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Saluting the Women I Want to Be
By Jamie Goodman My grandmother was a true Appalachian mountain woman. She stood a mere 5 feet 2 inches, but she was as tall as a tree in my eyes. Her skin was weathered by years of working on the farm; her eyes were water-blue, and her hands scarred and tough. Her back was hunched…
Read MoreThe Women of Appalachia: One of our most powerful natural resources
The Formidable, Fearless and Fantastic Women of Appalachia Story by Bill Kovarik Fearless women settled Appalachia – and are still fighting for it. Alongside men, they plowed fields, put up food, kept the family and faced conflict. Women like Mary Draper Ingles, taken hostage in 1755 by Shawnee Indians, who hiked 500 hundred miles of…
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 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 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 MoreSongbirds at Risk as Local Hemlocks Disappear
Story by Hannah Aleshnick With a face more yellow than green, the Black-throated Green Warbler can often be seen between delicately needled hemlock branches. The songbird’s olive markings streak across its head and back, the jet black bib is surrounded by a white belly and grey wing feathers. It is the second most common warbler…
Read MoreGet Clean and Green Around the House
Home Remedies Both Old & New Story by Jillian Randel Walk through the cleaning aisle in the grocery store and you will find shelves upon shelves stocked with cleaning products. Gels meant to clean the toilet bowl, window spray for the mirror, a leave-on concoction for the shower and a separate solution for the sink.…
Read MoreFolk Remedies: Useful Plants From Your Backyard
Story by Yuri Woodstock There exists, under our feet, a cornucopia of edible or medicinal plants, fungi and algae. The wide variety of beneficial species in Appalachia—and their application to a multitude of ailments—comprises a massive realm of knowledge. A Peterson field guide lists wild sarsaparilla root, for example, as a folk remedy for stomachaches,…
Read MoreAnnual Photo Competition Celebrates Appalachia
By Jillian Randel Three men pushing a Christmas tree bailer, a single set of footprints on a snowy highway, morning shadows over the Blue Ridge Mountains… how can one capture the essence of Appalachian life in a frame? That’s the challenge of the 8th annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition, which is accepting submissions now through…
Read MoreA Glance at the Political Landscape of Appalachia
By Derek Speranza What is in store for the future of Appalachia? With midterm elections approaching in November, it might be more appropriate to ask: who is in store for the future of Appalachia? Inextricably tied to its deep-seated history of coal, yet looking toward the future of sustainable energy, the Appalachian region is in…
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