Appalachian Voices staff and members are getting geared up for the 4th annual Weekend in Wise, a Weekend of Communion for the Mountains. And the best part is you’re invited! This Friday, we’ll head for Appalachia, Va. in the beautiful mountains of Southwest Virginia to learn more about the destructive process of mountaintop removal coal mining, hear stories from coalfield activists, and get to know every stage of the dirty life cycle of coal.

On top of the chance to learn about mountaintop removal, we’re looking forward to participating in service projects and workshops including tours of mountaintop removal sites and a course in water quality testing. On Saturday evening, there will be a citizens panel, where we’ll have the chance to meet people living with mountaintop removal in their communities, the same folks leading the charge against coal companies by standing up for a brighter future. Learn more and check out the itinerary here or visit their page on Facebook.

There will be time to kick back and enjoy live music, local food and a special screening of the documentary The Last Mountain. Hosted by the good people at the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and Wise Energy for Virginia, it’s sure to be an enlightening couple of days. We’ll all walk away with a better understanding of mountaintop removal, our personal connection to coal and the confidence to get engaged in our communities.

Seeing the many aerial shots of mountaintop removal provides perspective on the effect a few machines and a lot of explosives can have on the landscape. The Weekend in Wise event is a chance to see these effects at ground-level. We hope to see you there! But if you can’t make it, check back next week for our reactions and a report on the many happenings of the weekend.