Jeff Hunter is the Southern Appalachian Director with National Parks Conservation Association, which is dedicated to enhancing and protecting public lands for present and future generations.

Twenty-five years ago, a thru hike on the Appalachian Trail set Jeff—then working in telecommunications in New York—down a new career path focused on conservation. Today, he’s based in Burnsville, North Carolina, and his work focuses on Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.

Later in this episode, Jeff shares details on an avian study and a collaborative project focused on improving wildlife’s ability to safely cross Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge.

But first, we focus on urgent issues: the impact of the Trump Administration’s mass firing of federal workers, including those in the National Park Service, and the status of recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Important Links

National Parks Conservation Association

Congressman Chuck Edwards
Washington, D.C. office: (202) 225-6401

Senator Ted Budd
Washington, D.C. office: 202-224-3154

Senator Thom Tillis
Washington, D.C. office: (202) 224-6342

Anna Alsobrook and Hartwell Carson are the incoming and outgoing French Broad Riverkeepers for MountainTrue, an Asheville, North Carolina-based nonprofit advocating for clean waters, resilient forests, and healthy communities across Western North Carolina.

Hartwell has been the veteran French Broad Riverkeeper, working to protect and clean up the French Broad River through scientific research, education, advocacy, fundraising, public engagement and outdoor recreation. Now, as Clean Water Director, he’s expanding his focus to protect waterways across Western North Carolina. Anna, formerly MountainTrue’s Watershed Science and Policy Manager, is now stepping into the role of French Broad Riverkeeper.

In this episode, Anna and Hartwell share how Hurricane Helene affected the French Broad River and what recovery efforts look like months later. They discuss the ongoing challenges of restoring the river, the vital role of the French Broad Riverkeeper, and how water quality science informs their work. We also explore broader clean water initiatives, the biggest threats facing the river today, and how the community can get involved in protecting this important natural resource.

Mountain True
mountaintrue.org
French Broad Riverkeeper
MountainTrue on Instagram
French Broad Riverkeeper on Instagram

Theme Music
The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

Aaron Stone is a filmmaker and photographer based in Asheville, and one of the many creative forces behind “The Resonance Sessions,” an upcoming album featuring dozens of regional musicians to benefit the music scene in Marshall, North Carolina, a town devastated by catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene.

As director and producer for Parkway Studios—a creative team that includes Bridger Dunnagan and Caroline Aylward—Aaron has built a diverse portfolio of multimedia projects featuring local musicians. The latest project, “The Resonance Sessions,” is a deeply collaborative effort set for release in March. Recorded live in the stairwell of the Old Marshall Jail—a historic building turned hotel and bar that weathered Helene—the album captures raw and heartfelt performances, with net proceeds going to the Madison Arts Council and Rare Birds Cultural Arts.

In this episode, Aaron shares how the album took shape; insights into the emotional nature of the songs, including samples of a few tracks; the challenges and rewards of documenting these sessions, his perspective on the current music scene in Asheville; and more.

“The Resonance Sessions”

Preorder the album on Bandcamp

Learn more about the album

Tracks from “The Resonance Sessions” in this Episode

“Hard Times, Sore Eyes” by The Dead Tongues (Watch a video)

“Sailing Away” by River Whyless

“Motherfountain” by Soft Talk

“The Landslide (1916 Flood)” by William Ritter

“Fine Sally” by Donna Ray Norton

More of Aaron’s Work

Parkway Studios

aaronstonephoto.com

@aaronstonephoto on Instagram

Also Mentioned

Josh Copus

Old Marshall Jail Hotel & Bar

Zuma Coffee & Provisions

Donna Ray Norton

Sheila Kay Adams

Jack Sorokin

Clay White

Rising Appalachia

Tyler Ramsey

River Whyless

Bridger Dunnagan

Luke Mitchell

Citizen Vinyl

Soft Talk

William Ritter

N.C. Gov. Josh Stein

Cardinals at the Window

Nicholas Edward Williams

ReString Appalachia

“Our New Orleans”

“The Serviceberry”

BeLoved Asheville

Jessie Dean is the founder and CEO of Asheville Tea Company, whose building was swept away by Hurricane Helene’s devastating floodwaters. Despite the unimaginable challenge, Jessie is committed to rebuilding with the support of her community.

Jessie grew up in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, just outside of Boone, and later moved to Asheville, where she opened Asheville Tea Company in September of 2016. Partnering with local farmers, Asheville Tea Company’s products celebrate the rich, vibrant flavors of Southern Appalachia.

In this episode, Jessie shares her passion for tea and running a mission-driven business; how she and her team weathered the storm during what should have been their busiest season; her gratitude for the outpouring of community support; the future of Asheville Tea Company; and much more.

Asheville Tea Company
Homepage
Shop Teas

Initiatives Mentioned
WNC Strong
The Always Asheville Fund
Optimist Ventures
Together We Recover

Also Mentioned
Video of Asheville Tea Company's building floating down the Swannanoa River
Asheville Detours

Theme Music
The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

John Parks is a brewer and co-founder of Woodfin, North Carolina-based Zillicoah Beer Company, which was devastated by flooding from Hurricane Helene and remains closed indefinitely.

Parks and his co-founders, brothers Jonathan and Jeremy Chassner, are childhood friends who grew up in Miami and eventually all landed in the Asheville area. Taking their name from the Cherokee word for the French Broad River, Zillicoah opened on the river’s eastern bank in 2017. The founders designed the brewery with the possibility of flooding in mind, but like a lot of other people and businesses in the region, they weren’t prepared for the extent of devastation brought by Helene and didn’t have flood insurance.

When the French Broad reached its record high point, the surging water rose six feet inside the brewery, sweeping away equipment, specialty beer, and years of passionate hard work.

In this episode, Parks shares how Helene impacted the brewery, the challenges of rebuilding in a floodplain, the craft and passion that goes into Zillicoah’s beers, and the outpouring of support the brewery has received from the beer community near and far.

Click here to donate to Zillicoah Beer Company

Theme Music

The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

Heather Clements is a professional artist and art instructor whose life and work have been profoundly shaped by the forces of nature. Heather is part of Asheville’s River Arts District, which suffered catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Helene.

Helene was the second major storm to upend Heather’s life and career. In 2018, while living in Panama City, Florida, Hurricane Michael destroyed her home, forcing a year-long hiatus from creating art. Last year, Heather and her husband relocated to Asheville. This September, Helene spared their home but devastated most of the River Arts District, including 310 Art, the gallery where Heather taught classes and showcased her work, which explores the deep connection between humans and the natural world.

In this episode, Heather shares how these natural disasters have tested her resilience and transformed her creativity. She discusses her personal experiences with both Hurricane Michael and Helene; how natural disasters have hindered and inspired her work; and how a trip to the mountains after Hurricane Michael helped lift her out of depression. Heather also takes us behind the scenes of her creative process, from her interactive murals to her new book, “Pull Me Apart.”

Heather’s Work

heatherclementsart.com

“Pull Me Apart: An Interactive Sketchbook”

@heatherclementsart on Instagram

@heatherclementsart on TikTok

The art that stuck behind

Lilith, an interactive mural in downtown Asheville

Hurricane Helene flood self portrait

Donations

River Arts District

310 Art

Riverview Station

Also Mentioned

Bridget Benton

Re.Imagine

Wedge Studios

Poposition Press

Forever Tattoo

Middle Prong Wilderness

Laurel River Trail

Theme Music

The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

Elle DeBruhl is the co-founder of Flush AVL, a grassroots organization that stepped up in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene to provide non-potable water for flushing toilets to people in Asheville, North Carolina, and surrounding areas.

Elle is a recruiter for Ernst & Young, and up until the storm, she had no experience in water distribution. But not long after the storm, she realized that vulnerable neighbors and people in more densely populated areas of Asheville would need help getting water for flushing. Thanks to a family farm, Elle and her husband, Buddy, sprang to action and started filling 250-gallon containers with gray water and delivering them to locations in downtown Asheville. Soon after, Elle teamed up with Flush AVL co-founder Molly Black, who created a map that was crucial to strategically placing the containers, also known as totes, throughout the city. Alliances were formed with the likes of BeLoved Asheville and Highland Brewing, and what started with six totes and a truck swelled to more than 400 totes and an army of volunteers.

In this episode, Elle retraces the inception of Flush AVL and how they turned a crisis into a story of resilience and community support. She also discusses Flush AVL’s efforts to redistribute the totes to other communities after water returned to Asheville, and much more.

Flush AVL

flushavl.com

@flushavl_ on Instagram

Flush AVL’s GoFundMe

Also Mentioned

March toward normal turbidity continues, as third coagulation treatment is underway for Asheville’s water

BeLoved Asheville

Highland Brewing

Ernst & Young

Theme Music

The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

Mike Belleme is a Swannanoa, North Carolina-based photographer who is capturing the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene on Western North Carolina for major outlets like The New York Times.

Belleme is a self-taught, Appalachian-born documentary photographer, whose work intimately examines themes of connection and community and the physical, mental, and social constructs that cultivate and inhibit connection. In addition to The New York Times, his photos have also appeared in Rolling Stone, Time, The Guardian, National Geographic, and many more publications.

In this episode, Belleme talks about some of his own experiences during the storm, his work capturing Helene’s impact, and a few of his other projects. Belleme also discusses how he builds trust with his subjects in a polarized environment, the emotional challenges of navigating the storm’s aftermath, reckoning with climate change at his front door, and more.

Mike Belleme’s Work

mikebelleme.com

@mikebelleme on Instagram

Capturing a Community in Ruin: After years of documenting the effects of climate change in his home state of North Carolina, a photographer found himself in the path of a hurricane. (The New York Times)

Asheville Has Tap Water, but No One Knows When It Will Be Drinkable (The New York Times)

“Mise-en-Scène: The Lives and Afterlives of Urban Landscapes”

Americans share their greatest fears (CNN)

Also Mentioned

Asheville’s water situation

Biltmore Estate

River Arts District

Malaprop’s

Chai Pani

Visit Asheville’s tips for visitors

Blunt Pretzels

Fairview landslides from Helene that killed 13 were among worst in North Carolina history

The Nook

Theme Music

The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.