Upon arriving in Boone, NC in the Fall of 2000 we observed numerous environmental conditions which have lead to the founding ideas and concepts of Mountain Works Sustainable Development. Through our director’s travels to other mountain regions around the world and scholarship at Appalachian State University’s Department of Geography and Planning, the leadership exists which is uniquely positioned to create and address burgeoning markets.

On the very basic levels of human needs, Mountain Works has observed a lack of clean water, locally and organically grown food stuffs, and sustainable materials and techniques in shelter construction.

On a socio-cultural level, the way in which most communities exist is not a direct reflection of their landscape. Their art and methods of play or travel usually do not form a logical and equitable interaction with their environment or one another.