Earth Day is April 22, a time for people to gather and celebrate the Earth. A time for environmental education and litter pick ups to help move toward a more sustainable future. Here is a list of ways to get involved in the days leading up to Earth Day and on Earth Day.
Community Farm Hike: 10 a.m. April 18, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, 180 Mag Sluder Road, Alexander. Monthly farm hike/tour guides participants across two-mile Discovery Trail loop to explore through forests, fields, agroforestry projects and more. You may even get a glimpse of the newest member of the resident Highland Coo family. $10. Visit www.appalachian.org.
Hendo Earth Fest: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. April 19 in downtown Hendersonville. Participation/hands-on activities and demonstrations designed to educate, renew and expand action to protect Western North Carolina environment and natural resources. Visit https://forms.gle/iMtmXJynN6Y8Ti4s9 to volunteer.
Pisgah Project Day: Sign up to volunteer in the Pisgah Ranger District in Transylvania County on April 26. Projects will include trail maintenance, fence repair, invasive plant removal, trash clean up, native planting and gardening. Register by April 21 at https://www.pisgahconservancy.org/pisgah-project-day/.
Earth Day clean up and service projects: 9 a.m.-noon April 22, Lake Julian Park, 37 Lake Julian Road, Arden. Assist with landscaping and debris removal. Tools and materials provided. Volunteers must be 16 years of age or older. Volunteers groups are limited in capacity, so volunteer registration is required. Hosted by Buncombe County Parks and Recreation. Call (828) 250-4260.
MountainTrue river clean-up in Buncombe County: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. April 22, Help clean up trash left behind by Tropical Storm Helene in Buncombe County. Remove trash and debris along the riparian areas. This is a land-based clean-up. The exact location will be emailed to participants closer to the date. Visit https://mountaintrue.org/event/mountaintrue-river-clean-up-in-buncombe-county-nc-4-22/.
Explore Asheville Travel & Hospitality Earth Day Cleanup: 2-4:30 p.m. April 22 in Biltmore Village: Village Pub, Black Mountain: Foothills Grange, downtown: Kimpton Hotel Arras, River Arts District: The Radical, Weaverville: Eluvium Brewing Company. Welcome remarks and instructions, a one-hour cleanup, post-cleanup social. Each neighborhood will have a host venue for a pre- and post-cleanup meetup. Visit Explore Asheville Travel & Hospitality Earth Day Cleanup Tickets, Tue, Apr 22, 2025 at 2:00 PM | Eventbrite.
Earth Day program: 2:30-4 p.m. April 22, Hendrick-Rhodes Building, 900 N. Main St., Hendersonville. The League of Women Voters of Henderson County hosts “Local Environmental Advocacy-Yesterday,Today, and Tomorrow,” a discussion about the local environmental scene and Environmental and Conservation Organization (ECO) that helped lead the way. Light refreshments will be served. Accessible parking behind building. Visit www.lwvhcnc.org.
Opening reception for exhibit “Duality in Nature”: 4-6 p.m. April 22, The Gallery at Flat Rock, 2702A Greenville Hwy. Flat Rock. Works exploring aspects of the natural world. Additional events include a poetry reading by Flat Rock poet Karen Luke Jackson and presentation by Jenn Tutor, director of development of Conserving Carolina, about organization’s response to Tropical Storm Helene’s damage to natural areas and ways WNC residents can be involved in recovery efforts. On exhibit through May 10. Visit www.galleryflatrock.com.
Earth Day Learn and Play: 3:30-6:30 p.m. April 22, Kanuga, 130 Kanuga Chapel Drive, Hendersonville. Meet local animal ambassadors, catch critters in the stream, sow native seeds, and learn in mini-ecology classes. Free. Call (828) 692-9136 or email info@kanuga.org.
Earth Week Mini Film Festival: 6 p.m. April 24, Ferguson Health Sciences Building, room 306, Mars Hill University. Two films that explore Appalachian biodiversity. “The Last Dragons” (10 minutes, 2014) looks at the endangered hellbender salamander and “Paradise” (71 minutes, 2025) follows Joe Hollis who lived off of the grid for 50 years at the foot of the highest mountains in the east, on land that “boasts over a thousand different species, including many that can’t be found anywhere else in the country.” The films will be followed by a Q&A and discussion. Free admission.
Sullivan Park Community Planting Day & Giveaway: 10-11:30 a.m. April 25, 713 Martin Circle, Hendersonville. Native trees and plants help control erosion, improve water quality, and create vital habitats. The group will plant a variety of native trees to enhance stormwater management and protect the environment. Gloves and tools will be provided. Hendersonville’s Environmental Sustainability Board is giving away free native plants for rain gardens or streambank planting, while supplies last, for Hendersonville city residents.
Appalachia Day Hike to Blue Ridge Pastures: 8:30 a.m. April 26. Moderately strenuous six mile out-and-back trek on Strawberry Gap Trail (created by Conserving Carolina in partnership with SAHC). Guided group hike experiences beauty of SAHC-protected land. Despite a mostly uphill three-mile climb, hikers will be rewarded with dramatic views of the Hickory Nut Gorge, Bearwallow Mountain, Little Pisgah Mountain. No dogs. $10, free for members. Register by April 23 at www.appalachian.org.
Spring Festival: 1-4 p.m. April 26, Lake Julian Park, 37 Lake Julian Road, Arden. Games, pontoon boats, Earth Day crafts and education, kayak demos from waterways, make a mini greenhouse, visit with community partners. Free. Registration not required. Hosted by Buncombe County Parks and Recreation.
From the Earth Festival: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. April 26, Trailside Brewing Co., 893 Lenox Park Drive, Hendersonville. 40 earth-friendly vendors, nature-themed artists, nurseries/farmers, sustainable home products, workshops, environmental talks, face painting, music, food trucks. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/3090697361093082/.
Appalachia Day: Noon-6 p.m. April 26, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, 57 Sugar Hollow Road, Fairview. Food trucks, artisan/vendor market, farm activities, music by the Root Diggers, Old Charlotte Highwaymen, and Dan Shearin of River Whyless. In-field demonstration of ecological health index on a pasture 1-3 p.m. Pony rides noon-4 p.m. for $10. Free admission. Raffle tickets and 6:30 p.m. concert by Darren Nicholson Band for $20. Visit www.appalachian.org or www.hickorynutgap.com.
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