Appalachian Forest Volunteers allows individuals to find volunteer opportunities in our region and gives organizations the opportunity to list ongoing needs or upcoming projects and recruit volunteers.
Resources for Women's History Month
We at AFNHA wanted to share with you some resources that speak to the history of women in the AFNHA region. 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 AFNHA region. We have updated a few resources for 2023, and hope you find them most helpful.
Congress Passes Landmark Legislation to Ensure Long-Term Stability for America’s National Heritage Areas
In one of the last acts in the 117th Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the National Heritage Area Act (S. 1942) by a bi-partisan vote of 326-95. Days earlier, the Senate passed the same bill without opposition. President Biden signed the legislation on January, 5th.
The National Heritage Area Act creates standard criteria for the funding, management, and designation of National Heritage Areas across the country and provides them an annual authorization of up to $1 million per year for the next 15 years.
Highlands Creative Economy Helps Connect Communities
The Highlands Creative Economy Council meets virtually once a month to network about tourism development. This open forum gives county tourism leaders and local businesses a chance to discuss successes, issues, and solutions, and to engage with guest speakers. This initiative has sponsored our monthly online meetings, dozens of free workshops and training, a pilot grant program, and the return of our annual Tourism Summit.
Resources for Black History Month, relaunch!
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.
West Virginia Birds!
There are plenty of reasons to look forward to spring in West Virginia: apple blossoms, waterfalls rich with snowmelt, baby lambs. If you pay close attention to the trees and bushes around you, you might find another reason to love spring hidden in plain sight. Bird nests! Many of West Virginia’s birds, both residents and migrants, choose their mates, build their nests, and raise their young during the spring. You can watch the whole drama unfold as the days warm up and the flowers open. You just have to know what to look for!
Marginalized Identities Series
Arthurdale Heritage has a number of ongoing projects to accompany the traveling Smithsonian exhibit Crossroads: Change in Rural America. The exhibit examines our understanding of rural places and their history. Arthurdale and the other sites in the state hosting the exhibit will be thinking about topics like mental health, labor, and community memory. They will also be discussing the representations of their communities and West Virginia.
Many take part in planning exchange camp
Officials from the Appalachian National Forest Heritage Area presented a Planning Exchange Camp Monday at 4H Camp Pioneer. Those who attended were able to give their input and help with planning of the future of the Appalachian National Forest Area. The AFNHA must submit its plans to the National Park Service in the spring of 2022.
Appalachian Forest Discovery Center offering exhibits, displays!
NASA Mars Rover Touches Down, Green Bank Telescope Receives Signal
heers could be heard throughout the Green Bank Observatory as NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover successfully touched down on the red planet Thursday, February 18th, at 3:55 p.m. EDT. The National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT) helped relay communications from the rover to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) located in southern California.
