by Wally Smith
Those three words are on my mind as I slosh around in a wetland behind the lodge at Virginia's Breaks Interstate Park. The pool isn't much, taking up no more than thirty square feet and its water only…
Read moreby Sarah Abdelrahim
Indigenous peoples play a crucial role in protecting and advocating for global biodiversity. According to the United Nations, there are 370 million Indigenous peoples around the world — almost 5 percent…
Read moreby Wally Smith
It's a cold November morning as I drive from my home in rural Wise County, Virginia, to the town of Tazewell, some 80 miles away. My journey takes me across the edge of the Virginia coalfields and through…
Read moreby Erika Zambello, Wally Smith
“Elk are not the first animals that come to mind when thinking of native Appalachian wildlife, but the species was a common sight in these hills prior to European settlement,” writes Dr. Walter Smith in…
Read moreby Wally Smith
This is the case with the green salamander, one of the most unique amphibians in the salamander-rich Appalachian Mountains. The only truly green-colored salamander in eastern North America, the green salamander…
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