Conservation
Carlie Dickens
Great Story for AFNHA Birds

AmeriCorps member serving with the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge shares their experience with bird banding.

Great Story for AFNHA Birds
Heritage
Benjamin Duvall-Irwin
Lumberjills: A Legacy Carved in Timber

This project began one day as I was sitting at my desk, looking around the museum. It suddenly struck me—there wasn’t a single mention of women lumber jills in our collection. That moment sparked a deep curiosity and led me to begin researching the role of women in the timber industry. Fittingly, my lumber jill display came together just in time for the 60th anniversary of the woodchopping festival in my town Webster Springs. The display will be featured in the upcoming Lumber jill documentary set to be released next year.

Lumberjills: A Legacy Carved in Timber
Heritage
Benjamin Duvall-Irwin
Stories Told and Retold: Upshur County ...

Each summer the Upshur County Historical Society cordially opens the doors of its History Center & Museum inviting the public to a new rendition of its annual summer exhibit. This year’s exhibit, Stories Told and Retold, highlights a selection of the county's key photographers, woven and quilted handicrafts, memorabilia, and industry, with stories drawn from UCHS’s vast and diverse artifacts collection.

Stories Told and Retold: Upshur County Historical Society’s Summer 2025 Exhibit
Heritage
Benjamin Duvall-Irwin
Spring Brings New Life to the Heritage Garden

Spring has arrived at the historic Sites Homestead, and our Heritage Garden is off to a great start. Everything we grow in the Heritage Garden connects back to our mission: to keep the history of this land and the people who lived here alive. We hope you’ll come by, take a walk through the garden, and see how it’s growing. There’s always something new to discover!

Spring Brings New Life to the Heritage Garden
Conservation
Benjamin Duvall-Irwin
Don’t Miss Discover Nature Day!

Get ready for some outdoor fun! Discover Nature Day is an annual family-friendly event hosted by the USDA Forest Service at Seneca Rocks Discovery Center. People of all ages are welcome to get out and explore our natural world. This event will be held on Saturday, June 7th,  from 10 am-3 pm and will be taking place rain or shine.

Don’t Miss Discover Nature Day!

Reflections of Arthurdale by New Exhibit: Treasured

Reflections of Arthurdale by New Exhibit: Treasured

The new temporary exhibit at Arthurdale Heritage, Treasured: Contemporary Reflections of Arthurdale focuses on the threads which connect Arthurdale’s past to its present and future. Through rare and magnificent objects either on loan or in the archival collection, Arthurdale connects these pieces of historic significance to current and future projects. As the exhibit explains, these objects represent the stories of individuals and families who called this town home and they “now challenge us to press onward, imagining what we will achieve together.”

In our new exhibit, you can learn not only about Arthurdale’s history but also about our organizational efforts and plans for the future. Treasured will be on display until January 13 from Monday-Friday 10-3.  

Northern Saw-whet Owl Banding

Northern Saw-whet Owl Banding

On a cold clear night, when the moon is dark and a north wind blows, northern saw-whet owls take wing for their fall migration. Bird banders across the US and Canada set up their nets in strategic locations and watch the weather closely for good conditions, checking their nets regularly for birds.

Learn how volunteers at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge identify and track owls for study.

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Telling Civil War Stories with a New Window Exhibit

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Telling Civil War Stories with a New Window Exhibit

The Beverly Heritage Center is composed of four historical buildings, dating from 1808 to 1907 that showcase a range of architectural styles and original purposes. An element of exhibition design here is negotiating around this pre-existing infrastructure, such as the large windows in the Aries Hill Building (1907).

During the Civil War, several buildings in the town of Beverly were used as hospitals for both sides of the war. After the Battle of Philippi, one of the first amputations of the Civil War was performed in town by Dr. John Huff; where he used a butcher knife and a carpenter saw to treat a Confederate soldier who had been hit in the leg by a cannonball. In the First Campaign room, we display the saw used in this operation, so a depiction of this medical scene themed perfectly with the rest of the exhibit.

News at Adaland: Rediscovering Judicial Clothes and Continuing Christmas Traditions

News at Adaland: Rediscovering Judicial Clothes and Continuing Christmas Traditions

Adaland Mansion, previously known as the Modisett Mansion, is a Greek Revival house set at the top of the hills in Philippi, WV. Now it is a beautiful landmark that hosts a combination of historically inspired and modern events, such as weddings, tours, educational classes, private and public dinners and more! In early November the site closes to the public for a few weeks so volunteers can fill every space with glad tidings (and tinsel). Each room has a themed tree with shining ornaments to prepare for the free Holiday Open House on Saturday, December 3rd.

The Christmas cheer is here early at Adaland Mansion as the director, Jolynn Powers, excitedly opened a surprise donation.

300 Miles To Find A Home

300 Miles To Find A Home

Hello! My name is Joe Medica and my position through AFNHA is with the Green Bank Observatory serving as an Interpretive Trail Developer. I am originally from Schuylkill Haven, PA, which is in a part of Pennsylvania that is very similar to Pocahontas County. I found AFNHA when I applied through the official AmeriCorps website. I was matched with the program based on my experience in environmental work and field research. I interviewed with AFNHA staff as well as sites under AFNHA, and was paired with the GBO.

West Virginia has become a second home to me in the nine months that I have been here. I first arrived in Green Bank on Labor Day weekend, and the adjustment to the conditions here was a bit of a shock. The lack of any wireless signal took a bit of getting used to, but with plenty of Ethernet cords and some adapters, I’ve been able to maintain a little bit of connection to the outside world. It isn’t my first time moving away from home, but this is definitely the furthest I have moved, with the trek from the GBO back to my part of PA coming in at 300 miles.

Red Spruce Indicator Species

Red Spruce Indicator Species

Wild and wonderful West Virginia contains a wondrous and unique ecosystem of red spruce. This species of tree and the ecosystem it creates is historic to West Virginia. In the 1800s and into the 1900’s it was a highly sought-after tree for lumber. Now, it’s the focus of some of the conservation work taking place in West Virginia and the Central Appalachians. The lumbering industry took a heavy toll on this ecosystem, reducing the acreage of red spruce forests from over 500,000 to just a little under 30,000. This means the other species that rely on this ecosystem for habitats, like the endangered cheat mountain salamander and the West Virginia northern flying squirrel, also suffered. Today, conservationists are working to restore this ecosystem in order to create healthy spruce forests and bring back the biodiversity this ecosystem creates. So, how do we know the actions being taken are working? That's where indicator species come in.

Homes for Bluebirds

Homes for Bluebirds

On March 19th, the Green Bank Observatory and Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area hosted an event with the Deer Creek Defenders 4-H club in Green Bank to build bird boxes for the local bluebird and tree swallow population. These boxes were built to replace old boxes initially deployed by Dave Curry, the founder and main proponent of the citizen science program involving these boxes here on the Observatory grounds. The boxes that were replaced were either those deteriorated by the elements or knocked down by predators that got a little too greedy.

Wild and Wonderful Women of West Virginia: Celebrating Women’s History Month

Wild and Wonderful Women of West Virginia: Celebrating Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month. So . . . Happy Women’s History Month!! This month is built to honor and celebrate all the women in the past, present, and future. How I’m celebrating this month is by sharing the untold stories of some of our influential women in Randolph County’s history. This past month I have been spreading the word on social media to share the stories of these amazing women.

Environmental Education with Project Learning Tree

Environmental Education with Project Learning Tree

When I became the Education and Outreach Aide for the West Virginia Division of Forestry, I was looking forward to teaching others about the environment. Since my arrival in West Virginia I learned about Project Learning Tree (PLT) - a program that has helped me discover engaging teaching modules. PLT is an environmental education program made for educators to work with children from preschool to grade 12. PLT has been training teachers and educating students about the environment since the mid-1970s and is used in all 50 states. According to the PLT website, the program “reached 138 million students and trained 765,000 educators!”

More Than A School – Collective Memories from Bolling School Alumni

More Than A School – Collective Memories from Bolling School Alumni

What do you remember about your early school experiences? Can you recall the exact details of your classroom’s layout? What about the smells of the hallway? Do you remember all of your teacher’s names? What about significant moments in time – do you remember where you were when you found out about these life-changing events?

The Wild and Wonderful World of Rural 19th Century Medicine

The Wild and Wonderful World of Rural 19th Century Medicine

One of the Beverly Heritage Center’s most intriguing artifacts is an account book from the mid 19th century. It is an unassuming thing, the covers have been lost long ago and the pages darkened from their original white to a soft brown. In addition to the change in their color, the pages stiffened over time and some of the edges are prone to flaking. It sometimes feels like the book will fall apart in your hands as you flip through it.

Crossroads and Witnessing Change in Rural America

Crossroads and Witnessing Change in Rural America

As a lifelong West Virginian, the story I seemed to hear growing up was that we here in the Mountain State had been left behind. Before I was old enough to understand it, I learned about the “Brain Drain” and how all the people who could leave the state were going out to get better jobs in other places. From outside sources, I learned the stereotypes about West Virginia and the idea that people here were simply stuck in the past. Progress was happening somewhere in the world - but not here.

Re-discovering the Heritage and Culture of West Virginia

Re-discovering the Heritage and Culture of West Virginia

When I found myself looking to make a change but not ready to retire, I decided to hit the pause button and do something different. Signing up with the AmeriCorps program to serve a year as a Heritage Tourism specialist was my way of giving back to the community while transitioning into the phase of my life. In return, devoting time to learning about the history and culture in West Virginia and discovering historical places has become a rewarding adventure.

Musings on the Rocks: Two Months at Seneca

Musings on the Rocks: Two Months at Seneca

I’m currently serving a split position between the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center in the Cheat-Potomac ranger district, and the Greenbrier ranger district with AFNHA. West Virginia, like Virginia, has a strong sense of old-world roots and distinct cultural and geographical characteristics. It’s not a generic place. You have to be affected by her, one way or another.

The Potential of the West Virginia Railroad Museum

The Potential of the West Virginia Railroad Museum

When I began my first service term as an AmeriCorps with AFNHA at the West Virginia Railroad Museum, I didn’t know a lot about railroads. And now, starting my second term at the same site, I’m still no expert. But what I have learned is that engaging with this history is creative work because there are so many ways a person can start, and so many places they can end up. Read more of Emma’s story!

Candy darters, brook trout, and hellbenders – oh my!

Candy darters, brook trout, and hellbenders – oh my!

Before joining AFNHA AmeriCorps, when I thought of West Virginia’s freshwater systems I imagined trout, forested streams, and crayfish – there is so much more to them than just that! While I have plenty of snorkeling experience, I have never been able to immerse myself in such diverse freshwater systems until I came to work in the Monongahela National Forest. Snorkeling allows you to experience the stream in a completely unique way; fish are accustomed to predators approaching from above similar to how a kingfisher or heron would hunt so when you join them in the water to swim alongside them, they are less skittish.

A Celebration! Rich Mountain, 160 Years Later.

A Celebration! Rich Mountain, 160 Years Later.

To honor and celebrate the 160th anniversary of McClellan's Union victory, the Beverly Heritage Center and the Rich Mountain Battlefield Foundation is planning the first ever Rich Mountain Memorial March and Fun Run! On July 10th from 10 am to 5 pm, this celebration will combine the history of the battle and a fun run into one event! Our event will be a five mile walk from the top of Rich Mountain into the town of Beverly. Find out more inside!

Painting Candy Darters: An Adventure in the Stream!

Painting Candy Darters: An Adventure in the Stream!

People say a picture is worth a thousand words, so a painting must be worth a million. When it comes to designing interpretive signs, you can only have so many words before you lose your audience and that is why using art is so important to getting your message across and have an audience actually receive it. Interpretation in itself is an art and has a process all on its own. Each interpretive sign you see has its own inspirations, passions and messages it is trying to portray, and an artist/designer behind it trying to share all these things. It’s a process that I have had the opportunity to experience and want to share with you now.

 

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