Do Good

Carolina Mountain Club
CMC builds, maintains, and protects trails across WNC, including 92.6 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Volunteer as a Section Maintainer to assist with trail design, construction, and maintenance. One keystone project manages 130 of the 900 miles of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail; join the quarterly crew of experts and first-time trail volunteers as they expand the footpath. For more: (828) 668-7147; www.carolinamountainclub.org

MountainTrue
In January, MountainTrue became a hybrid of three previous nonprofits—WNC Alliance, Environmental & Conservation Organization, and Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance. Its mission is to advocate a community that protects public lands like the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Join the Forest Task Force, which promotes ecological restoration, or attend Asheville Green Drinks, a social gathering for sustainability occurring every Wednesday. For more: Asheville, (828) 258-8737; Hendersonville, (828) 692-0385; www.mountaintrue.org

Wild South
Encouraging people of all ages to protect forests, species, and habitats, Wild South covers seven Southern states. Among other projects, the nonprofit preserves hundreds of miles of Indian trails in partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. It also works with Grandfather National Scenic Area, where volunteers protect 25,500 acres of Pisgah National Forest, and has a team at Linville Gorge that controls and eliminates invasive plant species. For more: (828) 258-2667; www.wildsouth.org