While tips for greening up your daily life are appearing everywhere from the pages of your favorite magazine to prime time TV programs, it can still be difficult to take what you see or read and make it work for you. In other words, the value of first-hand or hands-on experience rings true. Luckily, Western North Carolina is not only home to many nonprofit organizations but also home to an abundance of eco-nonprofits, with focuses ranging from slowing development to helping you create the green home of your dreams. So, if you need some advice on installing solar panels or aren't sure how to create an organic garden in your urban space, don't worry, these folks can help.

Kleiwerks International
Kleiwerks International formed back in 1998 with hopes of teaching natural building skills to individuals and empowering them to build their own natural homes. The group obtained official nonprofit status in 2003 under another organization and received their own official status earlier this year.

Mission: Significant changes to and expansion of Kleiwerks' original goals have occurred, says founding director Janell Kapoor, who shares that the current mission is to "promote social transformation and ecological regeneration through teaching and demonstrating natural building and hands-on sustainable solutions."

How They Can Help: With teaching and demonstration at the core of Kleiwerks' purpose, they are here to help you bring sustainability into your lives. Hands-on trainings include national natural building colloquiums, a national and international network of sustainability pioneers available to share information, and the Ashevillage Building Convergence, a ten-day, citywide sustainability event planned for June 2008. You can also head to the Ashevillage Institute (AVI) a few blocks from downtown Asheville. Although in the early stages of development, the Institute will become an urban education center that puts sustainability into action for the community. Kleiwerks hosts free volunteer work days at AVI Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9am-5pm, where you can gain hands-on experience in natural building, but you'll want to call first if you plan on heading over.

Keep an Eye on Kleiwerks: According to Janell, focus into 2008 remains on organizing the first Ashevillage Building Convergence in June and seeing it become an annual event in the future. The group will also continue conducting trainings for teachers and activists in other countries, reaching communities in Chiapas, Mexico and Hopi.

Be in Touch: Kleiwerks International is headquartered in the Ashevillage Institute, located at 82 Buchanan Avenue in Asheville. For more information about Kleiwerks, including the upcoming Convergence, trainings and hands-on opportunities, call 828-225-8820, email info@kleiwerks.org or abc@ashevillage.org, or visit http://www.kleiwerks.org and http://www.ashevillage.org.

Western North Carolina Green Building Council
Those that live in or visit our area do so for its natural beauty. So, it's no surprise that with the recent popularity and development of the area, some red flags have gone up. In 2001, a group of concerned professionals and citizens came together with the desire to educate others on the health and environmental impacts of building design and construction, and the Western North Carolina Green Building Council (WNCGBC) was born.

Mission: According to Maggie Leslie, program director for the Council, the group has stayed on course since 2001 with a mission to "promote environmentally sustainable and health-conscious building practices through community education."

How They Can Help: WNCGBC offers programs for any point on the green building continuum. Green Building 101 is a monthly educational series consisting of one four-hour course on a different topic led by a local expert in the field. The Council is also the brainchild behind the HealthyBuilt Homes certification program, which provides guidelines for green builders and homeowners looking to reduce their environmental impact when building. One of the Council's newest programs, App Offsets, helps "individuals, businesses or organizations identify how they use energy in their home/office, learn to reduce it and then offset their footprint through local renewable energy and efficiency initiatives." WNCGBC currently has partnerships with both the Asheville Housing Authority and Mountain Voices Alliance. Also look out for social events and presentations sponsored by the group that provide opportunities for like-minded citizens to get together and learn from one another.

Keep an Eye on WNCGBC: If you're a local business or municipality, WNCGBC has their sights on helping you reduce energy consumption and greening your operation in the future. And don't feel left out if you don't have the capacity to build from the ground up; the group is also working to expand their services and impact on existing homes and renovation projects.

Be in Touch: For more information on the services of the WNCGBC, call 828-254-1995, email info@wncgbc.org or visit them on the web at http://www.wncgbc.org.

ECO - Environmental and Conservation Organization
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of ECO, which began as a hiking club to get people out into the local landscape. Since their beginnings in 1987, the group has grown significantly. "Participants became alarmed with the growing degradation of the natural environmental and wanted to become the environmental voice to stand up to unchecked development," says executive director David Weintraub.

Mission: Today, the once hiking-club is focused on service, education, recreation and advocacy concerning area growth.
How They Can Help: As part of their focus on recreation, ECO hosts monthly hikes throughout the region to help residents see, appreciate and learn about the natural beauty of WNC. In terms of service, the group performs water quality monitoring of area streams and watersheds. "Pure water is the basis of all life, and our water quality work helps to protect this important resource," says David. You can volunteer to help with the analysis of these waterways to ensure the health of our community and ecosystems. ECO also runs monthly seminars and lectures on everything from green building to backyard wildlife habitats and energy efficiency. Their program Project Green Light encourages community businesses, churches and neighborhoods to go green by linking people to alternative energy resources as well as advising them to switch from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescents. And, to keep you abreast of the latest ways you can help have a positive impact on the environment, ECO hosts a Clean Air Car Fair at the SEE Expo (For more information, visit
http://www.seeexpo.com.), which offers previews of hybrid and other alternative fuel technologies.

Keep an Eye on ECO: ECO has plans to help establish a Henderson County wide recycling program as well hopes of creating a "green space" master plan to help protect area green spaces.
Be in Touch: You can find ECO at 121 Third Avenue West, Suite 4 in Hendersonville, NC. For more information about their programs, call 828-692-8062, email eco@eco-wnc.org or visit http://www.eco-wnc.org.

Long Branch Environmental Education Center
The beautiful surroundings of greater Asheville and the ever-growing desire by us humans to inhabit the area was impetus for the creation of Long Branch Environmental Education Center (LBEEC) thirty-three years ago. According to director Paul Gallimore, "Our intent [when forming LBEEC] was to figure out how humans could meet basic needs and live in harmony with nature." The longest running nonprofit in this featured group, LBEEC has had significant time to expand upon their dedication to conservation, research and education about sharing natural habitat. The center is home to the nonprofits' headquarters, six residences and a community center.

Mission: Today, conservation, research and education remain their mission, but they're tackling even more, as can be seen in their statement: Conservation, Education, Design and Demonstration, Advocacy, Research and Restoration, and Sustainability, or CEDARS. They strive to encourage conservation of all ecosystems and natural resources, educate the public about sustainable practices, design and demonstrate sustainable systems, advocate for conservation, research methods for sustainability, restore our ecology and encourage sustainability on all levels.

How They Can Help: While all letters of the acronym present opportunities for action on an individual level, perhaps the D's exemplify their offerings the best. The Center showcases how humans can live in harmony with the natural surroundings. On their site, about eighteen miles northwest of Asheville, you can see demonstrations of applied solar energy, passive solar buildings, a solar green house, domestic water heating, a passive solar composting toilet (they even have blueprints available so you can build your own!) and micro-hydro power systems. The site is also a working demonstration of edible landscape and permaculture design, featuring everything from heritage red raspberries and heirloom apples you can pick yourself to their own creation: a blend of the American chestnut and Chinese chestnut. This project hopes to restore the native chestnut species and bring it back from extinction so it can continue to provide adequate food for humans and wildlife. The chestnut is also a great air purification and shade tree, which can help with passive cooling approaches. The trees can be seen working in those capacities on the property and are also available for you to purchase and take home.

Keep an Eye on LBEEC: Long Branch hopes to continue on their current path. "We want to help people get grounded in the ecology of our bioregion and do practical things to enhance their life and minimize their footprint," says Paul.

Be in Touch: For more information on the resources available to you through LBEEC, visit http://www.longbrancheec.org or call 828-683-3662. You can also purchase Healing Appalachia: Sustainable Living Through Appropriate Technology by Paul Gallimore and Al Fritsch on LBEEC's website and at the Center; if purchased at the Center, a small percentage of the profit is put back into the group's work.

Bountiful Cities Project
In 2000, a small group of individuals wanting to strengthen the area's urban agriculture created Bountiful Cities Project, or BCP. They serve as a resource to help urban dwellers start their own gardens, and to do so, BCP partners with the City of Asheville and its neighborhoods, schools and other nonprofits. "Our goals have broadened [since 2000]," says Gwen Croft, media manager. "As food becomes more expensive and a shortage of good paying jobs grows, urban agriculture is even more valuable."

Mission: BCP's mission statement is clear: "To create, on urban land, beautiful community spaces that produce food in abundance and foster a learning environment for social justice and sustainability."

How They Can Help: BCP will help you get your hands in the dirt, literally! The six community gardens supported by Bountiful Cities offer many opportunities for citizens to volunteer and learn how to grow crops in an urban setting. The garden space can also be used for events like community potlucks and workshops. Workshops put on by the group can teach you how to build healthy soils, whether at a community garden or your own, as well as learn skills like mead making, beekeeping, pruning and natural building. BCP's "Strong Roots Initiative" teaches the science of building healthy, sustainable soils and all about fruits and vegetables to area youth. And, you can support the continuation of all the resources offered by BCP by participating in their Annual Birdhouse Auction, where anyone can create a birdhouse and donate it to raise funds the group.

Keep an Eye on BCP: In the future, BCP hopes to bring in more farm animals to the urban landscape. "Animals help create healthier, sustainable soils, require less energy for bringing in amendments (manure), and youth will have the experience of caring for the animals as well as the plants," says Gwen. Of course, BCP will continue to encourage more sustainable community gardens to produce useful food and plants.

Be in Touch: For more information about workshops and events, visit http://www.bountifulcitiesproject.org or call 828-257-4000. You can also sign up for announcements pertaining to the gardens by visiting their website.

The Asheville area is home to many amazing eco-nonprofits, and, unfortunately, we weren't able to list them all in this article.
For a full list of organizations that can help you on your quest to better our environment and that need your support, visit
http://www.sustainableasheville.org/groups.html.

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