Climbing the Highlands

Appalachia offers climbers challenging routes in beautiful settings, and the region’s geology invites adventurers of all styles and abilities. And in return, the sport of climbing provides an opportunity for economic development for areas around these rock formations.

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Massive VA Forest Fire Does Little Permanent Damage

By Anna Norwood High winds and low humidity were the perpetrators in starting multiple wildfires in southeast Virginia that burned almost 40,000 acres of national forest in April. The Fire and Aviation Supervisor for the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Michael Quesinberry, says these fires were the largest on record for Virginia. Quesinberry accredited…

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Seeds of Change Initiative to Improve Access to Local Food

The Boone, N.C.-based non-profit group Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture received a $1.1 million grant from Heifer USA to strengthen the local food system in what is known as the High Country region of North Carolina. The Seeds of Change Initiative is a multi-year program that will build upon the emerging local food movement to…

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Kids in the Creek: Connecting Youth to Their Watersheds

Alan Felker, eighth grade science teacher at Hardin Park Middle School in Boone, N.C., believes it’s important to expose kids to the environment around them. In North Carolina, eighth grade students are required to study state river basins and water quality issues. Felker took this opportunity to expose his students to our local and regional…

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The Business of Building Green

What’s good for the earth is good for the bottom line By Molly Moore When dentist Kendalyn Lutz-Craver decided it was time to move out of her leased, musty office and build her own structure, she had three building goals in mind. She didn’t want the building to be square, she wanted all patients to…

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