Abstract
The City of Asheville is located within the greater French Broad River drainage basin and features many unique subwatersheds. The River Arts District (RAD) subwatershed within Asheville possesses a rich cultural history connected to the river. The City of Asheville is collaborating with multiple local organizations to complete a public beautification project which incorporates creatively highlighting the history of the RAD along with the ecology of the French Broad River. This research supported the beautification project and produced signs to benefit the Asheville community. A review of cultural and ecological history and subterranean streams within the RAD watershed informed the creation of an interpretive sign to be installed in the district, along with designs of two other signs. This synthesis paper aims to investigate the melding of creative design, ecological knowledge, and environmental education. Research methods included both correspondence with local stakeholders and literature reviews of interpretive sign techniques and historical ecology of the region. The sign exemplifies the overarching theme of the beautification project in promoting a sense of place and stewardship for natural resources and cultural heritage within the French Broad River basin.
How to Cite
Antio, L., (2018) “A Hidden History of Asheville: Investigating Subterranean Streams through Environmental Interpretation”, Capstone, The UNC Asheville Journal of Undergraduate Scholarship 31(2), 5/1/2019.
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