Western North Carolina waterfalls aren’t just alluring to millions of people who come from around the world to bask in their magical, sparkly spray.
They also seem to be a magnet for mounds of trash.
In the inaugural Waterfall Sweep March 20, hosted by the newly formed nonprofit Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina, volunteers of all ages met at six waterfalls to lift, heft and haul out thousands of gallons of trash, including two couches, two toilets and 24 tires, in an event at once heartwarming and heartbreaking said Kristina Hernandez, the group’s volunteer media coordinator.
“It was 100% both. It was so heartwarming to see everyone take time out of their Saturday to do this dirty work. But it was so heartbreaking, even the kids noticed and asked, ‘Why would people do this?’” said Hernandez, who lives in Greenville, South Carolina.
She took her two young daughters to help clean up 900 gallons of trash at Parker Creek Falls in Transylvania County.
Background: Waterfall Keepers of NC first nonprofit dedicated solely to protection of WNC waterfalls
“We were there for 3 1/2 hours ourselves. We made such a small dent in everything that was there. We couldn’t even get to some of the trash. We probably needed climbing ropes,” she said.
Waterfall Keepers of North Carolina was launched at the end of November by waterfall photographer and author Kevin Adams, of Waynesville, and math teacher Holly Bass, of Hendersonville, who believe it is the only such organization in the country dedicated solely to the protection of waterfalls.
“The enthusiasm and dedication of our volunteers during the inaugural Waterfall Sweep was just incredible and it warms my heart to think of all the good that people did,” Adams, the group’s executive director, said in a statement.
“Some people think tossing a beer can or water bottle is no big deal, but they’re wrong. Even a small amount of litter creates problems for the environment and the critters that live in it, as well as severely degrading the visitor experience.”
In addition to waterfall cleanups, the group plans advocacy and education work and will soon launch a Junior Keepers program for youth.
The sweep had six official waterfall cleanup crews stationed at Parker Creek and Tucker Creek falls, both near Balsam Grove, Bernies Falls near Lake Toxaway, Shacktown near Yadkinville in Yadkin County, Little Bradley Falls near Saluda in Polk County and Carter Falls near Elkin.
But people also participated by going to their favorite waterfall and were asked to send in how many volunteers and hours were worked, how much trash they collected and how far they traveled, Hernandez said.
Reports are still coming in, she said, but initial tallies show that of the 200 people who signed up, 79 volunteers went out and spent 156 hours getting down and dirty to remove more than 3,000 gallons of trash. Hernandez said she believes the actual numbers will be underreported.
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“At Parker Creek we took out 14 tires, one of those giant blue barrels, a movie projector, two portable grills and an electric can opener,” she said.
Other retrieved items of note included part of car engine, a feeding trough, a swing set, a recliner, two couches, two toilets, hypodermic needles and diapers.
“Some of these sites have been and still are used as literal garbage dumps. This is a human safety issue, as well as an environmental one,” Adams said.
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Bass, who went to the Parker Creek cleanup with her 8-year-old son, said part of the reason for the massive volume of trash this year might partly be the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought swarms of visitors to the mountains in 2020 in search of relative safety and recreation in the outdoors after being out of school, work and locked out of traditional indoor venues.
Places like North Carolina State Parks and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park reported record numbers of visitors last year in 2020, and areas like Max Patch and the Blue Ridge Parkway were overrun on nice weekends by crowds who left resource destruction and garbage piles in their wake.
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Waterfall Keepers aims to fill the gaps in perhaps a lack of knowledge among new hikers and waterfall chasers and proper outdoor etiquette.
“The selfless choice to take hours on a Saturday to clean up years and years of trash and litter should be an encouragement to others that even the smallest efforts make big differences,” Bass said.
Karen Chávez is an award-winning outdoors and environment reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times and USA TODAY Network. She is the author of "Best Hikes with Dogs: North Carolina," and is a former National Park Service ranger.
Reach me: [email protected] or on Twitter @KarenChavezACT
Read more outdoors news: www.citizen-times.com/outdoors
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