2014 — Issue 2 (April/May)
Cherokee Tribe Works to Replenish Deer Population
By Kelsey Boyajian On the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation’s Qualla Boundary in western North Carolina, white-tailed deer are a rare species. The population was depleted in the late eighteenth century during the peak of the fur trade, but today, efforts are being made to restore the deer population — plentiful in the rest…
Read MoreVolunteering Across the Region
AmeriCorps AmeriCorps is one of three core programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that calls upon local communities for volunteer opportunities. AmeriCorps programs include disaster relief, anti-poverty efforts and general community support, as well as various state and local programs. Appalachia boasts numerous AmeriCorps service opportunities that benefit the…
Read MoreVolunteering in West Virginia
Big Laurel Learning Center Along the beautiful Tug Fork River near Kermit, W.Va., this rural community center offers environmental service opportunities to educate and assist communities affected by mountaintop removal mining. “The coal mines are right next door and people suffer from this fall-out of the coal society,” says Gretchen Shaffer, Big Laurel’s volunteer program…
Read MoreVolunteering in Virginia
New River Valley Bike Kitchen This all-volunteer organization located in Christiansburg supplies cheap, recycled bikes to underprivileged citizens. With 19 percent of the New River Valley population under the poverty line and half of the population living within a 10-mile commute to work, New River Valley Bike Kitchen embarked on a mission to provide a…
Read MoreVolunteering in Tennessee
Birdhouse An open space in Knoxville for sharing art, music and educational programs, Birdhouse functions as a venue for voices otherwise not given much space in the community. This multi-faceted building serves as a community center for do-it-yourself workshops, gardening, and exhibition space for artists, musicians and comedians. Volunteers maintain the space and help with…
Read MoreVolunteering in North Carolina
Stream Monitoring Information Exchange For those interested in a hands-on experience, the Environmental Quality Institute offers training on how to analyze stream-dwelling bugs to determine watershed health in Buncombe, Haywood, Madison, Yancey and Mitchell counties. Volunteers attend six-hour training sessions in the spring and fall to learn about stream ecology and species identification, and participate…
Read MoreVolunteering in Kentucky
Seedleaf In the heart of Lexington, Ky., Seedleaf maintains a total of 14 community gardens. Seedleaf helps to cultivate these spaces, participates in city-wide composting, and offers sustainable cooking and preserving classes to children and adults. Service opportunities are offered weekly, and involve mulching, tree and shrub planting and garden maintenance. All ages. Get involved!…
Read MoreAttempts at Legislation, Regulation Follow Water Threats
By Molly Moore Almost as soon as West Virginia American Water Company ordered 300,000 residents to avoid contact with their tap water, the question arose: why was crude MCHM, a chemical now known to be highly toxic, so poorly understood and regulated? The lack of a clear answer brought national attention to the fact that…
Read MoreNorth Carolina to Set Precedent in Superfund Litigation
By Kimber Ray In January, the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in a case that will impact victims of toxic Superfund sites across the country. The Superfund program, created in 1980, is a federal initiative designed to address the nation’s most high-priority hazardous waste sites. Long-term exposure to chemicals and heavy metals migrating from…
Read MoreEnvironmental Summer Camps 2014
By Kelsey Boyajian Would you like to splash in a mountain creek and identify tree frogs? Study marine biology and learn about sea turtles in the sandy dunes of North Carolina? Or go on backpacking, horseback riding and tubing adventures in the foothills of eastern Tennessee? Browse our online listing of summer camp programs for…
Read More