The American spirit is tied to the land, to “purple mountain majesties” and the pioneer’s self-reliance. Our relationship with the natural world has always been a balancing act between the drives of conquest and extraction and an instinctual dependence, curiosity…
Blog Archives
Notice!! This is data about which features this issue contains. Delete this description to rebuild the list.[“2012-issue-3-junejuly”,”coal-report”,”voice”,”inside-av”,”viewpoint”,”editorial”,”av-bookclub”,”hiking-highlands”,”naturalistsnotebook-voice”,”across-appalachia”]
Revealing the Common Thread: Blue Ridge Commons
By Brian Sewell Last year, Western North Carolina recognized the 100-year anniversary of the Weeks Act, the law that gave the U.S. Forest Service the ability to purchase private land in the Eastern United States to be managed as National…
TAGS: Blue Ridge Commons: Environmental Activism and Forest History in North Carolina Kathryn Newfont Nantahala National Forest Pisgah Forest
The White Squirrel Hiking Challenge
Editor’s Note: We have long featured our region’s fantastic places and phenomenal hikes in the “Hiking the Highlands” column. What we have less frequently focused on, however, is how some of our favorite places were protected in the first place.…
TAGS: Batson Creek Bearwallow Mountain Blue Ridge Escarpment Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy Chimney Rock State Park Connestee Falls DuPont State Recreation Forest Florence Nature Preserve Foothills Trail Green River Preserve Hickory Nut Gorge High Falls Hiking the Highlands Hooker Falls Kens Rock land protection Silver Slip Southern Appalachian Mountains Stone Mountain Transylvania County Triple Falls Uncle Falls Weed Patch Mountain White Squirrel Hiking Challenge Youngs Mountain
American Chestnut: Return of the Forest King?
By Molly Moore When Daniel Boone traveled through Appalachia, the tall trunks and sweet nuts of the American chestnut flourished. But to most modern residents, stumbling across a full-size American chestnut in the woods is as likely as spotting an…
Coal Generated Electricity Drops To All-Time Low in First Quarter
By Jessica Kennedy Data released in early May show that coal’s current share of U.S. electricity generation is at an all-time low. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook report, coal made up only 36 percent of…
TAGS: Coal coal electricity Energy Information Administration Mine Safety and Health Administration Natural Gas U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Short-Term Energy Outlook report
Keeping Up with the Fracking Frenzy
By Brian Sewell The debate surrounding the controversial method of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas shows no signs of slowing down. The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently submitted a final report in its shale gas study to…
TAGS: fracking hydraulic fracking N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources Natural Gas public lands shale gas Water Pollution
Massive VA Forest Fire Does Little Permanent Damage
By Anna Norwood High winds and low humidity were the perpetrators in starting multiple wildfires in southeast Virginia that burned almost 40,000 acres of national forest in April. The Fire and Aviation Supervisor for the George Washington and Jefferson National…
TAGS: air quality Appalachian State University Boone clean energy drought Foothills Pilot Plant Haircut 101 Marion Michael Quesinberry NC North Carolina Golden LEAF Foundation U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service VA Forest Fire wildfires
“Kids In Parks” Gets Kids Outside
by Jessica Kennedy There is a growing distance between children and nature, says Jason Urroz, director of Kids In Parks, an innovative program working to get children outside, active and connected to nature near their communities. A joint effort between…
TAGS: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation healthy lifestyle Kids in Parks nature Trails Ridges and Active Caring Kids
HIDDEN TREASURES #2 – Ohio
Welcome to part two in our exploration of the most amazing places in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountains — this time exploring some of our most fabulous Public Lands. Cantwell Cliffs Among the natural wonders of Southeast Ohio is…
HIDDEN TREASURES #2 – Pennsylvania
Welcome to part two in our exploration of the most amazing places in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountains — this time exploring some of our most fabulous Public Lands. Black Moshannon The most unique aspect of the 3,400-acre Black…
