2010 – Issue 4 (Dec/Jan)
The Chestnut: Restoring an American Classic
Story by Jillian Randel A century ago, one in four trees in the forests of Appalachia and throughout the eastern United States was an American chestnut, providing a reliable source of food and timber for humans and animals. Now it may grow once more. Since 1983, The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) has been working to…
Read MoreAcross Appalachia
Notes from all Over Stories by Megan Perdue Land Trusts To Preserve 50,000 Acres in Western N.C. Nine regional land trusts have agreed to a five-year plan aimed at protecting 50,000 acres of Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina. The coalition, known as Blue Ridge Forever, is expecting 8,000 additional acres to come under…
Read MoreContamination Concerns Mount as Gas Fracking Heats Up
Story by Jillian Randel The negative effects of fracking for natural gas just keep, well, stacking up. The impact of drilling in Appalachia has already been substantial. The Marcellus Shale formation, which stretches from New York to Pennsylvania and Ohio down to West Virginia, contains large reserves of natural gas, and instances of water contamination…
Read MoreThe Hemlocks! The Hemlocks!
Story by Jamie Goodman A striking new art exhibit has captured the life and death of the great eastern hemlock, bringing the plight of this threatened tree to indoor audiences. Internationally-renowned artist Lowell Hayes, a resident of Valle Crucis, N.C., has created eleven large-scale constructed-canvas paintings that incorporate natural materials such as bark and tree…
Read MoreThems “The Breaks” – Enjoying the Unknown Beauty of Breaks Interstate Park
Story by Daniel Hawkins Within the coalfields, straddling the border of Southwestern Virginia and Eastern Kentucky, lies a little-known natural wonder of the Appalachian Mountains. Known as the Grand Canyon of the South, Breaks Interstate Park is home to one of the deepest gorges east of the Mississippi. Over millions of years, the Russell Fork…
Read MoreMining Our Heritage
Story by Jason Reagan “And Daddy won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County, Down by the Green River, where Paradise lay. Well I’m sorry, my son, but you’re too late in askin’. Mr. Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away.” Ask anyone if they know a song about coal mining and chances are they’ll…
Read MoreCoal Controversy Divides Communities
Review by Megan Perdue Deep Down: A Story from the Heart of Coal Country demonstrates the polarization and dichotomy of Appalachian coal issues—especially mountaintop removal—by characterizing two individuals on opposite ends of the issue spectrum. Both Beverly May and Terry Ratliff grew up in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, but on opposite sides of a…
Read MoreMore than Just A Documentary
Review by Megan Perdue Coal in Kentucky is an hour-long documentary providing a comprehensive overview of the role of the coal industry in historical and contemporary Kentucky society. Individuals from the coal industry, environmental activists, politicians, scholars and citizens weave a cohesive analysis of coal issues facing Kentucky today. Presented by the University of Kentucky’s…
Read MoreLast Child in the Woods: Nature Nurtures Creativity
Review by Jillian Randel Increased outdoor playtime translates to higher levels of creativity, better critical thinking skills and a greater sense of confidence for today’s children, Richard Louv poses in his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. According to Louv, children have lost their connection to the earth. Direct…
Read MoreA “Reduce/Reuse” Remodeled House
Local Lumber, Seconds and Hand-Me-Downs Highlight Home’s Expansion Story by Jillian Randel You don’t have to start from scratch to build green. Nestled in the mountains of Ashe County, N.C., adjacent to fields grazed by donkeys, cows and sheep, you will find a beautiful poplar and hemlock-sided home with a wrap-around deck and staircase leading…
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