​Preservation in Practice

Combine your vacation with volunteering at a local organization that's working towards keeping the Boone area clean, safe, healthy, and accessible for all. Here are places where volunteers are always appreciated.

• Volunteer with the New & Watauga Riverkeepers
  • Participate in volunteer workdays removing invasive species near local waterways, water sampling, or live staking along riverbanks. 
    • January 8 at 12pm: Live staking & tree planting workday in Valle Crucis
    • January 19 at 12pm: Live staking & tree planting workday in Valle Crucis
  • Sign up to be added to the volunteer roster or reach out to emma@mountaintrue.org to find out about upcoming opportunities
• New River Conservancy is hosting volunteer tree planting events near Boone
  • January 17 at 10 am: Plant trees at Green Valley Community Park
  • January 24 at 10 am: Plant trees on Hardin Creek 

• ​F.A.R.M. Cafe
  • F.A.R.M. Cafe relies on daily volunteers to carry out its mission to "Feed All Regardless of Means."  A hot meal prepared with locally grown ingredients can be exchanged for just an hour of volunteer work. 
  • Apply to volunteer with the cafe here

• Trashy Tuesdays at RiverGirl Fishing Company
  • Volunteer to pick up trash while floating along the New River on the first Tuesday of the month at 9 am, during the summer. The volunteer who collects the most trash wins a FREE fly fishing lesson. The volunteer who brings back the coolest piece of trash wins a free T-shirt. 
  • Contact (828) 263-7364 or rivergirl2424@gmail.com to sign up

• Help make App State Football Games zero waste with Sustain App
  • Email karstromlr@appstate.edu to sign up to volunteer after an upcoming home game

• ​​​Dirty Thursdays at Rocky Knob Mountain Bike Park
  • Get your hands in the dirt with the Boone Area Cyclists, who host weekly trail maintenance volunteer days at 5:30 pm on Thursdays in Spring and Summer. There are also opportunities to volunteer for various events throughout the year. Contact booneareacyclists@gmail.com for more information

• Volunteer with Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture. Learn more and sign up at their website.

• Help maintain the Daniel Boone Native Gardens
  • Contact the gardens to find out more about volunteering at admin@danielboonenativegardens.org

• Blue Ridge Parkway regularly schedules volunteers to work in the Highlands District, where Boone and many iconic sights are found on the parkway. Reach out to the volunteer coordinator on the Blue Ridge Parkway's Volunteer page.

• Sort & distribute food donations with the Hunger & Health Coalition in Boone

• Cook a meal or distribute food with Casting Bread in Blowing Rock

• Clean, organize, serve, sort, and distribute food with the Hospitality House of NW North Carolina

• Reach out to find volunteer opportunities with the Blue Ridge Conservancy or New River Conservancy

• Find even more great volunteer opportunities with the Town of Boone

• Friends of the Blue Ridge assists communities and organizations throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains on various cultural heritage, environmental stewardship and educational projects. Contact BlueRidgeFriend@gmail.com or visit Friends of the Blue Ridge High Country Chapter for more information on how to volunteer.

If you would like us to list your visitor-friendly volunteering opportunity in the area here, please contact us.