Watoga State Park Gets Dark Sky Status

The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) has awarded Watoga State Park in West Virginia with the official Dark Sky Park status.  The adjacent Calvin Price State Forest and nearby Droop Mountain Battlefield State [...]

Thoughts from our president

WOW!!! Thanks to everyone who attended our 2021 Fall Review. Although originally planned as an outdoor, in person, event somewhere in the highlands that the Conservancy is devoted to protecting, [...]

With Record Visitation, Dolly Sods Approaches Gridlock

By Rick Steelhammer With temperatures in the mid-40s and wind gusts strong enough to force visitors to take occasional stutter steps to maintain their balance, there was no doubt last [...]

Book News

All We Can Save Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, Edited by Anana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K Wilkinson (One World, 2021; www.oneworldlit.com/books) Reviewed by Cynthia Ellis Strong women [...]

Fall Review: Lots of Smart People Saying Lots of Interesting Stuff

By John McFerrin             The 2021 West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Fall Review was virtual this year because of covid but that didn’t stop us from having lots of interesting presentations.             Dave [...]

Trees and Climate Change

By John McFerrin             By now the science is clear:  trees have an enormous impact upon climate and can be an important tool in mitigating climate change.  In West Virginia, nobody is the [...]

Sloth: Deadly Sin or Environmental Virtue?

Now that fall is here, many of us are feeling a nagging urge to get off the couch, shut down our Zoom calling, and get out there and rake some [...]

NIOSH Comes to Mace, West Virginia

By Cindy Rank When is a mine not a mine? Apparently when it’s a hole in the ground carved out of rock to look and act like a mine but [...]

Bird Protections Back Where They Started

By John McFerrin             The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that it will cut the malarkey and go back to protecting migratory birds the way it always had.  It [...]

Board Highlights

By John McFerrin             Even though we had spent the previous day Zooming with the speakers for the Fall Review (well worth it, see story on p. ), we climbed back [...]

Become a Wilderness Steward

Dolly Sods Wilderness Stewards do not need to have any special experience or expertise. There is no specific time commitment required; some people may live close and be available more [...]