There is new inventory for the seedling sale. Apples, pears, and additional stock in blackberries and rhubarb have been added to the seedling sale. If you have already placed an order, no worries! Submit another order, and we will make sure your new order gets packaged with your previous order.

The Buncombe County Soil & Water annual seedling sale runs now through Sunday, Feb. 28. To order, use the link here. Please note, some seedlings might sell out before Feb. 28. Seedling pickup will be March 4-5, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

If you have additional questions, call (828) 250-4785.

Order here.

Some of this year’s seedlings for sale:

• Blackberries
• Red Mulberry
• Redbud
• Persimmon
• Kousa Dogwood
• White Oak
• Much more

February is Black History Month, and we invite you to learn about the story and legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black pilots in the US military who bravely fought during World War II. Their story is brought to life in Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan’s play, Fly, produced on the Rock in 2015.

Buncombe County Health & Human Services has launched a new dashboard that will be updated on a weekly basis, every Wednesday by 2 p.m. So far BC Public Health has administered 12,403 vaccines. We are currently receiving 1,950 vaccines weekly, and there are 2,035 first-dose appointments scheduled this week. Our schedulers are currently calling people on the waitlist between numbers 4,000 and 6,000.

Our documentary Stories Happen in Forests is enjoying a lot of acclaim, which means more and more people are hearing the powerful message of the beautiful human connection to forests. Most recently our film was announced as an Official Selection at the 2021 Cinema Verde International Environmental Film Festival. Cinema Verde’s mission is to provide environmental education to increase public awareness of environmental practices that enhance public health and improve quality of life in urban, suburban, and rural settings. Stay tuned for more opportunities to watch Stories Happen in Forests!

Stories Happen in Forests Trailer – YouTube

One Buncombe Launches Monday

Attention “Gig” Workers! – This grant program will support COVID-19 affected Buncombe County-based small businesses re-open and rehire Living Wage employees. It is designed to support businesses who have had a hard time accessing relief grant capital and will prioritize funding people of color-owned, woman-owned, and sole-proprietor businesses.

The mission of the grant funds is to support COVID-19 affected Buncombe County-based small businesses in their ability to re-open and rehire employees.

The One Buncombe Grant Fund helps small for-profit businesses reopen and rehire staff through grants. Please note that funds are limited and not all who apply will be awarded. The eligible grant amount will be based on firm size:

• Up to $2,500 for solopreneurs or single-member organizations
• Up to $5,000 for firms with up to 25 full-time equivalent employees

• Program Timeline

  • February 8: The application window opens
    • All applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered equally. There is no benefit to rushing an application.
  • February 8: Self-scheduled one-on-one application assistance opens
  • February 9:The first webinar will take place at 2 pm
  • February 11:The second webinar will take place at 9:30 am
  • February 26: Technical support around submitting your application will conclude at 5 pm
  • February 28: The application window closes at 11:59 pm

Buncombe County Health and Human Services (BCHHS) has launched a COVID-19 vaccination waitlist for individuals in the first two phases of the state’s vaccination priority list: adults 65 and older and all health care workers. Individuals can sign up for the waitlist by calling (828) 250-5000 or by going to www.buncombeready.org. As vaccines are received from the state, representatives from the Ready Team will contact individuals on the waitlist via phone to schedule their appointments. We have compiled some frequently asked questions below.

Who can sign up for the waitlist?

Vaccine supplies remain much lower than demand, so waitlist opportunities are only available at this time to those active groups identified by the NCDHHS. If you are over the age of 65 or a health care worker in Buncombe County, you can sign up for the waitlist to receive a COVID vaccine so that you don’t have to keep calling or emailing the department to get an appointment.

The only required information to be added to the waitlist is your name, a reliable way to contact you and that you fall into one of the phases eligible for a vaccine at this time. There is no citizenship status requirements, cost, or insurance information required at any time during the vaccination process.

What happens after I sign up?

Once you are signed up for the waitlist, you will receive a confirmation email within 48 hours. The confirmation email should have your waitlist ID number, your name, telephone number and email address. The waitlist ID number is where you fall on the waitlist based on when you signed up for the waitlist.

As we receive vaccine from the state, we open up appointments. We use the waitlist to schedule our appointments. You can call the Ready Team at (828)250-5000 if you have a question about your waitlist confirmation.

When will I be called?

Once we have an available appointment and reach your spot on the waitlist, a member of the Ready Team will notify you by calling you from the number (828)419-0095.

As we move through the waitlist, our staff will make two attempts to reach you using the contact information that you provide. Please make sure this information is correct.

Once we get to your number on the waitlist you will receive a call from the Ready Team at (828) 419-0095 to schedule your appointment.

Since 1977, the North Carolina Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program has provided North Carolina citizens access to quality arts experiences. Using a per capita based formula, the program provides funding for the arts in all 100 counties of the state through partnerships with local arts councils.

Funding for the 2020-2021 grant cycle will focus on operating expenses for nonprofit arts organizations. Multicultural organizations will receive priority. To be considered an organization of color, the majority of their board and executive leadership must be people of color. No funding match will be required.

The Grassroots Grant Program is made possible by individual and private contributions to the Asheville Area Arts Council’s—and by the Grassroots Arts Program of North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

Visit our web site to learn more about St. Valentine!

No matter how thorough and fair a reappraisal may be, there are still instances when only the property owner has all the information necessary for an accurate appraisal. Informal appeals for the tax year 2021 can be filed anytime between Jan. 1-April 28, 2021. Additionally, anyone receiving a change of value notice after April 1, 2021 has thirty days from that notice date to file an appeal.

The pandemic has been really hectic for all of us, but we know it’s been especially hard for the education world. At RiverLink we recognize all of the effort and sacrifices teachers have gone through, and we want to help!

Our RiverRATS program works to virtually engage your students in topics related to water quality. Whether it’s stormwater, erosion, macroinvertebrates or any other river-centric topic you need to cover, our educators are here to help! Some examples of possible programming include:

• Microscope Macros: Using our digital microscopes we can take a close look at the body parts of various stream dwelling macroinvertebrates and discuss how they fit within stream ecosystems.
• Pre-Recorded Video Lessons: We’ve created a couple videos using our interactive stormwater and stream table models. Our educators can share these with your class and facilitate a discussion afterwards.
• Ask an Expert: Let your students lead the lesson and ask any burning questions they might have about rivers or water quality. We can also coordinate with City of Asheville staff, other environmental groups, and local scientists to have them join your class as well.

Our program is mainly focused on working with grades 3rd-8th; however, adjustments can be made to cater our content to grades K-12 as well.

If you’d like to schedule a virtual lesson with us or discuss other ways we could engage with your students, you can send us an email at [email protected].