Current Needs
Donate to Blue Ridge Rising
With your financial contribution, you will help Blue Ridge Rising reach its full potential. We welcome donations large or small. In most cases, your gift will leverage other funds, like our $5.13 million Appalachian Regional Commission grant. Make a gift or grant to the overall effort or to advance your favorite project. Give personally or through your business, tourism agency, or foundation. Whatever and however you choose to give, you will make a difference!
DONATE NOWShare Your Ideas, Information, and Knowledge
We continue to seek local input and guidance as we implement the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan. Please review the “Current Needs” below to see if you might have a name, a suggestion, an idea, or a few minutes of your time that can help turn a good idea into something great. And please check back every now and then to review new opportunities to fill a need or seize an opportunity.
Give the Region a Stronger Voice
Unified Regional Voice
We’re thrilled that the boards of supervisors/commissioners in all 29 Parkway counties have passed resolutions of support for Blue Ridge Rising and Parkway funding. Let’s build on that momentum! If you are interested in building a stronger coalition to state…
Current Need
Help Analyze the Parkway’s Scenic Views
Resource Protection
As part of our effort to prioritize Parkway viewsheds for voluntary land and water conservation efforts, project staff, partners, and volunteers will analyze 200+ Parkway viewpoints in July 2026. Using a short scoring sheet and clear guidelines, paired reviewers will…
Current Need
Help Map Bicycle Routes
To help cyclists from near and far discover some great rides on and near the Parkway, we've curated and posted 16 initial rides on our Ride with GPS page. Most of these routes have been curated by volunteers, and we are seeking more volunteer cyclists to curate more routes, especially in Virginia. Our initial…
Current Need
Nominate Trails and Themes for Regional Guide
Visitor Experience
We are eager to learn your suggestions for pathways to include in our forthcoming regional guide to trails and greenways. Please use this survey link to share your ideas: https://forms.gle/B1wR98rcuU4kshng7. In the survey, you will also have a chance to…
Current Need
Scare Us!
Marketing
We’re seeking locations and events featuring ghosts, cryptids (think Bigfoot), and other things that might frighten you. Dr. Susan Weidmann at Appalachian State happens to be one of the world’s only academic experts in “fright tourism,” and she’s assembling a…
Current Need
Seeking Youth Conservation Corps Leaders and Crew Members
Capacity Building, Visitor Experience, Workforce Education
Conservation Corps NC (CCNC) frequently hires crew leaders and crew members for various hands-on projects in the Parkway corridor. Some of this work includes restoring Parkway trails damaged by Hurricane Helene, thanks to funding provided by the Blue Ridge Parkway…
Current Need
Summit Suggestions
Capacity Building, Marketing, Resource Protection, Unified Regional Voice, Visitor Experience, Workforce Education
Please send us your suggestions to make the next Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit (August 25-27, 2026, in Asheville, N.C.) a great success. We welcome your ideas for session topics, speakers, panelists, field trips, and more. We also welcome your…
Current Need