By Kris Testori
A Blowing Rock builder, together with Watauga Riverkeeper, recently educated High Country kids and their families on the importance of clean waterways.
Families had the chance to learn about the biodiversity and ecology of the freshwater stream through environmental education.
Working alongside Alair Homes builders and Hannah Woodburn from Mountain True, families had the chance to use real tools like view buckets to observe fish, crawdads, and bugs. They used kick nets, designed especially for aquatic surveying, to collect macroinvertebrates for identification by kicking up the rocky cobbly of the streambed causing bugs to float downstream into the net.
“This experience gave them a firsthand look at what we are protecting in our local waterways and why it’s important to work together with others in our community to keep our environment clean,” said Whitney Brown of Alair Homes Carolinas.
Brown highlighted the importance of including young people in community engagement. “The Alair team is working hard alongside the Riverkeeper to help educate individuals of all backgrounds and ages. Getting out on the water with these kids and their families is an important part of Alair’s environmental stewardship commitment. If we can help educate the next generation on how to care for our local environment then we are truly making a difference long term.”
Earlier this year Alair announced a long-term Environmental Stewardship Commitment with Watauga Riverkeeper. In April they worked alongside High Country Regional Director and Watauga Riverkeeper Andy Hill and his team to plant live stakes to help reduce the amount of sediment in our local waterways.
The Watauga Riverkeeper is a program of MountainTrue’s High Country Office and a proud member of the Waterkeeper Alliance. Alair Homes High Country is a Custom home builder located at 109 Aho Rd #3, Blowing Rock, and is owned by Jeff Smith.
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