Blowing Rock, NC - On Saturday, April 27, groups of high schoolers from Watauga County visited Blue Ridge Conservancy’s Conservation Campus for a day of community service. Mountain Alliance and the Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church youth group worked for hours removing invasive multiflora rose plants from the pollinator meadow.

“Multiflora rose is a prolific invasive plant that outcompetes native species and hurts biodiversity. And unfortunately, it’s one thing the deer won’t eat, so we have to get rid of it ourselves,” says BRC Communications Director Leila Jackson. “It is simple to remove, but not easy! This is hard work, and we’re thankful Mountain Alliance and the Rumple Youth Group volunteered to give us a hand with it.” 

This is the second year BRC has partnered with Mountain Alliance for their Youth Service Day, where students in the program from Watauga and Avery Counties volunteer to work at one of nine sites in the area. To learn more about Mountain Alliance, visit: https://www.mountainalliance.org/about. 

Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church’s student group, known as Rumple Youth, has several community outreach initiatives to involve young people. To learn more about these programs, visit: https://rumplechurch.org/youth-group/.