Conservation
Appalachian Paddling Enthusiasts (APEs) supports passionate conservation efforts on our home river, The Nolichucky, and other waterways in Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. Since our founding in 1986, we have organized annual volunteer events to clean up trash and other debris in and along rivers and lakes; build and maintain river access areas, parks and landings; and rallied members, companies and local and state governments to work together to contribute to keeping our waters flowing clean and green.
The first APEs cleanup took place 1987 on the Erwin, TN, to “Big Rock” section of the 115-mile Nolichucky River, which flows through western North Carolina and east Tennessee, with its famous gorge, shown above, winding through Pisgah National Forest and the Cherokee National Forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
“We hauled four large dump truck loads of junk out, along with a couple of refrigerators and two cars.”
Today, the crown jewel of our conservation work is the Green Bridge Landing Park and river access on the Doe River in Hampton, TN. It serves as a take-out for the gorge section of the Doe River and a put-in for the lower Doe River. The ongoing project includes changing rooms, concrete flood-resistant seating and landscape maintenance.
Use picture links below for more on our conservation projects:
Make a Donation
As a nonprofit, APEs members are committed to making a difference in preserving our local rivers, lakes and other waterways. Please donate to our conservation projects so that we can keep our waters clear and clean, continue to expand river access for paddling and maintain our riverbanks and the adjacent community lands that we are privileged to use and enjoy during our adventures.
