Mills River Partnership

08/31/2026

We had a great crew of volunteers out today on Brandy Branch working at the project site on the property of Blue Ridge Humane Society Together we planted hundreds of sedges and other riparian plants stabilizing the banks of this important tributary of the Mills River. Thanks to all our volunteers and our partners at Henderson County Soil & Water Conservation District, NC Land & Water Fund and especially Sierra Nevada who brought the plants and a bunch of person power. That stretch of Brandy Branch never looked better!

08/28/2026

Earlier this week we joined NC Wildlife Resources Commission Pisgah River Rangers and Mills River Parks & Recreation to highlight the Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail at Mills River Park. Lots of kids turned out to enthusiastically examine the aquatic life in the Mills River that indicates clean water that we all depend on.

08/26/2026

Over 30 volunteers came out yesterday on the North Mills River and planted 1,000 water willows to stabilize a section of stream near the location of a future dam removal project. Thanks to everyone who turned up early on a Tuesday morning with our partners NC Wildlife Resources Commission, Pisgah Natl Forest, Pisgah River Rangers, The Land O' Sky Chapter of Trout Unlimited, The Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and The Nature Conservancy in North Carolina

08/24/2026

We’ve got two events going on tomorrow (Tuesday the 25th)! We’re planting willows near the North Mills campground at 8 am and then snorkeling at Mills River Park at 4 pm. No sign up required— just show up! More info on the Mills River Partnership website (link in bio). See you there!

08/07/2026

On Wednesday, Mills River Partnership travelled one watershed to the south to snorkel with the Pisgah River Rangers in the Davidson River. We saw all kinds of river life including redhorse suckers, trout, dace, darters and hogsuckers, to name a few. Other partner orgs like The Land O' Sky Chapter of Trout Unlimited The Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited and The Pisgah Conservancy were there. If this looks fun to you, we are helping to host a snorkel experience at Mills River Park on the afternoon of August 25th! More info at our website— link in bio. (No wetsuit required on the Mills, by the way.)

08/05/2026

Mills River Partnership met a lot of good folk at the Adventurers Worth Protecting event last Saturday at Sierra Nevada. We talked to many locals and tourists about our mission and signed up a lot of new volunteers!

07/31/2026

Great day to be out on the Mills and French Broad (always happy to help our neighbors French Broad River Partnership) getting trash out of the river yesterday. Our small but mighty group of volunteers filled a jon boat with 500 pounds of trash including five tires, innumerable bottles and cans, dozens of packing boxes and a toilet seat lid.

07/15/2026

Today we scouted the section of the lower Mills River we’re cleaning up next Wednesday. If you have your own kayak or canoe and are free next Wednesday 10-3, come join us! We’re launching at Mills River Park and taking out at Westfeldt Park on the French Broad. Sign up on our home page (link in bio).

07/14/2026

Great article in the Hendersonville Lightning about our ceremony honoring Jere Brittain and the families behind the Mills River Community Center.

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07/09/2026

Yesterday we honored Jere Brittain and the Moore, Ingle and Brittain families for their efforts to preserve the Mills River and its surrounding community. The actions of these local heroes are now immortalized in bronze on our building at 596 S. Mills River Road on the banks of the South Mills they love so much. Come up the driveway and take a look next time you are driving up the valley.