Earth Day Weekend Trail Work Day – Saturday, April 21

Your next volunteer opportunity with Friends of Panthertown will be on Saturday, April 21 during Earth Day weekend. Volunteers will come in from the east side of Panthertown at the Cold Mountain Gap entrance off NC 281 just outside of Lake Toxaway, NC. REI Asheville is providing some cool give-aways for those who show up, plus each volunteer gets entered into a drawing to win some awesome camping gear! Bring a friend or two and let’s celebrate Earth Day together!

On Saturday, April 21, in honor of National Volunteer Week and Earth Day, Friends of Panthertown volunteers will meet at the Cold Mountain Gap trail-head at 9:30 a.m. and the group will then hike in to help maintain and prune nearby trails on the eastern side of Panthertown Valley. We plan to visit at least one major waterfall (Schoolhouse Falls) while on our hike and there will be an opportunity to go swimming. Trail tools and instructions will be provided and new volunteers are always welcome.

Sign-up to volunteer on April 21
You may RSVP for this trail work day at our Facebook event page.

Earth Day weekend is a perfect time to join us in “the Yosemite of the East” for a fun day of giving back to this very special place we all enjoy. Trail volunteers are asked to pack a lunch, bring plenty of water, wear good shoes, and bring a pair of work gloves and pruners if you have them (we’ll also have some to loan out). We expect to hike less than 5 miles on easy to moderate trails and be finished by 3 p.m. It’s a lot of fun and you’ll get to meet other Panthertown friends. We hope you will join us!

Our volunteers come from throughout the region to enjoy a day in the backcountry working with other hikers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, scouts, equestrians, and nature lovers. We always welcome new volunteers. Tools are provided and our trail days are a great way to give back to Panthertown.

The Panthertown Stewardship Project is funded in part by our friends at REI. In 2011, Friends of Panthertown received a grant from the REI Asheville store to help support our efforts to conserve this outstanding natural resource while improving the quality and experience of recreational opportunities in Panthertown Valley. Their grant has helped us to increase volunteerism in Panthertown Valley. We hope that you will consider matching a portion of this grant with your generous membership donation. Every dollar we receive is used for the benefit of Panthertown Valley. We would appreciate your Friendship, join as a Friend of Panthertown today!

Mark your calendars for these other upcoming events:

• Friday, April 20, 2012 (9 p.m. – 4 a.m.) –
Electric Petting Zoo
Friends of Panthertown will receive a portion of the ticket sales from this Earth Day Weekend musical celebration. Produced by Under One Beat Entertainment, this dance music event is 18+ and located at Club Metropolis in Asheville.

• Friday, April 27, 2012 (11 a.m. – 10 p.m.) –
Friends of Panthertown Day at Soul Infusion
Soul Infusion Tea House & Bistro in Sylva will make a donation of 10% of their restaurant sales! Live music at night. Bring your family & friends.

• Saturday, April 28, 2012 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) –
Greening Up The Mountains Festival
Friends of Panthertown will have a booth at this family oriented street fesitval, stop by and visit with us! Downtown Sylva, North Carolina

• Saturday, May 26, 2012 (9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.) –
May 26 Trail Work Day
Volunteers will come in from the Salt Rock Gap (western) trail-head for Panthertown.

• Saturday, June 2, 2012 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) –
American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day
Combination fun hike, swim and work project. Volunteers will receive a gift from REI.

• Saturday, June 30, 2012 (11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) –
2012 Bald Rock Horse Exhibition
Our 2012 Friends of Panthertown fundraiser will include a fabulous horse exhibition, live entertainment, music, food, kid’s activities and a silent auction. More info coming soon.

Visit our Calendar of Events for up to date information about special events and volunteer opportunities in Panthertown Valley. Learn more about giving back to Panthertown by becoming a member or by volunteering at one of our trail work days. Visit the Friends of Panthertown volunteer information page for more information about what to expect, what to bring and how you can help.

Sign-up to volunteer on April 21
You may RSVP for this trail work day at our Facebook event page.