The Shade Your Stream Symposium
Stream Restoration, Riparian Planting, and Watershed Health in Western North Carolina
June 6th, 2026
9am-3pm
A free community Event
Our streams don’t just move water…
they move life.
And in the wake of storms like Helene, we’ve all seen what happens when that balance breaks. Every native plant, every pollinator, every stabilized bank matters. When we care for our creeks, we’re not just protecting landscapes — we’re investing in future generations.
The Shade Your Stream Symposium provides landowners with the tools to better understand, care for, and protect their streams and waterways for their families, communities, and the wildlife that call these ecosystems home.
Who Belongs at the Shade Your Stream Symposium?
- Homeowners with streams or wet areas on their property.
- Land managers.
- Educators.
- Gardeners who want to do right by their piece of the watershed.
- People who have stared at a crumbling bank and had no idea where to start. No prior expertise needed.
Why Attend the Shade Your Stream Symposium?
- Learn from experts in the field on how to protect your land, your investment and our community.
- Discover how to beautify your streambank and stop erosion using buffering plants.
- Safeguard the wildlife living in our delicate ecosystem.
- Food and drinks provided for free.
- One attendee will receive a free landscape consultation from Greg Mason ($250 value).
Western North Carolina has always lived close to its water. Storms like Hurricane Helene reminded us how quickly that relationship can turn — leaving eroding banks, damaged buffers, and overwhelmed watersheds across the region.
The Shade Your Stream Symposium was built for this moment.
Whether you’re dealing with active erosion or just want to do right by the creek on your property, the knowledge and the experts are here — and it won’t cost you a thing.
Welcome to Winding Stair Gardens
Enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, the beautiful plants, and the fellowship of eager learners. You can even join us at 8.30 to check out our plant selection beforehand!
Bill McLarney, Mainspring Conservation Trust
Learn about the Shade Your Stream program and watershed protection in Western NC and surrounding areas.
Melanie McMillan, Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory
Discover the aquatic ecology of southern Appalachian streams, riparian zones, macroinvertebrates, and what your creek is trying to tell you.
Break
Enjoy a small break to smell the roses (or the bee balm, or the rhododendron....)
Lewis Penland & Erin Mang, Penland Contracting
Discover what stream restoration in practice is like; requirements, permits, and potential red tape.
Adam Bigelow, Bigelow's Botanical Excursions
Find out the best native plants to use for stream bank restoration and riparian buffers.
Break
Snacks, drinks and a moment to mingle.
Final Speaker
NRCS Speaker - info coming soon!
Q&A Panel
Join our roster of experts for a question-and-answer session.
Optional Site Visit
A guided site visit to the stream restoration project at Mountain View Intermediate School with Jennifer Love.