AmeriCorps members serving with Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) recently presented a donation to the Augusta Heritage Center to support their scholarship fund. AmeriCorps members raised funds for this project by organizing a square dance. This was one of several organizations supported by AFNHA AmeriCorps members through their annual community service projects.
We at AFNHA wanted to share with you some resources that speak more to the history of black Americans, not only in the AFNHA but in the Appalachian region as a whole. These resources in no way speak to any political leanings, and they do not advocate for any political organization. They are simply listed to promote learning and growth about our heritage, history, and culture in the Appalachian region, of which AFNHA is a part of.
What’s in a name? Join Abi Smith with the Greenbrier Historical Society as she explores the Shanghai Parade, a major event each year in Lewisburg, attracting thousands of people to gather and celebrate the start of a new year. But despite its popularity, this New Years event is shrouded in mystery. When did it begin? Who started it? and How did it get the name Shanghai? Get ready for the story!
The Forest Festival usually dominates Elkins conversations during the first weekend of October; however, everything is different in 2020. The Coronavirus forces us to avoid person-to-person chatting. If we want to talk, we need to go online, and that forces us to contemplate the reasons for things we are saying. This week I joined a zoom meeting to help develop a plan for the interpretation of visitor experiences in the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area [AFNHA].
In spring 2019, the Monongahela National Forest conducted a prescribed burn in the Big Mountain area in Pendleton County, West Virginia near the town of Cherry Grove. A prescribed burn is defined as fire applied at a set location, under specific weather conditions, to accomplish predetermined, well-defined objectives. Read more about this burn and why it is necessary in this post!
Exploring OUR Land: Public Lands in Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area opens June 4th, 2020, at the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center in Elkins, WV. This exhibit, created by AmeriCorps member Sarah Rosenkrans, highlights why public lands matter, what they are used for, and how we can protect and conserve them!
