September 11,12 - Summit on the Future of Appalachian Ministry, sponsored by CORA, at John 23^rd Center in Charleston, WV. For information call (423) 584-6133.

September 11 thru 13 - West Virginia Environmental Council Annual Fall Gathering,, Camp Pioneer, Beverly, WV. Yes, It’s true. Ten years have gone by since the first Environmental Council Convention. In honor of this prestigious event, we are planning for an annual convention that is the largest ever. Join us to reunite with old friends and energize new activists. Plan to bring a friend or neighbor. Start thinking about who in your area should be at this event and extend a personal invitation.

The program kicks off Friday evening with a review of recent environmental issues and planning on legislative initiatives. Saturday morning will include speakers and a brief "Dot" session to explain concerns in your area. Regional meetings at noon will allow new activists to meet their neighbors, develop local networking, and elect new regional members to the Board. Workshops on solid waste, water quality, electricity deregulation, forest issues, mountaintop mining and other topics are planned for afternoon. Saturday evening will culminate in a panel discussion on finding common ground on global warming issues. And, of course, the evening campfire is filled with music, song and good cheer.

The real work of the Convention happens Sunday morning when those present develop a consensus on WV environmental priorities for the upcoming year. The goal of providing a unified voice for the environmental community in West Virginia has long been achieved, but must be renewed annually. Some of the faces have changed, but many of the issues remain. Come and be a part of the action and planning which has sustained the E-Council for a decade. The annual convention is your chance to meet the top players in the environmental debates, to learn about the issues and to build bridges with others around the state who are facing similar concerns. This Tenth Anniversary is also a good time to gauge how far we have come, to recognize those who have helped make it possible, and to renew our commitments to be a part of that grand effort to make West Virginia’s environment a better one for our families and our future. See you there! For more information, early registration, call (304) 346-5891.

[Tradition continues as we look forward to this years Auction! So here's your official first reminder....or plea if you will.....about the popular, interesting, fun, Annual Silent Auction coming up at the popular, interesting, fun Fall WVEC Gathering. Clean out that attic, basement, garage or closet! Make something special! Get creative, and bring wonderful, fun offerings to donate to WVEC and share with your friends. Bring your own great treasures, and come bid on other super "finds." Help keep our tradition alive! Be prepared to join in all the fun.... yes, outbid your best friend for that special item you can't live without. Get ruthless. Don't let the auction end without getting something you really want. Don't leave home without bringing your donations.]

September 12 - 2^nd Annual Ironweed Festival of the Appalachian Women’s Alliance. Highlander Center, Newmarket TN. For information call the Alliance at (540) 763-3004.

September 13 thru 15 - Legislative interim session meetings, Morgantown.

September 14 - PSC Public Hearing on electrical deregulation, Flatwoods Days Inn conf cntr.

September 18 thru 20 - Annual Meeting of the West Virginia Native Plant Society. DNR cabin at Laneville in Canaan Valley. Friday 7:00 PM social and slide program on invasive plants. Workshops, one of which will be plant identification by PJ Harmon, and hikes on Saturday. Possible botanizing trip to Dolly Sods. Evening program by Rodney Bartgis who will speak on some exciting discoveries in the Smokehole/Northfork/Cave Mountain Bioreserve. Tent spaces available. Cost for registration, social and Saturday lunch, $4.00. All other meals on your own. For info or to register, contact Bill & Emily Grafton, 456 West Virginia Ave, Morgantown, WV 26505, or call 292-0229.

September 19 - Annual meeting of the West Virginia Organizing Project at Chief Logan State Park. For more information, call Ashley at 752-0901.

September 19 & 20 - Gaia Connection Eco-Feminism Conference, Kerens, WV. For info call Ruth Blackwell Rogers at (304) 636-2662. Allegheny Activist Gathering in PA. For information call Heartwood office at (812)337-8892, or email them at heartwd@bluemarble.net

September 26 - Mountain top removal rally from 1 to 5 PM. Speakers: Ken Hechler and Pam Nixon. Where : Sharon Dawes School, Cabin Creek. For more information call Larry Gibson at 346-5891.

September 26 - Blackwater Canyon Walk-Through. Be in the front row as fall foliage tunes up for its riot of color. We will take a leisurely pace as we walk the entire Blackwater Canyon Rail Trail - the way to really SEE the Canyon! Catch the last of the fall wildflowers, and the middle of foliage season. Downhill all the way with a shuttle back from the trail terminus in Hendricks. Call Jim Sconyers 789-6277.

October 1 thru 3 - Nonpoint Source (water quality) Conference "The Hidden Challenge," Sponsored by theWV-DEP, WV Soil conservation Agency, WV Division of Forestry & US EPA, Charleston, WV. Register by 9-17. For price schedule and other information call 1-800-682-7866.

October 4 - Fall Spectacle. We move from overlook to overlook for one spectacular fall foliage scene after another. Some are popular lookouts, others are less familiar. The Canyon puts on its finery for us! Meet at Blackwater Falls State Park Lodge at 9:30 AM. Bring camera(!), lunch, walking shoes, etc. Call Jim Sconyers 789-6277.

October 9 thru 11 (mark your calendars) - Mountain Top Fall Review.

October 15 - West Virginia Conference on the Environment. Charleston House Holiday Inn, WV Enviro Institute, POB 287, Charleston, WV 25231. Cost $75.

October 15 thru 17 - CORA Assembly at Cedar Lakes Conference Center,Ripley,WV. For info call (423) 584-6133.

October 17 - The Public Lands Committee of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy will meet on October 17, 1998, from noon until 3:00 p.m. at the Green House , 801 Randolph Ave., N. Elkins. 304 637-4082. The committee will be discussing forestry issues. Anyone wishing to attend is welcome.

October 18 & 19 - Kentucky Heartwood Meeting, McCreary County, KY. For information call the Heartwood Office at (812) 337-8892, or email them at heartwd@bluemarble.net

October 19 thru 23 - Cave Gating Seminar. Sponsored by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, American Cave Conservation Association, US Forest Service and Bat Conservation International. Registration is limited to fourteen students. Where? Thorn Springs Campground, Franklin, WV. Cost? $200 which includes room and board. Target Group? Cave Resource Specialist, Biologist, Geologists, Natural; Resource managesr, Recreation Managers. For information call David Foster at (502) 786-1466 or write for a registration packet at ACCA Gate Seminar, PO Box 409, Horse Cave, KY 42749.

November 20, 21 - Appalachian’s Women’s Alliance Sister Gathering. Southern Oho. Call the Alliance at (540) 763-3004 for info.