National Day of Service at Karen Cragnolin Park

September 11, 10AM – 12PM 

Karen Cragnolin Park (KCP) was purchased as a long-standing auto-crushing junkyard in 2006. For almost two decades, RiverLink invested in the property by removing concrete, healing the polluted soil, and managing invasive plants. In 2023 we connected the paved greenway path to the parks on each side and opened these five acres as a public park—one that showcases its context in nature and cultural history, tells its story of remediation, and honors RiverLink’s founder, Karen Cragnolin. Designed with flood resilience in mind, KCP performed beautifully during Hurricane Helene despite being under some 20 feet of moving water. We continue to invest in the park’s resilience by caring for the native pollinator meadow in partnership with Patchwork Meadows, enhancing our riparian area, and creating an aesthetically pleasing, educational, climate resilient public park for the community to enjoy. 

For this event, we will continue this work by managing the non-native invasive plant species in the meadow and supporting newly planted trees and shrubs along the river bank. Expect light to moderate gardening work (weeding, mulching, watering).

Meeting Location: Karen Cragnolin Park — 190 Amboy Rd, Asheville, NC 28806. Additional parking is available at Amboy River Park (180 Amboy Rd) and Carrier Park (220 Amboy Rd).

How to be Prepared: RiverLink will provide all necessary tools and equipment. Closed-toed shoes are required and pants are recommended. We also recommend everyone bring a water bottle and gardening gloves if you have them, but gloves will be provided if needed.

Please contact volunteer@riverlink.org if you have any questions.

We look forward to seeing you there! Sign up at: https://riverlink.salsalabs.org/dayofservice