Creating New Appalachian Monuments
Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia is a three-year project that is seeking to expand “the idea of what a monument can be.” It features nine monuments that explore different forms and a variety of the region’s stories. The monuments take a variety of forms: traditional statues, a children’s book, an album and a music festival, a quilt and more.
Coal Labor History Sets Stage for Community
Residents and local leaders have been working hard to bring new life to the Pound, Virginia, through a series of projects grounded in the needs of the community and informed by feedback from the people who call Pound home. One upcoming project celebrates Pound’s history. Last year, Pound received funding from Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia to create a labor-oriented monument downtown.
‘Extinction is Forever’
Conservationists are concerned about the Trump administration’s attacks on the Endangered Species Act. From the Eastern hellbender to the Carolina northern flying squirrel, many of Appalachia’s most beloved creatures and plants could be at increased risk.
‘Living the AmeriCorps Dream’?
Hundreds of projects throughout Appalachia received support from AmeriCorps national service members this year before the agency became the target of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency in April. The White House cancelled $400 million in AmeriCorps grants unilaterally, forcing some programs to immediately wrap for the year. Some states later had funding restored after a lawsuit led by attorneys general, and the next cycle of grants from the program is expected to continue this year.
Feeling Powerless on Their Own Property
Many landowners, neighbors and community advocates are contending with the massive buildout of methane gas — dubbed “natural gas” by the fossil fuel industry — in Tennessee. This huge increase in gas infrastructure is driven in large part by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
In Montgomery County, Virginia, Seasoned Mountain Valley Pipeline Fighters Prepare for Another Battle
“Here we go again,” is what Crystal Mello, an organizer for the Preserve Our Water Heritage, Rights Coalition, says she said to herself when she learned that Mountain Valley Pipeline was planning a new compressor station in Elliston, Virginia, as part of a project to send even more gas through the massive 42-inch pipeline.
In ‘All These Ghosts,’ Silas House Explores ‘Timesickness,’ Deep Grief, Hope in Dark Times
In his first full-length poetry collection, “All These Ghosts,” Silas House, an award-winning Appalachian author and former poet laureate of Kentucky, grapples with deep personal grief and “timesickness,” or the deep longing for a time, place or spiritual state that no longer exists.
Navigating Long-Term Hurricane Helene Recovery: A Day-in-the-Life of a Disaster Case Manager in Cocke County, Tennessee
Chrissy Miller is a disaster case manager in Cocke County, Tennessee, who helps survivors of Hurricane Helene access resources, fulfill unmet needs, develop recovery plans and try to make sense of difficult situations. For Miller, who was also impacted by the storm, it’s hard to rein in the scope of her work.
Join The Movement
Stories from AppVoices' Front Porch Blog
Naturalist’s Notebook
Naturalist’s Notebook ![“The hooded warbler is what I call my spark bird, which is [the bird that] gets you into birding,” Fox says. “You see a bird, and it gets you wondering what it is, and then suddenly you discover there's this whole world of birds that you didn't know about.” Photo by Kelly Fox](https://appvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/HoodedWarbler-1024x682.jpg)
Spotting Fall Warblers at Seven Islands State Birding Park
Birding enthusiasts may be able to spot these 36 New World warbler species at Seven Islands State Birding Park in Kodak, Tennessee, this fall migration season.
A Call to Protect the Hellbender, Appalachia’s Largest Salamander
The Eastern hellbender is eligible to receive federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. In December 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a proposal to classify the hellbender as endangered.
Endangered species listing could help save Eastern hellbenders in Appalachian streams
On Dec. 12, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a proposal to classify the Eastern hellbender, the largest aquatic salamander in North America, as endangered.
Hiking the Highlands
Hiking the Highlands 
Protected Paths: Trails Through Public Lands
This series features lesser-known trails in Appalachia’s public lands. They show the beauty and significance of hiking on public lands.
UPDATE: Pedestrian bridge opens for McAfee Knob trail crossing
Soon, Appalachian Trail hikers will be able to use a 90-foot-long, steel and concrete pedestrian bridge to move safely over Virginia 311 at McAfee Knob trail crossing.
Views and Brews
There’s nothing better than some time on the trail followed by a smooth cup of java or something with a little kick. Enjoy this carefully crafted list of the perfect pairings.
This Green House
This Green House 
East Tennessee Nonprofit Welcomes First-Time Homebuyers Into Affordable, Energy-Efficient Home
Shawn O’Brien and Nicole Yacura recently moved into Candora House, a net-positive solar home built by East Tennessee nonprofit, SEEED.
Lowering Costs for Energy-Efficient Home Upgrades
Tax credits and rebates can help homeowners make energy-efficient upgrades.
How Home Repairs Enable Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Funding for a Virginia program that helps low-income residents repair their homes and receive energy-efficiency upgrades is at risk.
Across Appalachia
Across Appalachia 
Saving 5 Miles on the Gauley River
Arc of Appalachia, an Ohio-based nonprofit, launched a campaign to purchase and protect 1,336 acres in Nicholas County, West Virginia. The property includes 5 miles along the Gauley River and 1 mile of Big Beaver Creek.
State Park All-Terrain Wheelchair Program; Fire Ants in South Virginia
Two Across Appalachia stories from Virginia cover six Virginia parks adding all-terrain wheelchairs and invasive fire ants spreading in the state.
Indigenous Organization Acquires Land on Proposed Federal Prison Site in Kentucky
A controversial proposed prison site in Letcher County, Kentucky, is facing new barriers thanks to a community-based Indigenous organization and new suggested budget cuts from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Energy Report
Energy Report 
Support For Mine Problems in Jeopardy; Groups Challenge South Fork Coal
Energy Report stories about Citizens’ ability to get help with mine problems in jeopardy and groups challenge South Fork Coal’s actions in West Virginia.
EPA Plans to Roll Back Air and Water Protections
Last spring, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced its intention to roll back dozens of vital environmental health protections, calling it the “biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history.”
Law Slashes Renewable Energy, Offers Benefits to Coal and Gas
On July 4, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a budget reconciliation package with sweeping impacts on many issue areas, particularly health and the environment.
Member Spotlight 
