal transportation, whether it is biking, walking or bus riding, to volunteer and show support for improving public transit.” Echeverry said. “You can come out and have fun, learn something new and help build the community’s awareness of transportation alternatives.”
To sign up as a volunteer, log in at handsonasheville.org or email iride@ashevillenc.gov for more information.
We’re recruiting stream “Captains” to help Asheville GreenWorks cleanup every major stream in Buncombe County!
Adopt a Stream for a day and clean it up with your business, friends, Church, Club or organization. All supplies for the cleanups will be provided by Asheville GreenWorks and our pals at River Link.
If you’ve had experience Volunteering with the GreenWorks or cleaning up rivers and streams, please ask how you can be made in charge of your cleanup.
Contact Eric Bradford to sign up your team today!
Ph 828-254-1776
Let’s make our watershed clean again!
*Photos and story courtesy of Bill Rhodes, Mtn Xpress
After a few hours of work, a group of 20 or so lounged on the hillside and talked about water. Unlike most conversations about water this month in Asheville, not about the water system, they were talking about runoff or storm water and how best to harness it.
Right now, storm water runs unimpeded down Morris Street until it hits the park. The city came and put an asphalt bump to divert the water further down the hill into their new collection pond further down the hill where the tennis courts used to be. But the water seems to have other ideas. A newly-developed channel leads straight down the hill and is now nearly 6-in. deep in some places.
Further west is the steep hillside garden area of the Buncombe Fruit and Nut Club, a volunteer group that has been working on bringing an edible garden space in West Asheville. Their two-year efforts led to a small harvest of a variety of crops last year, hazel nuts, pears, strawberries, and peaches were among the goodies. The hill overlooks the ball field, and facing west and south has no shortage of sun — water is the problem. The hill is too steep to retain water.
“Organic material can retain 900% of the water that enters it,” explains Bill Whipple, of the group. “What we need on a hill like this is a series of berms of organic materials with the plants below them, so as the water flows along the berm it is absorbed and enters the roots, and not the creek below.” To that end, the group raked and shoveled mulch into rows across the hillside, and using a plumb-bob mapping out a potential pipeline to divert the errant rainwater from the newly-forming canyon over to the trees. Sticks with surveyor’s tape now show how the water would run over to the trees and into the mulch.
“It looks like it will work,” said Whipple. “Now we have a clear path to show the city, and a way to solve this problem with a few volunteers.”
Original story courtesy of Mtn Xpress Here.
For more information or upcoming events with the Buncombe Fruit & Nut Club.
http://buncombefruitnuts.blogspot.com/
Thanks to Volunteers from Warren Wilson College, Danny Keaton of Danny’s Dumpster, Scott Craft of Arborcare and Patrick Crotty for chipping up Christmas Trees that were dropped off at the River Arts Recycling Center this year.
These trees will all be composted and converted into high quality topsoil.
