Voices of the Forest

One of the main ways the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area works with communities is with our AmeriCorps members. They work all over our 16 West Virginia counties at cultural, historic, and conservation sites. In this episode, you'll hear from Meredith, who is an AmeriCorps member serving at a museum in Arthurdale, WV, and Rachel, who is serving with the Forest Service in Pocahontas County. Music for this episode is from the Free Music Archive. The Joy Drops, Roll Jordan RollLobo Loco, SpencerGillicuddy, Springfish

Women did not always have a place at the Forest Service, no matter how they were connected to the land. In this episode, We’ll hear from Megan Mason Dister, who interviewed Rene White. Rene was one of the first female employees at the Monongahela National Forest, and Rene's family also has ties to land that is now managed by the Mon National Forest. Music:Billy in the Lowground by Nat Keefe & Hot Buttered RumLandras Dream by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Have you ever wanted to go into an old rickety building filled with asbestos and other sketchy chemicals from the 1920s? If so, you might find historic preservation cool. In today’s episode, Sara Volkmann, the Hands On Team Coordinator for the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, sat down to tell me what the heck historic preservation is, and her experiences in the field. Music from https://filmmusic.io"Hillbilly Swing" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)"Errigal" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com)License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

‘Tis the season to be confronted by holiday spirit 24/7. I know that I've almost had too much holiday cheer, and it's not even Christmas yet, so we're keeping things short. In this episode, Sarah Rosenkrans, the curator and manager for the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center told me about some Appalachian holiday traditions, like anvil shooting, delicious foods, and talking animals. Music from: E's Jammy Jams, and Jingle Punks

Trains make the world go ‘round. Or at least they did in West Virginia in the 1920’s. In this episode of Voices of the Forest, we’ll learn some about railroads and their role in West Virginia about a hundred years ago, and their role in West Virginia today. Even if you’re not that into railroads, there’s still a ton of interesting stuff tied to nearly every aspect of life in the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, along with some interesting stories. Thank you to Jim Schoonover from the West Virginia Railroad Museum, and the West Virginia State Rail Commission for sitting down with me for this episode. The music in this episode is Reuben’s Train by Nat Keefe and The Bowties, and Tupelo Train by Chris Haugen.

It’s that time of year when Halloween takes over grocery stores and front lawns across the country. And it’s taking over us at the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area too. Our first episode is a collection of spooky stories from around West Virginia. In this episode, you’ll hear about a girl trying to get home, an angry angry man named Sam Walton, a Union Soldier finding a Confederate Spy, a traveler accused of murder, and a history lesson coupled with a ghost sighting from just a few days ago. Thank you to Tucker Riggleman and the Cheap Dates for the music, Moira, Sarah, Frankie, Kelsey, and Chris for helping me out. Stories and information in the episode came from: Crites, Susan. Union Ghosts. Butternut Publications, 1993.E-WV | Ruth Ann Musick. https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1539. Accessed 17 Oct. 2019. w3wawrMielke, Chris. The Beverly Ghost Named Jack. 18 Oct. 1019.Musick, Ruth Ann, et al. Coffin Hollow and Other Ghost Tales. 1977. Open WorldCat, http://site.ebrary.com/id/10815349.---. The Telltale Lilac Bush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales. University of Kentucky Press, 1976.---. “West Virginia Ghost Stories.” Midwest Folklore, vol. 8, no. 1, 1958, pp. 21–28.Sounds from freesound.org, users InspectorJ, Cameronmusic, Hazure, Stomachache, APallot, Buzzatsea, MAJ061785, Theshaggyfreak, FlatHill, Shastrocks

Do you like adventures? Well then get ready to travel with us on our adventure across the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia and Maryland. This whole region tends to fly under the radar, and one of our main goals at the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area is to put the region on people's radar screens. In this series, you will learn about history, recreation, conservation, and get to hear stories from one of the most under appreciated regions in the country. The music in this episode was provided by Michael Mloszeski.