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The wonder of wetlands
5 SOUTHERNERS LEADING THE FIGHT TO PROTECT THEM
By Stephanie Hunt; photos by Joel Caldwell
Wetlands are wonderlands. These interstitial spaces between land and water are the superheroes of ecology and our environment, doing everything from serving as buffer and safeguard for storms and flooding, to capturing and storing carbon.
These magical places are under threat after years of effort to undermine wetland protections and the cuts to federal protections are felt particularly strongly in the South where abundant wetlands face increasing development pressures.
Meet people from chef to preacher and photographer to young entrepreneur who are using their unique talents to ensure the rollback of federal safeguards is not the last word for the South’s abundant wetlands.
SEEING THE SOUTH
A Virginia winter
Photos by Jack Looney and Bill Mauzy
Our country’s oldest mountain range, the Appalachians, defines Virginia’s western edge. Stripped of summer’s greenery, the plains and ridges, nooks and crannies of this ancient landscape are laid bare, sparkling under winter’s frosty coat.
In the valleys lie family farms surrounded by national forests, where SELC has long advocated for protections. Come explore this winter wonderland with local photographers Jack Looney and Bill Mauzy — who are well aware of what a special place they call home.
Pulse check: Richmond’s transit success
By Samantha Baars; photos by Phuong Tran
Providing cleaner, more equitable transportation options is one of the best things a locality can do for its residents and the environment.
Add Richmond as another pin on the map of cities in our region where innovative transportation solutions are taking more Southerners farther — and often faster — than ever before, while curbing pollution.
The Richmond region has created a powerful combination with the 2018 launch of the first express bus route in the city, called the Pulse, alongside a total route redesign. Then, during the pandemic, the bus system dropped all fares, drawing even more riders. Transit ridership in the Richmond region was one of the first in the country to surpass pre-pandemic levels. It rose another 14 percent in just the past year.
An invitation to the South’s rural corners
Broken Ground podcast host takes us to small towns where people are building a better future
By Samantha Baars
A deep commitment and intimate connection to our place in the world is powerful, regardless of its size or how easy it is to find on a map.
Podcast host Leanna First-Arai says the people who invite us into their small, rural corners of the South on the new season of Broken Ground are a testament to the big impact of having a strong connection to a place, of any size.
This season you’ll hear from some of the people living in these places polluters are betting are out sight, therefore out of mind, and how their communities are pushing back against the threats to their quality of life, homes and businesses.
Read the interview with First-Arai for a glimpse of what went into making Broken Ground’s latest season.
Start listening to Broken Ground
