Catching Summer in a Mason Jar

images/voice_uploads/CanningCircle.gif The ripe ear of corn came off in Eula’s hand with a rubbery squeak. “I must’ve missed one,” she said, raising her eyes to survey the garden-acre. After thinking about it for a minute she concluded, “My bucket must’ve been full. That’s probably why I left it.” Her conclusion made sense, because Eula Vines…

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Crafting Development

images/voice_uploads/Penland-MeadowCircle.gif Artists and artisans need inspiration as much as instruction, maybe more. And, though Penland School of Arts and Crafts’ instruction is renowned, its setting is equally as extraordinary. Each year, 1,200 students make their way to remote Penland, nestled far up in the mountains of western North Carolina just northeast of Asheville. Students come…

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Mountain Camp Thrills and Fulfills

I sat under the hand-notched timbers of a traditional southern Appalachian mid-eighteenth century style barn, dark rain clouds overhead. I listened as a dozen kids described their adventures that week and I admired the handmade medallion necklaces they had just completed. Propped on a woodworking bench opposite me sat G., a beautiful eleven year old…

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West Virginia Accomodates Anglers

images/voice_uploads/FishermanCirc.gif With honor-system-style catch-and-release trophy-fish recognition programs, states in the Southern Appalachian region are allowing anglers to receive a memento of a memorable catch, without killing a fish in the process. Anglers in North Carolina, for instance, can obtain a memorable fish citation by sending in a picture of the fish or a statement of…

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The Synchronous Fireflies of Elkmont

images/voice_uploads/FireflyCircle.gif “It’s starting.” “Look.” “It’s beautiful.” A chorus of soft murmurs came from the hundreds of now barely discernable gray figures scattered throughout the clearing. As the blue twilight faded toward darkness and dozens of blinking lights became hundreds – and then thousands – the din of conversation gradually faded into a quiet undercurrent of…

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Watershed Events

images/voice_uploads/WatershedCircle.gif The southern Appalachians are blessed with abundant rainfall, an enviable situation to much of the nation. This rain falling on forest ecosystems of the mountains provides our communities with clean drinking water; whether from streams or aquifers, we depend on these watersheds for the supply. Faced with economic needs, some cities and towns throughout…

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And the Winner Is….

images/voice_uploads/AirQualitySign.gif When Alan Spears recently climbed up the rocky trails of Old Rag Mountain in Virginia’s Shenandoahs, he was hoping for that “forever view” that he remembered from his younger days. He recalled a trip up the mountain in the early nineties, in which, “The sky was blue with just a hint of wispy clouds,…

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Excerpts From Code Red

Hazy Skies Plague Parks, Threaten Human Health Excerpted from Code Red The most noticeable effect of air pollution plaguing many national parks is an unnatural, unsightly haze. Park visitors often experience this gray or brown haze shrouding what should be spectacular views. Pollution combines with moisture to form tiny particles that scatter light and block…

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Mary Anne Hitt Named Executive Director

In May, Mary Anne Hitt was named as the new executive director of Appalachian Voices. Matt Wasson, who had served as executive director since December of 2001, stepped down in May to become the organization’s full time conservation director, a position that will better allow him to use his training as an ecologist. Hitt has…

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Asheville’s Bike Shop Owners

Recreational biking is all the rage in the Southern Appalachians, and for good reason, mountain biking here is among the best in the country. Bicycling for transportation in the cities can be an altogether different story. In Asheville, for instance, daily challenges to commuter cycling may include: a hilly terrain that limits finding alternate bike-friendly…

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