outdoors April 13-19, 2022 Smoky Mountain News 32
Fish, bird and drink through Earth Week Celebrate Earth Week with Mainspring Conservation Trust, which is hosting a slew of events in recognition. ■ Fishing for Conservation, a bass fishing competition benefiting Mainspring, will start at first light Saturday, April 16, at Ledford Boat Ramp at Lake Chatuge. Weigh-in is 3 p.m., and the entry fee is $100 per boat, with a first-place prize of $1,000. Second place wins $700 and third place $300. Register through 5:30 a.m. March 16 at mainspringconserves.com/events. Contact Alex Jump with questions at 828.524.2711, ext. 310. ■ Take a walk with bird connoisseur Jack Johnson at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 19, at Tessentee Bottomland Preserve in Macon County, which is stop 53 on the N.C. Birding Trail. Cost is $10 per person, with registration at mainspringconserves.com/events. Contact Rachel with questions at rnewcomb@mainspringconserves.org or 828.524.2711, ext. 305. ■ Green Drinks, an event targeted toward young professionals who love the outdoors, will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, at Nocturnal Brewing Company in Hayesville. Come for a casual meeting with others in the community to discuss the outdoors in the Southern Blue Ridge. Register at mainspringconserves.com/events.
Earth Day celebrations united against plastic waste Celebrate Earth Day in Haywood County this month by participating in a robust schedule of events focused on axing single-use plastics. Plastic bags like those supplied at grocery stores are used for an average of 12 minutes, with a typical family using 1,500 per year. A grocery store serving 2,000 families distributes 1-2 million bags annually. Plastic doesn’t break down like paper does — instead it breaks up into tiny particles called microplastics, contaminating water, air and food. Recent studies show that microplastics are in human tissue and blood as well. ■ Haywood Community College will celebrate Earth Day Thursday, April 21, with activities from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The day will kick off with rain garden maintenance and a tree planting followed by a Moon Tree dedication at 10 a.m., a bird walk at noon, another round of rain garden maintenance and tree planting at 12:30 p.m. and a tree walk at 1 p.m. A community partner showcase will be set up from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 30-minute student presentations given 10:30 a.m.-noon. The Spotted Banana Food Truck will be available 11 a.m.-2 p.m. All activities start in the Hemlock building lower lobby area. For more information, contact Michelle Williams at 828.627.4521. ■ On Friday, April 22, and Saturday, April 23, volunteers will visit participating retail
stores to inform customers about the dangers plastic bags pose and pass out the reusable ones sewn by Bring Your Own Bag
Haywood, a community effort led by Outdoor Mission Community and WNC Climate Action Coalition to oust plastic by creating reusable bags from scrap fabric. Participating stores include GO Grocery, Hometown Hardware, TSC, Mast General Store and the Haywood Historic Farmers Market at HART Theater, all in Waynesville. Food Lion locations in Clyde and Canton are participating as well. Ingles Markets and Food Lion of Canton are each
donating 200 reusable bags for the project. Ace Hardware and Junaluska Feed are supporters of the project, though bags will not be available at their stores. Completed reusable ■ A stream bags await cleanup 9-10:30 distribution on Earth a.m. Saturday, Day. Donated photo April 23, will get rid of trash at Allens Creek in Waynesville. The group will meet at the far end of the PetSmart parking lot and pick up trash along the streambank, parking lot and railroad tracks. Haywood Waterways Association, which is organizing the event, will provide gloves, trash bags, trash grabbers and vests. Volunteers should wear closed-toed shoes and long pants that can get dirty, and bring a towel. RSVP by April 21 to Christine O’Brien at christine.haywoodwaterways@gmail.co m or 828.476.4667, ext. 11. For more information, contact outdoormissioncommunity@gmail.com or visit wncclimateaction.com.
