Local School Raises Funds for Clean Water
This year, students at Rainbow Mountain Children’s School in Asheville have been learning about global water resource issues. Rainbow Mountain recently worked with Blue Planet Run, an international charity that builds wells in rural African villages, and Earth Voyage, a local group of educators and artisans working to help students cultivate an understanding of local and global environmental stewardship (see Life’s Leaders on page 62), to raise awareness and money to fund safe drinking water projects for people in need worldwide. Blue Planet Run held a 24-hour trail running festival in Black Mountain just before summer began, in which Rainbow Mountain teachers, parents and students took home top honors. The students also demonstrated their knowledge of global water issues in Earth Voyage’s World Water Game, raising $1,000 that was donated to Blue Planet Run for their projects. For more information on Blue Planet Run, visit www.blueplanetrun.org. To learn more about Earth Voyage, visit www.earthvoyage.org, and to learn more about Rainbow Mountain Children’s School, visit www.rmcs.org.

Rain Barrel Kits Available
It’s summer and showers abound. The Buncombe County Cooperative Extension is offering ready-made rain barrels and make-your-own rain barrel kits so you can harvest that rainwater for reuse. For more information, visit http://buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu.

Mountain Housing Receives Grants for CFLs
Progress Energy and the Community Energy Advisory Council recently granted Mountain Housing Opportunities (MHO) $4,100 to purchase CFLs, or compact fluorescent bulbs, for Crowell Park, their newest affordable rental property project in West Asheville. MHO wants to install CFLs for their cost-saving benefits to residents and their environmental benefit to WNC. Progress Energy Carolinas created the Community Energy Advisory Council in May to help the company implement energy-efficiency programs in order to meet their goal of achieving 2,000 megawatts of efficiency, as well as to advise the company on plans to meet our region’s electricity demands reliably, affordably and in an environmentally sound manner. The panel includes 18 members who represent local government, environmental organizations, renewable energy companies and area businesses. Construction of Crowell Park will be completed this summer. The project will feature additional energy-efficiency measures along with the CFLs, as well as employ more eco-friendly building practices. MHO is a private, community development corporation whose mission is to build and improve homes, neighborhoods and communities for the people of Asheville and Buncombe County. This year marks their 20th year of service. For more information, visit www.mtnhousing.org or www.progress-energy.com.

Music Festival’s Proceeds to Benefit Area Green Organizations
The first annual music festival Music on the Mountain, to be held in Boone on August 23, will donate a portion of its proceeds to NC Green Power, the Appalachian State University Energy Center and High Country Conservancy, a local land trust. For more information on the event, visit www.musiconthemountain.net. For more information on the sustainable organizations receiving funding from the event, visit www.ncgreenpower.org, www.energy.appstate.edu and www.highcountryconservancy.org.

Share Your News
Know of a local nonprofit actively working on issues related to sustainability? Are you a member of a group pioneering green in our area? Send your press releases with the subject “Live Local” to submissions@newlifejournal.com.

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