2012 — Issue 5 (Oct/Nov)
Eco-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…
Read MoreWildlife Center Sues for Survival, Bad Fracking Rules for Tenn., Other Shorts
Wildlife Center Sues for Survival A non-profit wildlife center known for rehabilitating thousands of animals including red-winged hawks, great horned owls and bobcats has filed a lawsuit against the resort town of Beech Mountain, N.C., for what it says is unjust and illegal treatment. According to Genesis Wildlife Sanctuary, a new ordinance was passed by…
Read MoreFederal Grants for Troubled Appalachian Species | W.Va. Superfund Cleanup
Federal Grants To Assist Troubled Appalachian Species A round of special funding by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded $33 million toward helping threatened and endangered species in 21 states, including several projects in the Central and Southern Appalachian region. In Cumberland County, Tenn., more than $700,000 will protect aquatic resources and improve habitat…
Read MoreBidding Farewell to a Mountain of a Man
By Lenny Kohm Larry Gibson was an exceptional man – a warrior for the mountains that he loved, an advocate for justice, and a mentor to the thousands of people all across the country who joined with him in his struggle to end the daily tragedy that is mountaintop removal coal mining. I first met…
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