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Educators and trail groups urge Council to back greenway improvements for 'Kids in the Creek'
Summary
Rachel Pedler and partners asked the Council to support greenway improvements to restore safe student access to the Joseph McDowell Greenway after Hurricane Helene; the 'Kids in the Creek' program served about 600 students annually before the storm and partners offered volunteer labor to reduce city costs.
Rachel Pedler, a McDowell High School science teacher and board member of the Lake James Environmental Association, told the Council that the 'Kids in the Creek' program gives students hands-on environmental education and that Hurricane Helene damaged the usual outdoor classroom site. Pedler said the program is primarily focused on eighth graders (with high-school students serving as mentors) and that participation had grown to approximately 600 students per year before the storm.
Interim Planning and Development Director Vance McNees introduced Pedler and two colleagues — Marshall Taylor and Steve Pierce — and distributed a packet outlining stream and riparian restoration work. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Pierce told the Council the organizations plan to rebuild student outreach in 2026 (reaching 1,000–1,200 students annually across Burke and McDowell counties) and that local volunteers are prepared to donate labor and expertise to restore safe access along the greenway.
