Paddler measuring hemlock
These events have been cancelled. Check our Events Page for upcoming volunteer days or sign up for our Volunteer List.
Get out on the water this spring and become a member of the Paddlers Hemlock Health Action Taskforce (PHHAT).
This collaboration between the Hemlock Restoration Initiative, American Whitewater, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, and MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper utilizes paddlers of all experience levels to treat trees along the Green River. By following a custom protocol to ensure safety and protect water quality, this group has enabled us to chemically protect many trees that can be accessed from the river and would likely not be otherwise treated due to the difficulty of accessing them by land.
We have several days listed below where you can use your paddling skills to help protect hemlocks. Each day will go from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lower Green days require little to no experience. The Upper Green section requires on Class III whitewater experience, and the Narrows requires expert level experience due to the difficulty of the rapids and associated risks encountered in that section of the river. A limited number of boats and gear are available for the Lower Green days on a first come, first served basis.
NOTE: Paddlers will be getting out of their boats and climbing up the river bank to reach the base of the trees where they will perform the treatments. Sometimes repeatedly. Terrain varies from flat to moderately steep.
Spring 2020 PHHAT days
- CANCELLED–Sunday, April 5: Upper Green/Narrows (paddlers just wanting to do the Upper can stop before the Narrows)
- CANCELLED–Sunday, April 19: Lower Green
- CANCELLED–Friday, May 1: Lower Green
- CANCELLED–Sunday, May 3: Lower Green
To learn more about the PHHAT team, visit paddlersforhemlocks.com.