The Appalachian Voice
Paradise Protected
images/voice_uploads/PeopleInChannels.gif Passing by the road to Raven Ridge, high in the Clinch Mountains of Virginia, it is hard to believe that this steep, winding route was the focal point of a battle that raged up and down the mountain for four years. Today, visitors lucky enough to discover this little-known Appalachian treasure are rewarded with…
Read MoreSouthern Universities Go Green
images/voice_uploads/CleanEnergyCircle.gif As college students across the South return to classes this fall, many are gearing up for major campaigns aimed at making their campuses more sustainable. From energy conservation to paper purchasing, students are demanding that their universities, many of which are the size of small cities, take action to reduce their environmental footprint. At…
Read MoreUniversity of Tennessee-Knoxville Announces Enviromental Policy
On Earth Day (April 22) 2004, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville announced the adoption of its environmental policy. According to the administration, the goal of the policy is to “establish the Knoxville campus as a model of environmental stewardship.” The Environmental Policy University of Tennessee-Knoxville Promulgated April 22, 2004 • The University of Tennessee aspires to…
Read MoreThe Garment of God
I once sat on a cement step leading to a sidewalk and watched an ant carry a tiny straw on its back. It came to a crevice between the cement slabs and had no means of getting across with the straw on its back. Faced with this dilemma, the tiny ant engaged in some practical…
Read MoreWatershed 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…
Read MoreAnd 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,…
Read MoreExcerpts 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…
Read MoreMary 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…
Read MoreAsheville’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…
Read MoreVirginia Wilderness Bill Introduced on Earth Day
On Earth Day, 2004, U.S. Represenative Rick Boucher, a Democrat, and U.S. Senator John Warner, a Republican, introduced companion bills in Congress (H.R. 4202 and S. 2342) to create four new wilderness areas and two new national scenic areas on the Jefferson National Forest in Southwest Virginia. The proposed legislation will also expand five existing…
Read More