French Broad River Series starts March 2, kicks off countdown to Riverfest

Kim Gundler
·6 min read
Two people on a spring canoe trip make their way down the French Broad River.
Two people on a spring canoe trip make their way down the French Broad River.

Among the many treasures of Transylvania County, the French Broad River is one of the richest. Considered one of the oldest rivers in the world, the French Broad begins right above us on the Blue Ridge Parkway, as rain falling at Devil’s Courthouse.

Flowing past Rosman then entering it’s wide floodplain through Brevard, some of us cross this river daily, and wonder about its natural and cultural history. If this describes you, the Transylvania County Extension Service and Conserving Carolina are offering a series of lectures, field trips and service days to better acquaint you with your river and give you ways to explore and act on its behalf.

The series is divided into five parts, and each part will have lecture (LEARN), field trip (EXPLORE), and service day (ACT) components. Lectures will be presented by local experts, authors and scientists. Field trips will highlight the topics introduced by the speakers, and service days will act upon those topics.

John E. Ross will be one of the speakers during the French Broad River Series. This is a photo of his book called "Through the Mountains: The French Broad River and Time."
John E. Ross will be one of the speakers during the French Broad River Series. This is a photo of his book called "Through the Mountains: The French Broad River and Time."

Pre-registration is required for all components of the series, and may be made at the NC Cooperative Extension website (https://transylvania.ces.ncsu.edu/2023/02/french-broad-river-series-to-kick-o%ef%ac%80-countdown-to-riverfest/). Feel free to pick and choose among components, or sign up for all of them and become a French Broad River advocate. Then, on June 17, there will be a celebration of the French Broad River at Riverfest in Rosman. Educational displays, food, music, and free tubing on the French Broad River will be offered to all.

For more information, contact Kim Gundler at kim@conservingcarolina.org. Listed below the five parts of the series with detailed descriptions of each part.

  • PART 1: Settling the FBR WatershedLEARN: 1-2 p.m. March 2 in Rogow Room, Transylvania County Public Library. John. E. Ross, author of Through the Mountains and a Thomas Wolfe Literary and Reed Environmental Writing awards finalist, will guide participants through the interconnection between the natural history of the French Broad watershed and the people it has sustained throughout the last 15,000 years.EXPLORE: 1-4 p.m. March 3 at DuPont State Recreational Forest and Cedar Mountain Moonshine. Trevor Freeman, Public Programs Director of the Western North Carolina Historical Association will guide a hike in DuPont State Forest, exploring the lifestyles of the early settlers in the area. This hike of approximately three miles will include a stop at an old quarry and a discussion about moonshining in the area. It will finish with a visit to Cedar Mountain Moonshine where everyone will have a moonshine tasting.ACT: 10 a.m.-noon March 4 at Transylvania Heritage Museum. This will be a workday at the Transylvania Heritage Museum where participants will be sprucing up raised beds and other assorted spring cleaning activities to get the museum ready for the new season.

  • Part 2: The Geology of Waterfalls in the FBR WatershedLEARN: 1-2 p.m. April 20 at the Rogow Room in the Transylvania County Public Library. Bill Jacobs, author of Whence These Special Places, will speak about the special geological features of the French Broad River watershed and how those features contribute to the astounding number of waterfalls in the area.EXPLORE: 1-3 p.m. April 28 at DuPont State Recreation Forest. Education Outreach Coordinator Katelyn Keller will have a guided hike to the three largest waterfalls in DuPont and discuss how the unique geology of the French Broad River watershed determines the shape of these falls.ACT: 8:30-11 a.m. April 29 at DuPont State Recreation Forest. On this day of service at DuPont, participants will help maintain view-sheds using hand tools and herbicide application at one of the most popular waterfalls in the park, High Falls.

  • PART 3: Invertebrates of the French Broad River WatershedLEARN: 1-2 p.m. May 10 in the Rogow Room in the Transylvania County Public Library. Luke Etchison, PhD, Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, will have a program on the state of the invertebrates of the French Broad River watershed. A specialist in mussels and crayfish, he will introduce theseimportant, but lesser-known residents of the local waterways.EXPLORE: 2-4 p.m. May 19 for an Oxbow River Snorkeling trip. This river snorkeling adventure offers many opportunities to observe numerous aquatic insects and other invertebrates such as the French Broad Crayfish, and maybe even the legendary and protected Hellbender salamander. There is a fee of $100 per person for this field trip.ACT: 10 a.m.-noon May 12 at Mills River Partnership. Participants will be joining the Mills River Partnership for amacroinvertebrate stream assessment. This involves identifying aquatic insects that live in the stream, and using those identifications to determine stream quality. Training will be provided.

  • PART 4: Vertebrates of the French Broad River WatershedLEARN: 1-2 p.m. June 1 at the Rogow Room in the Transylvania County Public Library. Mike Knoerr, wildlife biologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, will present: “Hellbenders and Bog Turtles: Natural history and conservation of a giant salamander and a tiny turtle in Western North Carolina." Knoerr will improve the participants' understanding of the status of these rare reptiles and amphibians and address restoration projects that improve habitat conditions for hellbenders and bog turtles.EXPLORE: 9-11 a.m. Jun 2 at Davidson River Outfitters. This will take participants on the banks of the Davidson River, which is a tributary of the French Broad. Here, Davidson River Outfitters will offer a fly fishing demonstration andaddress how human users of the area's rivers affect fish and macroinvertebrate habitats.ACT: 10 a.m.-noon June 3 at Defenders of Wildlife. Defenders of Wildlife will explain how it creates habitat for Hellbenders. Participants will get to participate in a habitat restoration project on the Mills River, another tributary of the French Broad River.

  • PART 5: Challenges and Opportunities in the French Broad River WatershedLEARN: 1-2 p.m. July 6 at the Rogow Room in the Transylvania County Public Library. Jack Henderson, River Trails Steward with Mountain True, will talk about the many challenges that the French Broad River watershed has come up against in the past and the opportunities that are presented now to keep the river flowing in the right direction.EXPLORE: 1-4 p.m. July 7 - French Broad River Float. Participants will get on the river on a Class 1 and Class 2 urban float on the French Broad. Trevor Freeman from the Western North Carolina Historical Association will be talking about past challenges to the health of the French Broad, and Jack Henderson of Mountain True will be talking about ways we are currently addressing these challenges to keep the river healthy. Inflatable rafts and kayaks will be used and a fee is required.ACT: 10 a.m.-noon July 8 on the banks of the French Broad River at Mud Creek. This service day with Mountain True will take place on one of the many riverside campsites on the French Broad River. Participants will work on repairing and replacing campsite equipment, picking up litter and/or removing invasive species in the peripheral areas.

Kim Gundler is an AmeriCorps member with Conserving Carolina. Contact her at kim@conservingcarolina.org.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: French Broad River Series starts March 2, kicks off countdown to Riverfest