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House Sides with Coal, Passes a Non-starter On Sept. 21, in its last act before the election, the Republican-led House of Representatives passed H.R. 3409, a package of five bills it calls the “Stop the War on Coal Act,” claiming that environmental regulations are the real enemy of economic prosperity. Each of the bills would,…
Read MoreA Finite Frontier: Facing the Future of Central Appalachian Coal
By Brian Sewell On Sept.18, Appalachian coal mining giant Alpha Natural Resources announced it would idle eight mines and lay off 400 employees in the first phase of a “strategic repositioning” plan designed to meet the evolving demands of a changing global coal market. According to Alpha, the plan aims to enhance the company’s position…
Read MoreEqual Access
By Paige Campbell Eighth-grader Jarod Knight is having trouble with his homework. At his school in mountainous southeast Ohio, many class projects involve using the school’s broadband internet connection. But if Knight can’t finish during class, those assignments — like a weather-tracking science project — go home with him. That’s the trouble. Getting online is…
Read MoreEco-Champions
Eight Reasons Why The Future is in Good Hands Check out these Eco-Champions: • Chloe and Elijah Rose • Ben Stockdale • Olivia Stegall • Daniela Berry • Bailey Wells, Tristan Ginter and the West Carter Middle School Science Club • Birke Baehr • Ashley Phykitt • Cory Coots, Angel Hill, Ellie Hogg, Jade…
Read MoreGrade Green
By Paige Campbell The school day has officially ended at Castlewood High School. But at the Wetlands Estonoa Outdoor Learning Center four miles away in St. Paul, Va., it’s hard to tell. Seventeen Castlewood students are still engrossed in their water testing tools and trail maintenance equipment. “Wrap it up, guys,” teacher Terry Vencil calls…
Read MoreClimate in the Classroom
Scientists and science educators overwhelmingly agree that climate change is real and that part of science education is informing students about that reality. Appalachian educators are up to the challenge.
Read MorePrescription to Play
By Brian Sewell Once upon a time, on an ordinary fall afternoon after returning home from school, the kids from the neighborhood would get together. They might take to a nearby creek or hike to a secret fort deep in the woods. There, kingdoms were conjured, epic battles fought and the innocence of chilhood imagination…
Read MoreTeaching the Natural World
By Molly Moore It’s 9:30 a.m., and the sun has yet to offer its full warmth to the fifth-grade class clustered along the bank of the North Toe River in Spruce Pine, N.C. Several students warily eye the chilly current and one girl pulls her arms into her sweatshirt, insulating herself from the cool morning.…
Read MoreGetting Wild in Dolly Sods Wilderness
By Joe Tennis Julie Fosbender stepped carefully down the trail called Fisher Spring Run, heading downhill on a Monday morning. We hiked together for almost two miles along this unmarked-yet-mapped path in the Dolly Sods Wilderness, an expansive and scenic section of the Monongahela National Forest. The Dolly Sods Wilderness is a hiker’s dream, spanning…
Read MoreReady, Aim, Click: Photo Competition Accepting Entries
Now is your chance to showcase your interpretation of the unique character, people, places and pursuits that distinguish the Appalachian region. The Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition is accepting submissions from amateur and professional photographers for their 10th annual juried exhibition. The show is sponsored by the Outdoor Programs department at Appalachian State University, the Blue…
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