Summer 2022

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Safe Passage: The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project

A collaborative effort to make the Pigeon River Gorge section of I-40 safer for wildlife and humans is yielding results.

Other Top Stories From Summer 2022

gray dust hovers between two trees

As EPA Prepares to Update Federal Air Quality Limits, Coal Dust Looms Large in Eunice

Frustrated with constant coal dust, residents of Eunice, West Virginia, asked the state to install an air quality monitoring device in their community. The request was denied.

10 people raise their fists in front of a bronze statue

No Easy Answers on Coal Ash Cleanup

To protect groundwater and community health, coal ash ponds must be cleaned up. But, as communities in Tennessee have learned, safely removing the toxic waste brings its own set of challenges.

Two young snorkelers exploring a shallow river.

Snorkelers Explore Appalachia’s Diverse Freshwater Life

The rivers and streams of southern Appalachia attract snorkelers with their wide variety of species and beautiful sites.

A desolate patch of disturbed ground sits as a result of an abandoned surface mine.

How the Coal Mine Cleanup System is Failing

The bankruptcy of coal company Blackjewel has exposed many flaws in the current mine cleanup system.

Men work with solar components

How a Pipeline Battle Led an Advocate for Formerly Incarcerated People Into Solar Workforce Development

Richard Walker of Bridging the Gap in Virginia is working to make sure vulnerable communities are not left behind in the green energy transformation.

A gray and green fish carries a stone in its moth, surrounded by smaller red fish

Chubs: A key species and a mystery

Snorkelers helped to uncover a population of river chubs in an unusual location.

Summer 2022 - Columns

Four crew members smile standing side by side outdoors.

Conservation Crew Builds Trails in Dante, Virginia

Conservation crew members spent 10 weeks creating trails in Southwest Virginia.

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three smiling people and a dog in a greenhouse

Native Plant Rescue Squad Aims to Boost the Biodiversity of Tennessee Neighborhoods

By saving native plants from destruction and helping these plants find new homes, the Native Plant Rescue Squad is “helping reconnect people to themselves through the natural world.”

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A gray and green fish carries a stone in its moth, surrounded by smaller red fish

Chubs: A key species and a mystery

Snorkelers helped to uncover a population of river chubs in an unusual location.

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Full trash trout sits in stream

Trash Trouts are Collecting Litter and Data on Waterway Pollution

These floating devices use a catch-and-release system to trap trash in small tributaries before it reaches main rivers and help gather information on microplastics in waterways.

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