Podcasts about Shenandoah Valley

Mark and Megan chat with local musician, Jim Snedeker, as he helps gives some insight to the musical world around the Shenandoah Valley.

In this episode, Whitney Erwin talks about holistic healthcare tools for living your best life. Whitney Erwin, M.Ed., LMT, has helped Onward Podcast host Emily Harman tremendously in managing her health and depression with holistic options. And, Whitney started her quest into holistic health when she was diagnosed with a brain condition when she was 20 years old and given a 50% chance to live. Now she shares all that she learned, and continues to learn, as she serves her clients.  As the founder of Four Seasons Harmony, Whitney provides holistic health and nutrition, clinical herbalism, Ayurvedic therapies and more. Also, Whitney loves providing holistic health services and she specializes in Natural Female Hormonal Balance, Fertility, Prenatal and Postpartum Care. And, her business is located in the Shenandoah Valley and Harrisonburg, Virginia, with distance clientele around the world.  Four Seasons Harmony's treatments aspire to enhance the body's innate healing abilities, promote deep relaxation, relieve pain, support healing from chronic imbalances, improve one's quality of life, and serve any person's health background no matter how complex.  Finally, Whitney's company values environmentally conscious practices and products, including safe and natural biodegradable cleaners, 100% pure, certified organic or wildcrafted massage oils, essential oils and flower essences and 100% tree-free office paper.  Four Season's Harmony Rasa Tea Recipee 1 Tbsp Fenugreek or slippery elm or Shatavari (cut and sifted)  1 Tbsp Flax or chia seeds  1 Tbsp Fennel Seeds  1 Tbsp Marshmallow root  Pour one quart of hot water over the herbs in a quart size mason jar. Steep up to 30 min. and drink as it cools. Astragalus root is an adaptogen and can be added as well in equal parts in weight. Excellent for pacifying Vata. Resources Mentioned:  Check out Whitney's website Whitney on LinkedIn Follow Whitney on Instagram: @whitney_fourseasonsharmony Four Seasons Harmony - Home | Facebook Connect with Emily on LinkedIn  Emily Harman Positive Intelligence Coaching Program  Onward Accelerator Coaching Program Onward: Twitter | Onward Movement Facebook Group | YouTube Buy Emily's Best Selling Book Step Into the Spotlight Schedule a Complimentary Coaching Call with Emily Music by Soul Pajamas Enjoyed the show? Please remember to leave a rating and review in Apple Podcasts.

Barry's special guests on today's podcast are Mike Faison, Winchester Area NAACP President, and Andy Gyurisin, Community Coordinator Chair with the Winchester Area NAACP.  The topic is the local celebration of Juneteenth at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley on Sunday, June 19th beginning at noon....Free admission, interactive exhibits, the Souled Out Band, food trucks and vendors! 

D.A.H. Cuisines®️ LLC dba: DAH-Lish Cuisines, is a catering and meal delivery service company, whose focused style of cooking, can be described as elevated American Cuisine with a French Flair. Owned and operated by Kesha Harris, Chef Kesha had a passion for cooking as a young girl, and in 2017 she opened her own catering business. In 2018, she attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York, where she earned her degree in the Culinary Arts. During her tenure at the CIA, she completed her 3-month externship, at a 3-Michelin Star restaurant in the Shenandoah Valley area of Virginia and is a Classically-Trained, ServSafe, and Allergen-Certified Chef. D.A.H Cuisines specializes in catering weddings, small dinner parties, private and corporate events. As well, they provide bi-weekly meal delivery and family meal planning & preparation services, to various counties across the Virginia Region. Website: www.dahcuisines.com Instagram: d.a.h.cuisines Facebook: kesha.harris , dahlishcuisines Facebook D.A.H. Cuisines Weekly Dinners (Private Group): https://www.facebook.com/groups/253239879120473 Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/winchester-va/d-a-h-cuisines-llc

It's National Smile Day and Barry's guest will elicit smiles with his stories of working behind the scenes with reality TV shows.  Parson Brown grew up in the Shenandoah Valley and now lives in Los Angeles, and his journey began with a camera in high school. 

In our May 25 edition, we reported that the highest transmission levels for COVID-19 were again in parts of the Shenandoah Valley, and today we take a look at an increase in cases, but not hospitalizations, in central Virginia… What might Virginia legislators do about the national rise in gun violence?... One Culpeper County woman's story of becoming a mother premieres at a festival in Colorado….

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:05).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 5-6-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of May 9 and May 16, 2022.   This episode from is part of a series this year of episodes related to trees and shrubs. MUSIC – ~14 sec – instrumental. That's part of “New Spring Waltz,” by the late Madeline MacNeil, who was a well-known and highly regarded musician based in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Each new spring brings a chance to focus on the life cycles of wildlife.  This mid-spring episode of Water Radio explores some connections among nesting birds, trees, and water.  Have a listen for about 30 seconds to three mystery sounds, and see if you know these three bird species who nest in trees near water, either always or at least sometimes.  And here's a hint: you'll be singing a melodious trill, if you hit this mystery out of the park. SOUNDS  - 29 sec. If you guessed two warblers and an oriole, you're right!  And you get bodacious bird bragging rights if you recognized, first, the Prothonotary Warbler; second, the Northern Parula, also a kind of warbler; and third, the bird for which Baltimore's baseball team is named, the Baltimore Oriole.  All three of these songbirds are found in Virginia in the spring and summer breeding season.  During that period, the Prothonotary Warbler is common in Virginia's central and southern Coastal Plain and can occasionally be found in some other parts of the Commonwealth; the Baltimore Oriole is common outside of the Coastal Plain; and the Northern Parula is common statewide.  The three species show a range of attachment to water-side trees as their nesting habitat.  The Prothonotary Warbler is particularly known for nesting in cavities in trees around water; in fact, the bird is sometimes called the “Swamp Warbler” in the southeastern United States.  The Northern Parula typically nests in trees along rivers and wetlands, especially in areas where it can find the materials it prefers for making its hanging nests: Spanish Moss or a kind of stringy lichen; this bird is also known to make nests out of debris left in trees after floods.  The Baltimore Oriole is the least water-attached of these three species, being found nesting high in trees in many areas outside of deep woods, including parks and yards; however, streamsides are among the species preferred areas for the bird's fibrous, hanging nests. If you're near streams, rivers, or wetlands and you see or hear any of these three birds, look to nearby trees for cavities or hanging materials that may be harboring the birds' next generation. Thanks to Lang Elliott for permission to use the bird sounds, from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs.  Thanks also to Janita Baker of Blue Lion Dulcimers and Guitars for permission to use Madeline MacNeil's music, and we close with about 25 more seconds of “New Spring Waltz.” MUSIC – ~26 sec – instrumental. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “New Spring Waltz” is from Madeline MacNeil's 2002 album “Songs of Earth & Sea”; copyright held by Janita Baker, used with permission.  More information about Madeline MacNeil is available from Ms. Baker's “Blue Lion Dulcimers & Guitars” Web site, online at https://www.bluelioninstruments.com/Maddie.html. The sounds of the Baltimore Oriole, Northern Parula, and Prothonotary Warbler were from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs-Eastern Region CD set, by Lang Elliott with Donald and Lillian Stokes (Time Warner Audio Books, copyright 1997), used with permission of Lang Elliott.  Lang Elliot's work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES Baltimore Oriole at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W. Va., August 2015.  Photo by Michelle Smith, made available for public use by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library, online at http://digitalmedia.fws.gov; the specific URL for the photograph washttps://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/natdiglib/id/17342/rec/2, as of 5-9-22.Northern Parula at Kennebago Lake in Maine, July 2011.  Photo by Bill Thompson, made available for public use by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library, online at http://digitalmedia.fws.gov; the specific URL for the photograph was https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/natdiglib/id/12961/rec/1, as of 5-9-22.Prothonotary Warbler bringing food to its nest in South Carolina, March 2012.  Photo by Mark Musselman, made available for public use by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library, online at http://digitalmedia.fws.gov; the specific URL for the photograph was https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/natdiglib/id/14152/rec/3, as of 5-9-22. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT THE BIRDS IN THIS EPISODE The scientific names of the birds in this episode are as follows: Baltimore Oriole – Icterus galbula;Northern Parula – Setophaga Americana (formerly Parula americana);Prothonotary Warbler – Protonotaria citrea. SOURCES Used for Audio Chesapeake Bay Program, “Birds,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/all/birds/all.  The Baltimore Oriole entry is online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/baltimore_oriole. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “All About Birds,” online at http://www.allaboutbirds.org.The Baltimore Oriole entry is online at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Baltimore_Oriole;the Northern Parula entry is online at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Parula/;the Prothonotary Warbler entry is online at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Prothonotary_Warbler. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “Birds of the World,” online at https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home (subscription required). The Baltimore Oriole entry is online at https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/balori/cur/introduction; the Northern Parula entry is online at https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/norpar/cur/introduction; the Prothonotary Warbler entry is online at https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/prowar/cur/introduction. Merriam-Webster, “Warble,” online at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warble. Chandler S. Robbins et al. A Guide to Field Identification of Birds of North America, St. Martin's Press, New York, N.Y., 2001. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries):“Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/.The Baltimore Oriole entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040348&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19117;the Northern Parula entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040312&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19117;the Prothonotary Warbler entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040303&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19117. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “List of Native and Naturalized Fauna in Virginia, August 2020,” online (as a PDF) at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/virginia-native-naturalized-species.pdf. For More Information about Birds in Virginia and Elsewhere Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “Merlin Photo ID.”  The application for mobile devices allows users to submit a bird photograph to get identification of the bird. Information is available online at http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society, “eBird,” online at https://ebird.org/home.  Here you can find locations of species observations made by contributors, and you can sign up to contribute your own observations. Stan Tekiela, Birds of Virginia Field Guide, Adventure Publications, Inc., Cambridge, Minn., 2002. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, “Animal Diversity Web,” online at https://animaldiversity.org/. Virginia Society of Ornithology, online at http://www.virginiabirds.org/.  The Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study, conservation, and enjoyment of birds in the Commonwealth. Xeno-canto Foundation, online at http://www.xeno-canto.org/.  This site provides bird songs from around the world.  For More Information about Trees and Shrubs in Virginia and Elsewhere Center for Watershed Protection, “Trees and Stormwater Runoff,” online at https://www.cwp.org/reducing-stormwater-runoff/. Chesapeake Bay Program, “Field Guide: Plants and Trees,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/all/plants_trees/all. eFloras.org, “Flora of North America,” online at http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1. Sanglin Lee and Alan Raflo, “Trees and Water,” Virginia Water Resources Research Center, Virginia Water Central Newsletter, pages 13-18, online at https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/49367.   (A Virginia Cooperative Extension version of this article—“Trees and Water,” by Sanglin Lee, Alan Raflo, and Jennifer Gagnon, 2018—with some slight differences in the text is available online at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/ANR/ANR-18/ANR-18NP.html.) Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension, “How Trees Grow,” online at https://agrilife.org/treecarekit/introduction-to-tree-care/how-trees-grow/. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Forests of Virginia, 2018, Resource Update FS-264, Asheville, N.C., 2020; available online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/59963. U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Forest Service, “State and Private Forestry Fact Sheet—Virginia 2022,” online (as a PDF) at https://apps.fs.usda.gov/nicportal/temppdf/sfs/naweb/VA_std.pdf. U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service/Climate Change Resource Center, “Forest Tree Diseases and Climate Change,” online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/ccrc/topics/forest-disease. U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service/Northern Research Station (Newtown Square, Penn.), “Forest Disturbance Processes/Invasive Species,” online at https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/disturbance/invasive_species/.” U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Natural Resources Conservation Service, “PLANTS Database,” online at https://plants.usda.gov. Virginia Botanical Associates, “Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora,” online at http://www.vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=start&search=Search. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation/Natural Heritage Division, online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/. Virginia Department of Forestry, “Virginia's Forests,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/.  Some of the useful pages at that site are the following:“Benefits of Trees,”

Subscribe to Reactionary Minds: Apple Podcasts | SpotifyWelcome to the inaugural episode of Reactionary Minds, a podcast from The UnPopulist that I’ll be hosting every month. This is a show about why some people reject liberalism and what the rest of us can do about it. This first episode is all about introducing the problem Reactionary Minds exists to address. In it, Shikha Dalmia, the editor of The UnPopulist and fellow at the Mercatus Center's Program on Pluralism and Civil Exchange, discusses the biggest challenge of our times: The resurgent threat of populist authoritarianism here and abroad. Every regime has its pathologies and populist demagoguery is the pathology of democracies. The “liberal” in liberal democracies is supposed to keep this genie in the bottle, but now that it is out, can we put it back in?This transcript has been lightly edited and condensed for clarityAaron Ross Powell: Welcome to the show.Shikha Dalmia: Thanks for having me, Aaron.Aaron: What is populism?Shikha: It's a good question, and as you've noticed, the name of my newsletter is The UnPopulist, and its addressed at the authoritarian currents we are seeing around the world. Then the question arises why am I calling it The UnPopulist and not the anti-authoritarian or something like that? Partly, because it's cuter, but the more serious reason is that the kind of illiberalism and the kind of authoritarianism we are seeing around the world has what is essentially a populist element.Now there's a lot of confusion around the word populism, and there is actually a great deal of effort on the left to try and take back this word which it thinks has been unfairly characterized in the last six years with the rise of the Trump era and the MAGA era. I, in some ways, feel for some of the left-wing writers, like Thomas Frank who's a public intellectual and an author and something of a Bernie Sanders progressive. He wrote a book not too long ago defending the term populism because he sees populism as essentially a movement of the people. Roger Cohen, a New York Times columnist, similarly wrote in 2018, shortly after Trump, where he also was lamenting the fact that the term populism has acquired this negative connotation.Now, I actually feel for some of these liberals because, as you and I know, we are still grieving the loss of the term liberal. However, I think they fundamentally misunderstand what populism really means and why it has a bad connotation.To some extent, it's a semantic issue, you can give any phenomenon any name, but populism, for the longest time has had a bad odor. They [Frank et al] see populism as essentially a popular movement that is supposed to do the most good for the most people, and those most people are not the rich people. They are generally lower or middle-income people who are the vast majority of the population.But that's not what populism really is. It's not a popular movement. A populist movement, if you read the literature on it, which admittedly is murky, it's about pitting the “real” people against some other entity, and that entity is the elites. The elites are considered to be these corrupt oligarchs, and the people are supposed to be something pure, representing something good.There is instantly this division between the elite, which controls “the establishment,” and the pure people whose interests are being avoided. Now, even that exactly doesn't capture the problem with the term populism. The term populism gets its bad odor from the fact that it's not just that the real people are trying to get their way and have their preferred policies enacted, it is more that they want to flatten certain elements of liberalism, the deliberative process, the representative process, because they believe it's been captured by some bad people, by The Establishment which is not representing them.It's an effort to flatten certain institutions of liberalism, not improve them, not reform them, but simply to either side step them or do an end-run around them, or even just get rid of them so that the real people can have their will.Now, obviously, the real people can't govern. There are too many of them, somebody has to govern for them. So in some senses populist and authoritarian seem like anti-poles. But inevitably they come together because whenever you have a populist movement some authoritarian figure or demagogue arises who will say they're representing the people. And we saw very clearly with Trump, we the people became me the people…they are not representing the people, they are the people. Populism inevitably goes hand-in-hand with a certain kind of authoritarianism, and so therefore, the term unpopulist and therefore why populism is something to be worried about.Aaron: I think that's one of the interesting things about watching the rise of populism in the U.S over the last five or six or seven years, has been that it's framed as an anti-elite movement and “drain the swamp” is an anti-elite thing. We're constantly hearing about these coastal cities where these out-of-touch elites who don't understand the real people are. The real Americans in this context really just means rural working class whites. But then you look at their leadership and it is fantastically wealthy, though we don't know quite how wealthy [in Trump’s case], because his finances are a little sketchy, but a fantastically wealthy businessman.Then in Congress the figureheads for this movement, or at least people trying to claim that mantle, tend to be Ivy league law school educated, pretenders to the common-man identity. You're right, it is this odd thing what begins as a movement framing itself as of the people turns into a personality cult that's no longer about the people's identity, it’s about the people building their identity through fealty to this strong-man leader, which is then how it can very quickly turn into an authoritarian movement, because either that leader's power when he has to do something is seen as absolute, because he's the embodiment of our hopes and dreams and cultural identity, or when that leader's position is threatened, as we saw when Trump lost the election, it can morph quickly into violence in defense of that leader's status. Not so much the working class or the common man status, but defending that leader from perceived failure.Shikha: That's right. Now, populism can be of both the left wing and the right wing varieties, and we have seen them throughout history. Latin America has had populism of every strain. In every instance it has led to the cult of the personality, but there are two things in populism. There is a cult of personality, which is the leader, and then there is a cult of the people too. There is a certain deification of the people that they are true owners of the society, their will needs to be respected.The two, the cult of the leader and the cult of the people, build on each other, they both deify each other. Whether it is Hugo Chavez, whether it is Bolsonaro right now. The Bolsonaro is interesting and he's losing some of his popularity, but Trump is a classic phenomenon of a cult leader, of a demagogue who is leading in the name of the real people, and then the real people deify him. He really was a deity in certain MAGA circles, and he in turn deifies them in his rallies.If you watched some of his rallies, which I tried to avoid as much as possible, but he was constantly flattering the people there. It was, "You people are great, and you are being ignored." Yes, there is this mutual cult of the leader and the cult of the people that goes hand-in-hand in a populist movement.Nomenclature and TaxonomyAaron: I want to stay for a moment on our terms and taxonomies, because the purpose of this show, ultimately, is not just to critique illiberal and populist ideas, but to try to understand them, to try to understand where these people are coming from, what the philosophies and personality traits and historical perspectives that inform them because it's hard to challenge ideas without understanding them deeply and, to the extent you can, fairly.We've talked about what populism is, but this show is not called the authoritarian mind, it's not called the populist mind, it is called Reactionary Minds. Where does the term reactionary fit into all this?Shikha: Aaron, this is your show! You and I both talked about why we like Reactionary Minds. I'll give you my side and perhaps you can say something about why you like it. The textbook definition of reactionary is a person or a sensibility that is opposed to economic or political liberalization of any kind. Usually, it goes along with a certain conservative mentality.I think there's another element to the reactionary sensibility, and that is, it is also anti-ideas, and it's anti-intellectual. The reason is ideas and intellectual theories can lead to change. They require a certain amount of openness to the world and to knowledge, and those can be intensely threatening to existing cultural orders. In that sense, reactionary minds, I think, is a good way to describe the show because you and I are both quite troubled and perturbed by the last six years.Things are happening in America that we never thought would be possible. We think that there needs to be some kind of a response to this, but we can't really fight these ideologies unless we understand them. We do want to understand the reactionary movement that's brewing in America on its own terms. That's the reason I like the term reactionary minds.Aaron: Yes, I agree with all that. What I would add is, I think that you can make the case that political ideology, moral ideology, and so on is, to some extent, downstream of personality, that we tend to have different personal and personality preferences, and then we sometimes look around for theories or intellectual edifices that provide structure to them or support them or don't really challenge them.In that regard, reactionary it is a personality type that says I am turned off by, sometimes threatened by diversity, by change, by things being different than the way that I'm used to, or people who aren't like me being more prominent than they used to be, or higher status than they used to be, or the way we talk about language is changing and that bugs me, and I don't like these kids asking me to use different pronouns or different terminology. There is this set-in-my-ways-ness that drives a lot of this.It's not an accident that Trump when he was first running for president, he led with anti-immigration, with a xenophobic perspective and a nationalism that was the corollary of that, because for a lot of his most faithful followers, it's “America is looking different than either the way I was used to it being, or the way that I imagined it being, or the way that I would like it to look demographic.”On the far fringes of the populace, we get the Great Replacement Theory about they're trying to change the demographics of the country to make it less white than it used to be. There is this very “I don't like difference” and then reacting strongly against that, then that feeds into political preferences, which is, "I'm going to vote for the person who will stop the change, whether that's preventing immigrants who don't look and talk like me from coming into the country, or will elevate the status of the people who have the same preferences I do against the people with the diverse preferences that I dislike."That's another thing that I want to dig into on the show is the way that there is such a thing, I think, as a populist or an authoritarian or reactionary psychology as well. There are ideas that inform it, but there's also just beliefs and values and attitudes and they end up mixing together into this very toxic political outcome. That was the attraction to me of the reactionary minds, because it gets both the notion that this is an ideological perspective, but also that this is just an attitudinal perspective.Shikha: Right. That's very well stated, Aaron. I would, however, push back just slightly in that we do want to make a distinction between the conservative mind and the reactionary mind. Bill Buckley's very famous statement when he launched the National Review was he wants to stand athwart history screaming or yelling stop. There is a way in which, even though I am not a conservative, never have been, never will be, I can understand the urge to be careful about change and reform, and to be a little deliberative. You don't want to simply throw out existing social arrangements just because some fad has taken hold of the land.There is a way in which the conservatives, even though I'm not a conservative, they can be incrementalists, but not completely opposed to reform. Reactionaries, I think, is conservatism on steroids in that sense. Reactionaries simply don't want change because they don't like change. Usually, reactionariness is a phenomenon that's associated with conservatism, but to the extent that it's not just any change that reactionaries are opposed to, it's actually liberalism that they are opposed to. To the extent its liberalization they are opposed to, they can even come from the progressive side.Like communists when China liberalized its economy, there were reactionaries in China who wanted the communist order to hold and they didn't want liberalization. In that sense, I like the term reactionary because potentially, it will even capture the leftist reactionaries.Leftist ExcessesAaron: I think that often manifests in the contemporary American left as an intolerance of difference. That is, it's not the same as the intolerance of difference that we see from the right, which is obviously very much there, but rather, the left thinks we have advanced, we have liberalized, so certain behaviors that used to be socially unacceptable are now considered normal, or certain underprivileged groups that used to be underprivileged are now considered no different than everyone else.That liberalization is good. That's the kind of liberalization we want, but there is a tendency among some people on the left to then to be incredibly intolerant not of difference in the political realm. It's one thing to say yes, we should — people who want to re-criminalize gay marriage or gay relationships that's bad, but it's people who themselves in their own lives are not affirmatively supportive of these things need to be stamped out, need to be punished.This often can manifest in the lefts wanting to punish businesses that weren't supportive of gay weddings, baking cakes for gay weddings. The small conservative baker says, "That's against my conscience. I don't want to bake a cake for your wedding." In a genuinely liberal society the answer to that is, "Okay." Like, "I will go somewhere else and get a cake from somewhere else and no harm, no foul."The liberalism that manifests on the left is like, "No." It's not enough that you are just saying, "Hey, I don't want to participate." You have to participate and embrace, or we are going to, in this case, try to use the state to punish you, to destroy your business, to find you, to drive you out, because you're not one of us. That ends up with this ratcheting up of the reactionariness because then what that says to the people who are more culturally conservative is, "I need to dig in even deeper because if the culture drifts in a more liberal direction, that's even more ground for me to be punished often with state force. I need to fight even harder because  I won't be tolerated.Shikha: That's exactly the dynamic we are in right now. The problem with the left is that it's too impatient and, to some extent, one can understand its impatience. I think systemic injustices are prevalent, systemic racism is a thing! We all do need to grapple with legacies of slavery, Jim Crow, all of that is correct. But the left doesn't want to do the real hard work of changing hearts and minds. It wants to grab power nodes and exercise and push on them to engineer change.It's not just the levers of the state that they are using, it's also the levers of corporate power and what have you. Not all of [these tactics] are illicit. Some of them are perfectly acceptable. Certain kinds of boycotts against views clearly beyond the pale are probably acceptable. But they have lost the capacity of making distinctions between good-natured fear of what they are asking for — and a reactionary fear, I guess.It's this lack of calibration and this lack of finesse in their techniques, which is a big problem. This, in some ways, is driving a more reactionary attitude on the part of the conservatives, bringing out their worst tendencies.But I actually don't want to simply blame the left . I think the conservatives always wanted — there was a certain kind of conservative mind that was always uncomfortable with certain social changes, gay marriage, what have you. They've also been looking for a pretext to dig in. I think to some extent, the left is giving them a pretext [by its excesses]. It's not a reason, it's a pretext for their reactionariness. It's hard to untangle all of this, I admit, but all these currents are right now with us.Aaron: At their core they're all ultimately a rejection of genuine liberalism, which is if nothing else, it is a belief in a social tolerance and social pluralism. If we're going to live together in a big society, commonly governed, we have to get along with each other. The way that you get along with each other given our diversity of viewpoints and values and preferences and backgrounds and so on is to tolerate difference. To say: "I'm going to let you live the way that you want to live and I'm going to live the way that I want to live. Even if I'm not celebrating the choices that you make, I'm accepting them as part of this liberal consensus."So much of what we're seeing now seems to be a rejection of that liberal consensus of saying, "No, it's not just that I think I am right in… All of us think we're right in our own preferences and values or we wouldn't hold them. It's not just that, it's saying, Therefore, anyone who differs from my preferences and values is wrong and is wrong to an extent that they are dangerous or a threat or impure, or in some other way, need to be, whether it's with the state or other mechanisms, need to be shut down, excluded, punished so that we can have a higher degree of uniformity that happens to align with my preferences.Shikha: When Obama became president he was against gay marriage. He was against all kinds of pro-gay policies, and then, of course, during the course of his presidency he changed his mind. I wonder if there is any room for Obama in the current left. Room for evolution of thinking.Now I think Obama was always there and he was holding back for strategic reasons, which turned out to actually be not bad reasons. You can see the growing intolerance of the left in that it's not just being censorious against the right, but it's also being censorious toward its own. That’s why, in a way, I'm a little less worried about the left, because the left, in its demand for purity and consistency, in a way is becoming less united and is at that stage of devouring its own.The left is now generating healthy pushback. I actually think if Trump had not arrived on the horizon, there was so much concern within the left about the left that right now we would be in a much better position with respect to the left. But with Trump arriving on the scene, I feel myself pivoting. I think there is no bigger threat in this country than the right because it has become so completely not just reactionary, but authoritarian and illiberal in 30 different ways that I've had to drop my attention on the left and now right is the big problem.Before Trump arrived, I remember Vox, very much a progressive publication, had published a piece by a liberal professor saying something to the effect, "My liberal students terrify me." This piece went on to say that conservative students his class, this was a professor who's in a liberal arts college, who said the conservative students in his class will push back, might not like his ideas, but are still willing to discuss them. Liberal students were not willing to do that.Now what we are seeing on the other hand is that the right is no longer simply pushing back against what were legitimately called left-wing excesses. It wants to just crush them. Now you are seeing bills banning the teaching of critical race theory. That's where the reactionariness comes in. This is no longer now about calibrating the pace of the change, it's not about that. Now we are only going to impose our vision from like 200 years ago. Now it’s in a completely different orbit.The Roots of Modern Day Right-Wing PopulistsAaron: We talked about Trumpism as exemplary of the kind of populism that we are concerned about, but is Trump the major figure, or who are the other figures that are important to understand when looking at the lay of the land on American populism, left or right, the main, I guess, influencers, as the kids say?Shikha: Well, populism in America, depending upon how you use the term, has a long history. The first populist movement was the People's Party in 1890, which was a third party. It was this agrarian movement and labor movement against the industrialization that was happening. In the building of the railroads, lots of people were dispossessed; traditional livelihoods were lost. That is generally regarded as the first populist movement in this country. It got co-opted by the Democratic Party, which became the labor union party. The People's Party put it's a lot behind William Bryan Jennings. When he lost the election that year, it spelled the end of that party, but it got co-opted by Democrats.You've seen certain other populist movements arguably whether George Wallace, he was a populist phenomenon, very much appealing to the same kinds of anxieties that Trump now appeals to. In between, you had The Tea Party movement, you also had the Occupy Wall Street movement.The difference is that the Tea Party, I think, was the beginning of the turn towards MAGAism. Although interestingly, the Tea Party movement was very much pitching itself as this constitutional movement. It wanted to return to the Founders. It wanted to limit the scope of the government, all of which went out of the window when Trump came along.I think Trump is not sui generis. Partly, the Tea Party is behind him but partly, I think we had the phenomenon of right-wing radio with the advent of Rush Limbaugh who started pushing all kinds of populist tropes. He was a nativist. He was anti-left. The preoccupation with the leftist enemy is a huge, huge part of the right, right now. I think that's the single biggest motivating force. Even the anti-immigration and the anti-immigrant animus is not quite as powerful a force as the fear and anger and the hatred of the left, actually.I think Rush Limbaugh started stoking that, and then you had a whole slew of copycats on the right. That paved the way for Trump. The right was primed for a populist takeover, and then Trump came along with his MAGA message and at that stage, all the right wanted to do was use the levers of the state to smash the left and impose its vision of a insular, insulated, closed America polity.Aaron: This isn't new, even with Trump, even with Rush Limbaugh, this is what we watched in the '50s and '60s with anti-communism, was the Soviet Union was a legitimate threat, although maybe in retrospect, not as big of a threat as we thought it was at the time. There were communists in the country, although they weren't going to win out. America was not going to turn communist, but they did exist, and communism was very bad.The American right used that as a way to exert the power of the federal government to punish particularly culturally left people or people who were calling for liberalization of the positions of Blacks or gays or women and so on. That the urge to define an enemy and then use a potentially an inflated threat of that enemy — or mischaracterizations of that enemy or strawman version of that enemy — to justify a reactionary turn is very strong.A moment ago we were talking about Trump and you said had Trump not come along the left would have fractured more than it did. What's interesting about Trump is that he unified both the right and the left into these deeply tribally opposed camps. For decades, the conservative movement was split between — there was the base that looked very much like Trumpism does now. The conservative right’s reactionary base has been around as long as there has been a right. But you had the elites, the Bill Buckley types or the Ronald Reagan or the Paul Ryan who controlled the GOP and pushed it in a more, if not liberal, at least more liberal-adjacent on its best days direction.That went away with Trump and suddenly the elites all either swore fealty, or at least shut up about their criticisms of the really reactionary right. And then on the left, you had exactly that, that the left, those fault lines went away because we had a unified enemy. Trump won't be around forever, and so there's a sense in which that potentially gives a way out when that enemy has gone away.There are other people like what DeSantis is doing in Florida right now, he's clearly trying to tee himself up as the inheritor of the Trump mantel. But it's questionable whether any of the people trying to do that have Trump's — I'm going to call it — charisma, but a lot of people think of it as such, but Trump's showmanship. There's something about him and his celebrity and all of that that made him successful in the way that someone who had just spouted the same views probably would not have been. Is there cause for hope there that if the populist leader goes away, then the sides will become more pluralistic than they are now?MAGA’s Ugly Progeny: Integralists and NationalistsShikha: It's a good question. No, I'm actually not optimistic about that. Look, what Trump did was he didn't really unite the Republican Party, what he did was he united a certain element within the Republican Party, and the rest of those who didn't agree with him were either purged — Paul Ryan didn't last a year after Trump came on the scene — or became persona non grata within the party.That's actually a classic populist move. It's not just that they don't respect parliamentary institutions and they don't respect the opposition, they actually turn their own party into an embodiment of themselves, and you've seen that with Trump. It's literally classic populism. In that sense, I think he's been hugely damaging to the Republican Party in a way that I'm not sure the Republican Party can recover from it for a very long time. Or at least I think it has to be in the political wilderness for a very long time. It has to be punished at the polls repeatedly before it will give up this populist formula.I think even though there may not be a charismatic figure like Trump, and the reason I was laughing when you said charismatic, because I know to you and me, he's just so utterly not charismatic. It's hard for us to see his appeal, but there'll be other populists who will try and copy him. They may not be successful, but their very presence is going to be damaging. That's one.The bigger danger of Trump is not Trump but Trumpism. Trumpism is essentially an illiberal mindset that doesn't respect the checks on executive power. It gives various factions within the conservative right, therefore, the permission to use the levers of the state to promote their own vision. You've written about this, the integralist movement. Why is that emerging now? The national conservative movement, why is that emerging now?He's actually fractured whatever little uneasy fusion/consensus there was in the right and allowed these illiberal monster children of MAGAism now to assert themselves. I actually think things are going to get much worse before they get better.Aaron: Let's turn briefly to the integralist movement and the national conservatism movement which somehow overlap but are distinct in other ways because they represent an interesting move on the part of the conservative elite to try to take on the energy of Trump's populism, but intellectualize it too because, Trumpism is basically all id.There's not an intellectual philosophical through-line there, but the national conservatives and the integralist are saying, "No, there is a philosophical case against liberalism, that liberalism has failed for reasons inherent to it, and that we need to embrace non-liberal, well thought out philosophical positions." If Trump is spouting id, the integralists and the national conservatives have legitimately thoughtful and often interesting thinkers articulating these views in ways that are I think they're wrong and I think they're often dangerously wrong, but they're not stupid and they're worth wrestling with.It is interesting watching these very elites. These are law professors and philosophy professors and theologians trying to take this energy and reapply the intellectual veneer that used to exist with Buckley, the National Review but was shed under Trump.Shikha: The difference between Buckley and the [Adrian] Vermeules of the day is that Buckley was still trying to promote a certain conservatism within a broadly liberal framework and a broadly liberal understanding. He agreed that checks and balances were a good thing, checks on executive power were a good thing. All of that is now out of the window with these new movements.Discontents with liberalism are always there because liberalism is an uneasy equilibrium between all kinds of different interests that don't comfortably fit together. Minorities are not happy with liberalism because liberalism doesn't give them the levers of power to instantly correct all the injustices against them. They are always unhappy. Of course, the majority is unhappy because, especially in a liberal democratic society, if pure majoritarian rule were to exist, it would get its way far more frequently.Everybody is always unhappy with liberalism. But there has always been this understanding there that life on the other side of liberalism is nasty, brutish, and short, so we better stick with liberalism. That consensus that liberalism may be wanting, but there is no other real alternative, that understanding is completely gone because some people have come to believe, thanks to Trump's assault on liberalism, that they can have the whole cake.The integralists, and you wrote great stuff about this — integralists, as you've pointed out, are a really weird movement because they're Catholics, they are actually a minority, and integralists within Catholicism are a really small minority, so why would you want to give up liberalism? The answer is that they think that any conservative state will give them more of what they want than they'll get from a liberal state.Ultimately, even a reactionary like Trump will give them more than anybody else will. Hence they have turned on liberalism because they feel they're getting less out of it. Every faction within conservatism I think is making a similar bet. You have national conservatism, which is a very, very diverse movement. You have Yoram Hazony who's an Israeli intellectual, who's the godfather of this movement, weirdly enough. You also have standard nationalists who just feel like there should be more flag-waving in the United States. You have somebody like Rich Lowry, who was actually [initially] a Never Trumper, and now feels that there needs to be some kind of America First-ism in America. He's flirting with something like blood and soil nationalism based on geography and ancestry. That will rule me out as a robust American citizen, I'm not sure about you. Geography it means Americans need to love the landscape of this country. The Shenandoah Valley is something that every American should do a pilgrimage to. It's all goofy stuff. They all feel whatever was missing in the liberal arrangement in America now they feel it's up for grabs, and they're all trying to make a bid for it very quickly to get what they can.Aaron: In the time that we have left, I want to turn to the future of this podcast. This is the inaugural episode of Reactionary Minds, we plan to do a lot more of these. Our goals, why we created this show, and what we're hoping to get out of it. I can start on this one. I touched on this a bit earlier, but I think my goal is this rise of liberalism is really troubling. As someone who has dedicated his career to advancing a quite radical conception of individual and economic liberty and individual autonomy and self-authorship, this is a direct assault on the values that not only I hold, but I think are the ones that lead to the best world for everyone.This has always been with us, but it has ramped up considerably. We're seeing some of it on the left, we are seeing one of the two major parties, more or less, entirely overtaken by it. We have seen it embodied in a president, we are seeing an increasing number of intellectuals come out in support of it in one form or another. This is a real threat. The value of a show like this is in trying to understand where that's all coming from, and what it is the people who hold these views actually want, why they want it? What are the ideas that are leading them to it or providing support for it?I don't want this to be a superficial understanding or a dismissive or they're all just evil kind of way because that's easy and ultimately uninteresting. My goal is to really try to understand them on their own terms and then to critique it from the perspective of the value of radical liberty.Shikha: That's exactly right, Aaron. That's why I'm excited that you are doing this. I think this is going to be a great podcast. As you've said, the plan is to understand this illiberalism and its appeal at every level, psychological, social, political. I'm sure you will be having guests that address all of it. Marxism makes this distinction between theory and praxis. You and I, we both have a penchant for an intellectual understanding of things. We like to understand things at a theoretical level, it's almost an end in itself. But in this case, we cannot fight this phenomenon without actually understanding it. [On the praxis side], The UnPopulist is not going to shy away calling the right reactionary and taking on specific political figures who are behaving in an illiberal fashion. It’s not going to shy away from taking sides. We know what we are opposing. But to me the theory of Reactionary Minds is going to inform the praxis of The UnPopulist. So there is a yin and yang here that I’m super excited about. I really look forward to this. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theunpopulist.substack.com

John Gibson is a world-traveled river outfitter on Virginia's bucolic Shenandoah River where thousands come to tube each summer. While her waters are shallow, her history runs deep. Between readings of the valley as a frontier, the great flood of 1870, & a legend of the river's origin, John tells the Shenandoah's journey through human habitation. He begins chronologically with a 10,000-year-old Paleo-indian site, followed by the commerce of rowdy 18th-century boatmen on unique flat bottomed "gondolas," through to the devastating industrial pollution of the mid-1900's. We then hear entertaining examples of things found today in its waters, some you'd never imagine... In the last third of the episode, John shares lessons learned while globetrotting, including one about honesty from a packed & smoky train-car in Pakistan.Next time you're in the Shenandoah Valley, visit John's river outfitter, Down River Canoes for a day of canoeing, kayaking or lazy river tubing. Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on InstagramCheck out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my artContact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com

On this episode of The Power of Love Show with TJ and Taj Jackson we welcome special guest, Lori Mier. On this episode of The Power of Love Show we welcome special guest, Lori Mier. Lori Mier is the creator and owner of her story. She loves chai tea and sunrise hikes. She owns Blue Mountain Path Coaching LLC where she offers healing experiences as an author, Ecotherapist guide and photographer. Her first children's book, ‘Merin and Her Very Bright Star: A Story of Resiliency', was deeply inspired by her own story of loss and healing. Lori is on a mission to help normalize grief, healing & having difficult conversations. Lori has a degree in Social Work and created a not-for-profit hiking program called ‘Through Hiking' along with her husband to offer guided hikes to agencies and youth in foster care. She serves on the Equity Committee for Rockingham County Public Schools and also sits on the Board of Directors for RISE Foundation in Waynesboro, VA where she is committed to education, political action, and racial justice work. Although she is not originally from Virginia, Lori feels the most at home where she lives in the Shenandoah Valley with her husband and son. Learn more: * Instagram: @Grief_Project_Merin * Facebook: Grief Project Merin * Website: https://linktr.ee/Lori_mier_author * Book: https://www.bluemountainpathcoaching.com/product-page/children-s-book-preorder Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-Nd1HTnbaI Like Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/884355188308946/ Have you subscribed to our Podcast? Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/fr/podcast/the-power-of-love-show/id1282931846 Spotify Podcasts : https://open.spotify.com/show/6X6zGAPmdReRrlLO0NW4n6?si=bhNl9GjJRxKXUvTdwZme6Q Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9wb3dlcm9mbG92ZS5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw Other podcasts: https://anchor.fm/thepowerofloveshow Did you know you can support DDJF through any of your Amazon purchases? Simply click link below and select Dee Dee Jackson Foundation as your charity of choice: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/dashboard/ref=smi_nav_surl_mi_x_mkt Once done… bookmark and use your smile link to support DDJF! The Power of Love Show is a weekly show sponsored by The Dee Dee Jackson Foundation where we shine a light on loss and grief and how it impacts our lives. Our aim is to build a community where we share inspiring stories, interview experts, learn, grow and empower one another to find proper and healthy healing. Visit the DDJF official website: http://www.ddjf.org/ Donate to DDJF (501c3): https://app.mobilecause.com/form/xDJ0Cg?vid=74qmm Check Out DDJF Merch: https://teespring.com/.../collection/All%20Products... Join the Dee Dee Jackson Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1500933326745571 Follow us on Instagram: @DeeDeeJacksonFoundation • https://instagram.com/deedeejacksonfoundation?utm_medium=copy_link --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thepowerofloveshow/support

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:38).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 4-15-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of April 18, 2022.  This update of an episode from July 2017 is part of a series this year of episodes related to trees and shrubs. MUSIC – ~14 sec That's part of “The Ash Grove,” a traditional Welsh tune performed by Madeline MacNeil, on her 2002 album, “Songs of Earth & Sea.”  Born in Norfolk and raised in Richmond, Ms. MacNeil was a well-known and highly regarded musician based in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley until her passing in 2020. The music opens an episode where we revisit the status of North American ash trees and explore the water impacts of pest damage to trees generally. As noted in the July 2017 episode on ashes, North America is home to 16 native ash species, with six of those occurring naturally in Virginia.  The two most common ash species in Virginia are White Ash, which tends toward upland habitats, and Green Ash, which is often found along streams and rivers.  In those areas, Green Ash can be a significant portion of the vegetation and help create habitats, improve water quality, and stabilize flows.  Both species provide food for a variety of animals and both have been widely planted in cities and towns. Since the early 2000s, ash tree populations have been devastated by the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, a beetle native to Asia.  As of April 2022, the insect had been found in at least 35 states and the District of Columbia, and in nearly all of Virginia.  In an affected tree, the insect's larvae create a network of tunnels that impair the tree's transport of water and nutrients, eventually killing the tree.  Once an area's invaded, ashes are unlikely to survive for more than a few years without expensive chemical treatment of individual trees.  At the scale of whole forests, researchers and managers are exploring the use of parasitoid wasps as a biological control method. The Emerald Ash Borer is only one of many pest species threatening different trees in Virginia and elsewhere.  Several of these pests have been the subject of research on their water-related, or hydrologic, impacts.  Researchers are interested in how loss of tree leaves or death of trees can affect evaporation, soil moisture, water-table levels, streamflows, water chemistry, and snowpack.  Those water-cycle processes are in turn connected to ecosystem pathways of carbon, nutrients, and energy, all being affected by climate changes.  From all of these connections, little ash-boring beetles become part of a biosphere-sized story. Thanks to Janita Baker of Blue Lion Dulcimers and Guitars for permission to use Madeline MacNeil's music,” and we close with about 25 more seconds of “The Ash Grove.” MUSIC – ~24 sec – instrumental. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode builds upon and updates information in Episode 376, 7-10-17. “The Ash Grove/O Spirit Sweet of Summertime” is from Madeline MacNeil's 2002 album “Songs of Earth & Sea”; copyright held by Janita Baker, used with permission.  More information about Madeline MacNeil is available from Ms. Baker's “Blue Lion Dulcimers & Guitars” Web site, online at https://www.bluelioninstruments.com/Maddie.html. Virginia Water Radio thanks Daniel McLaughlin, of the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation and the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, for his help with this episode. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES Emerald Ash Borer-infected White Ash tree that cracked and fell in a Blacksburg, Va., neighborhood in 2021.  Photo taken April 19, 2022.Nationwide range maps for ash tree species and the Emerald Ash Borer, as of January 2021.  Map from the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, “Emerald Ash Borer,” online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/emerald-ash-borer/emerald-ash-borer.Adult Emerald Ash Borer.  Photo from the the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, “Emerald Ash Borer,” online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/emerald-ash-borer/emerald-ash-borer. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT THE EMERALD ASH BORER The following information is quoted from the Virginia Department of Forestry, “Emerald Ash Borer in Virginia—An Introduction,” online at https://vdof.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=e2660c30d9cd46cc988cc72415101590. From Background Tab: “After only 1-5 years of infestation, the larvae create extensive tunnels under the bark that disrupt the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients, which eventually girdles and kills the tree. The length of this process depends on tree age, health, and EAB density in the area but no ash tree is safe - 99% of infested ash will die.” From Distribution Tab: “In the U.S., EAB targets 16 species of native ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) and white fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus).  In Virginia, white ash (Fraxinus americana) and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) are the most commonly found, though there are four other species that have limited ranges (pumpkin, black, blue, and Carolina ash). In the wild, ash often prefers wetter environments and are dominant species along rivers and streambanks.  Ash decline and death may have a negative impact on streambank stabilization and waterways in these rural areas.  Though only a small percentage of Virginia's forests are composed of ash (2-3%), urban areas can have tree inventories tallying up to 13% ash.  This is where dead ash poses the most risk!” From Biological Control Tab: “Biological control (or “biocontrol”) is a management strategy that involves releasing natural enemies from the pest's native range to control the pest at a given location.  Researchers identified wasps in the early 2000s from Eastern Asia that had co-evolved with emerald ash borers as a parasite to control its populations.  They then conducted extensive research in quarantined U.S. labs to study their life cycle, environmental parameters, and host species.  After nearly a decade of trials, only four wasp species passed the strict requirements set by the USDA-APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) and were approved for release.  APHIS now rears these wasps in large quantities then collaborates with federal, state, and local governments, as well as land owners to release them at approved sites.  These tiny stingless wasps lay eggs in EAB eggs or larvae, effectively killing the EAB host, and are commonly called “parasitoids.” ...These wasps do not harm humans in any way, they only target emerald ash borer as a host. The use of these biocontrol agents in suppressing EAB has shown promising results, but it will take years of controlled releases and research before we see successful parasitism and a reduction of the EAB population.” SOURCES Used for Audio Samuel H. Austin, Riparian Forest Handbook 1: Appreciating and Evaluating Stream Side Forests, Virginia Department of Forestry, Charlottesville, 2000. J. A. Biederman et al., “Multiscale observations of snow accumulation and peak snowpack following widespread, insect-induced lodgepole pine mortality,” Ecohydrology, Vol. 7 (2014), pages 150-162. J. A. Biederman et al., Increased evaporation following widespread tree mortality limits streamflow response,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 50 (2014), pages 5295-5409. S. T. Brantley et al., “Changes to southern Appalachian water yield and stormflow after loss of a foundation species,” Ecohydrology, Vol. 8 (2015), pages 518-528. T. R. Cianciolo et al., “Hydrologic variability in black ash wetlands: Implications for vulnerability to emerald ash borer,” Hydrological Processes, Vol. 35 (2021), e14014. D. W. Clow et al., “Responses of soil and water chemistry to mountain pine beetle induced tree mortality in Grand County, Colorado, USA,” Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 26 (2011), pages 174-178. Anthony D'Amato et al., “Ecological and hydrological impacts of the emerald ash borer on black ash forests,” Northeast Climate Science Center, online at https://necsc.umass.edu/projects/ecological-and-hydrological-impacts-emerald-ash-borer-black-ash-forests. M. J. Daley et al., “Water use by eastern hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) and black birch (Betula lenta): implications of effects of the hemlock wooly adelgid,” Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Vol. 37 (2007), pages 2031-2040. J. S. Diamond et al., “Forested versus herbaceous wetlands: Can management mitigate ecohydrologic regime shifts from invasive emerald ash borer?”  Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 222 (2018), pages 436-446. Emerald Ash Borer Information Network, online at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/index.php.  Virginia information is online at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/state/virginia.php.  Information by county for each state is available in the table online at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/state-dectection-table.php. Gary M. Lovett et al., “Forest Ecosystem Responses to Exotic Pests and Pathogens in Eastern North America,” Bioscience Vol. 56, No. 5 (May 2006), pages 395-405. Steven G. Pallardy, Physiology of Woody Plants, Third Edition, Elsevier/Academic Press, Burlington, Mass., 2008. D. E. Reed et al., “Bark beetle-induced tree mortality alters stand energy budgets due to water budget changes,” “Theoretical and Applied Climatology, Vol., 131 (2018), pages 153-165. W. M. Robertson et al., “Soil moisture response to white ash mortality following emerald ash borer invasion,” Environmental Earth Sciences, Vol. 77 (2018). Anita K. Rose and James S. Meadows, “Status and Trends of Bottomland Hardwood Forests in the Mid‑Atlantic Region,” USDA/Forest Service Southern Research Station, Asheville, N.C., November 2016; available online at https://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/53238. Scott Salom and Eric Day and Scott Salomn, “Hemlock Wooly Adelgid,” Virginia Cooperative Extension (Publication 3006-1451/ENTO-228NP), Blacksburg, Va., 2016, online at https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/75419. U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service/Northern Research Station [Newtown Square, Penn.], “Forest Disturbance Processes/Invasive Species,” online at https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/disturbance/invasive_species/.” U.S. Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service, “Plants Data Base,” online at https://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch. U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS):“Asian Longhorned Beetle,” online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/asian-longhorned-beetle;“Emerald Ash Borer,” online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/emerald-ash-borer;“Gypsy Moth,” online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/gypsy-moth. Virginia Departme

Welcome Friends to another Crazy Women Country Episode! https://linktr.ee/crazywomencountry In Today's episode, we will get to know the incredible Amy Martin. Join us as we discuss her newest projects, women who inspire her, and get to know her better with our 20 crazy questions! Over the last decade, Amy Martin has been a performing vocalist and musician with her first Alternative Blue Grass Band, Many Nights Ahead, in the Shenandoah Valley. In 2020, she launched her adventure into a solo career with her first album March 2020. Now as March 2022 is here, Amy is recording her new album with Grammy Award Winning Producer, Chance McCoy. Amy has played the Red Wing Roots Festival, Fresh Grass Festival, Misty Mountain Music Festival, and at the 9:30 club in DC among many other great venues and festivals. For more on Amy https://amymartinmusic.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/crazywomencountry/message

Is today the day where we drive out the snakes, or is the the one where one can be pinched for a lack of verdant clothing? Perhaps neither is true, and it’s simply March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, and good wishes for whatever that means for you. It is true this is Charlottesville Community Engagement and I’m fairly certain I’m Sean Tubbs, the producer and host of this and all of the other editions of the show. On today’s program:UVA President Jim Ryan speaks to business leaders in the final segment of our look at the Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Community Forum Charlottesville City Council holds its first budget work session and agrees to advertise a half-percentage point increase in the meals tax rateAlbemarle County gets a new planning director who will come here from another Virginia locality A federal appeals court sends a lawsuit seeking a 2022 House of Delegates election back to a lower court First shout-out goes to the Rivanna Conservation AllianceIn today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out, the Rivanna Conservation Alliance wants wildlife and nature photographers to enter their first-ever photography contest! They want high-resolution photos related to the Rivanna watershed and the winning entries will be displayed at the 2022 Riverfest Celebration on May 1. The two categories are 16 and under, and those over the age of 17. You can send in two entries, and the work may be used to supplement Rivanna Conservation Alliance publications. For more information, visit rivannariver.org.Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals sends 2022 House election case back to lower courtA federal appeals court has sent a Richmond attorney’s lawsuit seeking a House of Delegates race in 2022 back to a lower court so that the question of his legal ability to bring the suit can be answered. “Upon careful consideration of the submissions of the parties and the oral argument conducted on March 8, 2022, we are satisfied to remand this case back to the district court for it to determine – in the first instance – whether [Paul] Goldman possesses Article III standing to sue,” reads the unpublished opinion issued by the Fourth Circuit Court on Tuesday. Goldman told ABC8 News that he believes there will still be time for the issue to be sorted in time for a legislative race to be held this year. See also:Fourth Circuit hears arguments in case challenging Virginia House of Delegates election, March 8, 2022, Courthouse NewsFederal appeals court hears oral arguments in suit to force 2022 election, March 9, 2022, Information Charlottesville Federal appeals court sends Virginia election calendar lawsuit back to lower court, ABC8 News, March 15, 2022New Albemarle Planning Director starts work in AprilA planning official from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia will be the next planning director in Albemarle County. Candace Perkins has recently served as assistant director of planning and development in Frederick County to the northwest of Albemarle. “The Director of Planning is a key leadership role within the Community Development Department, serving as the liaison to the Planning Commission and providing management and leadership for our Planning Division, which manages Albemarle County's Comprehensive Planning program and coordinates the development review process in cooperation with the Zoning and Engineering divisions,” reads a press release for the announcement. The previous occupant of the position has moved up to be Deputy Director of the Community Development Department. Charles Rapp has only been with Albemarle County since March 9. 2020. His boss, Jodie Filardo, has only been in Albemarle since September 9, 2019. Previous occupants of all three jobs had been with the county for decades before retirement. According to the release, Perkins has over twenty years in local government. She’ll begin work as the department continues its work on the first phase of the Comprehensive Plan review. Perkins’ first day is April 11, 2022. UVA President Ryan addresses Chamber of Commerce at State of the CommunityIt has now been a month since the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce held its first ever State of the Community to allow officials from Albemarle County and Charlottesville to present themselves to members of the business community. Ryan attended UVA’s School of Law and served on its faculty in 1998. He returned to Charlottesville as UVA President in 2018 after serving as Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. “Since he returned to returned to UVA in 2018 to serve as President, Jim has continued to emphasize the important of educational opportunity, especially for underrepresented students and first generation college students,” said Collette Sheehy, the senior vice president for operations and state government relations. Sheehy said one of Ryan’s central goals is to strengthen the relationship between the University, Albemarle and Charlottesville. He appeared at the Irving Theater in the CODE building via Zoom. “The relationship between UVA, Charlottesville, and Albemarle County is incredibly important, and although strong I thought there areas for improvement,” Ryan said. “And part of this is about being a University that is Great and Good and I think part of being a great university is taking seriously the obligations of an anchor institution in our community.”Let’s take stock of some population numbers. In the fall of 1991, the University of Virginia had an on-Grounds student enrollment of around 18,000, a figure that includes both graduate and undergraduate students. Thirty years later, the total on-Grounds enrollment increased to over 26,000. (UVA enrollment statistics)In 1990, the U.S. Census Bureau counted 68,040 people in Albemarle and 40,341 in Charlottesville. Albemarle’s population has increased to 112,935 as measured in the 2020 Census, and Charlottesville’s official count increased to 46,553 that year. The Weldon Cooper Center at UVA believes that last figure is higher due to an undercount of college towns. Their 2021 estimate puts Charlottesville at 51,079. So that’s the total size of the community. When he got here, Ryan put together a working group of community leaders, staff, faculty, and students. He asked them to report back on what the biggest issues are facing the community. “One, jobs and wages,” Ryan said. “The second is affordable housing. Third is access to public health. And fourth, youth education.”Since then, UVA raised its minimum wage to $15 an hour, including a requirement for contractors to do so. That working group became the President’s Council on UVA Community Partnerships. The pandemic put much of the process on hold but the working groups are back. There’s a recent report from the Pipelines and Pathways group which is intended to make jobs at UVA more accessible to people in the community. There’s a Local Economy group seeking ways to improve connections with area businesses. “Some of it is just about making that local businesses know about the opportunities to engage in business with UVA so that’s looking at everything from how we select vendors to how we advertise what we’re looking for and what requirements we have,” Ryan said. “But some of it is just making sure that local businesses understand the process and understand that we are very much interested in working with them.”UVA has also pledged to build between a thousand and 1,500 affordable housing units over the next decade on properties owned by the University or the University of Virginia Foundation. Three sites have been selected and they are the North Fork Discovery Park in Albemarle County, property on Wertland Street in Charlottesville, and the Piedmont housing site off of Fontaine Avenue. “We have an obligation to contribute but it’s also in the interest of UVA just as its in the interest of Charlottesville and Albemarle County,” Ryan said. “If you want to attract and retain a talented workforce, you need to make sure that there are places where people can live affordably.”Under this arrangement, UVA will supply the plan and a private developer will build the housing. Ryan said he would also like to see second-year students living on Grounds and there are plans to proceed, but it will take more construction.“Right now we have housing for upper-class students but we don’t have enough housing to house all of the second years,” Ryan said. UVA’s economic impactIn 2016, University hired a firm to review its economic impact on Virgina and found that there had been $5.9 billion generated by activities across the Commonwealth and 51,653 jobs. President Ryan said it had been some time since that report but the numbers are believed to be holding up. (read the report)“Visitors coming to UVA and students spend nearly $200 million annually and that in turn supports roughly 2,000 jobs locally,” Ryan said. “It’s not an insignificant contribution to the local economy. It’s obviously not the only thing and we’re not the only game in town but we are a pretty big economic actor in town.” The answer to this next question is worth hearing in full. City Councilor Michael Payne has argued that the University of Virginia should directly pay the city of Charlottesville a form of taxes. Here he is at a budget work session in early February before Interim City Manager Michael C. Rogers introduced his budget. “It’s longer term but it seems like a discussion we should engage the University on,” Payne said. “I know that’s something that the University of Michigan, Yale, Harvard, and many other institutions have done.”Here’s the question:“Will UVA consider payment in lieu of taxes to the city or the county?” Sheehy asked. “We’ll consider it,” Ryan said. “This came up just the other day. I think there are likely restrictions on our ability to do this because we are a state agency. So there are all sorts of restrictions on what we can with state funds. Because we are a state agency, when we receive money from Richmond it’s money that they are delegating to us and whether we can turn around and delegate that or allocate that to a locality seems unlikely to me.” Another change made during the Ryan administration has been the elimination of a public body known as the Planning and Coordination Council in favor of a closed-door body called the Land Use and Environmental Planning Committee. That group next meets on Friday. (agenda)Watch the entire State of the Community event on the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s website. Second shout-out goes to an event happening at MorvenIn today’s second subscriber supported shout-out, the Morven Summer Institute at Morven Farm wants you to know about a seminar coming up on March 29. How are UVA students, faculty, and community partners collaborating to tell the stories of Morven? Researcher Scot French has spent over ten years studying Morven’s history and will provide glimpses into a course he’ll be teaching this summer on Recovering the Stories of Morven’s Enslaved and Descendant Communities.  The March 29 event is a chance for the public to get a preview of the four week course. The presentation will be available for viewing online, but there are some in-person positions! If you’re interested, visit morven.virginia.edu to fill out an interest form. Council holds first work session on FY23 budgetThere are a lot of numbers involved in this next story so grab a pencil or open up a spreadsheet to follow along.  There’s less than a month left before the Charlottesville City Council will adopt a budget for FY2023 and four days away before the first public hearing. The five elected officials began their detailed review of the budget. “We’re presenting a balanced  budget of $216,171,432,” said interim City Manager Michael C. Rogers. “This represents a 12.46 percent increase over 2022.”Resources for this story:Presentation from the March 10, 2022 Council work sessionInterim City Manager Rogers’ proposed FY23 budgetTechnically, Rogers’ budget does include the ten cent increase in the property tax rate that Council agreed to advertise, but does not indicate how it should be spent. “In this budget we have presented unallocated those revenues so there is flexibility for you to decide how much of an increase will be required based upon your programmatic decisions,” Rogers said. That means the expenditures in the budget as introduced by Rogers are built on the current rate of 95 cents per $100 of assessed value. But Council’s review was built on the assumption that the rate will be increased to $1.05 per $100. Budget staff estimate that would bring in $97,770,160, an increase of $17,492,718 over the revised budget for the current fiscal year. That would be due to both the proposed tax increase as well as an increase of over ten percent in property assessments. Krisy Hamilll, the senior budget management analyst, told Council that staff already believes tax collections in the current year will be $3 million over what was expected. The surplus for FY22 would be as much as $5 million higher because the tax increase is for the calendar year, not the fiscal year. And that’s not the only potential for revenues to come in higher than budgeted. “We continue to see increases and improvements in sales taxes and meals and lodging along those same lines,” Hammill said. “And it’s very likely as we continue through the month of March, we will have another month of those projects and we probably will be coming back to you with some amendments for the FY23 budget as well.”Hammill said the additional money that would come from the tax increase have been left unallocated because there are still many scenarios for funding the construction costs to renovate Buford Middle School as part of an overall school reconfiguration. “There is still question about the construction and the funding options for that project,” Hammill said. “Additionally we know that the construction dollars themselves are not needed until [fiscal year] 2024.”As you heard in the last segment, Councilor Michael Payne has called on the city to require the University of Virginia to pay a Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT. Currently Charlottesville utilities pay such a charge, budgeted at $6.27 million in FY23. These are included in city utility bills.“It’s a payment as if the utilities were a private utility provider within the city,” said finance director Chris Cullinan. “It emulates the tax burden that they if they were a private corporation what they would owe the city. It’s an expense of the utilities, included in the utility rates, and it’s remitted to the city each year from the water, sewer, and natural gas utilities.” Now, onto expenditures. There is an across the board eight percent increase in salaries for city employees, building off of a two percent cost of living increase that went into effect on July 1, 2021 as well as an additional six percent increase granted to Council in late December that was paid for the surplus from fiscal year 2021. There’s another 3 percent cost of living adjustment scheduled for July 1, 2022. That’s a total of $5.2 million for salary increases for city employees. There are also seven new proposed employees, including a Freedom of Information Act coordinator for the city attorney’s officer, a new transportation planner, and a new building inspector.  The budget also reflects changes to tax relief programs. “We’ve added nearly a million dollars in new funding for the tax, rent, and grant relief,” Hammill said. “We will be merging all the tax relief programs into one program. We will also be increasing the income threshold from $55,000 to $60,000.”If the tax rate increase goes forward at the full rate of ten cents, Hammill said there will need to be an additional $500,000 spend on the program to cover the costs. How to pay for a $75 million renovation of Buford Middle School? The biggest question about that tax increase relates to the funding of $75 million for school reconfiguration. The current draft budget recommends $2.5 million toward the project in FY23 and $72.5 million in FY24. Hammill said there are funding sources the School Board are suggesting.“They also have additional [American Rescue Plan Act] federal dollars that they have offered up as a potential use to buy down some of the school-related projects in the [Capital Improvement Program] and that totals to about $7.5 million.”That would leave Council needing to identify $65 million in revenue. A bill to allow Charlottesville to hold a referendum on a school-related one percent increase in the sales failed to make it out of a divided General Assembly. See also: House Subcommittee kills schools sales-tax bills, Information Charlottesville, February 25, 2022“We’re sort of at a crossroads about next steps,” Hammill said. “I know that we started with a $50 million project, we got up to a $75 million project. I know there have been multiple construction options that have been presented with varying dollar amounts and additional questions. And so we need to figure out what next steps are so we can get to a decision factor for that amount.”Charlottesville currently pays about $11.6 million in debt service on existing bonds for existing projects, according to Rogers. “We’ve looked at including the $75 million and bonding that, and that would have the effect of increasing debt service to $22 million [annually] over the course of the project,” Rogers said. The Council last year agreed to reallocate $18.25 million that had been allocated to the first two phases of West Main Street to the school reconfiguration project as well as $5 million from the parking garage. “And those were already built into our projections so that’s how we got from $50 million to $75 million,” Hammill said. “We still have the issue of how we’re going to pay for $50 million.” Councilors weigh in Councilor Brian Pinkston said he would like to see scenarios based on rate increases lower than ten cents. “My initial sort of assessment of the city as I have been getting to know it is that it still feels like its underfunded operationally and in terms of capital projects, based off what people in the community have made clear what they want,” Pinkston said. “Now, obviously it’s one thing to say we need these things and it’s another to fund it.”Pinkston said a reduced scope for the reconfiguration could be found, such as delaying construction of an auditorium at Buford. He thought the project should be reduced to at least $65 million, including the school system’s ARPA money. In his day job, Pinkston is a project manager for facilities at the University of Virginia. Vice Mayor Juandiego Wage said he wanted the City Council to be able to pay as much toward the project as possible, and that the School Board’s option should be the one that moves forward. Wade spent 16 years on the School Board before becoming a Councilor.“Brian has a unique insight because its his day job but I think we leave it to the School Board to determine which alternative to use,” Wade said. City Councilor Sena Magill said she was personally lobbying for more funds at the federal level to avoid bonding the project which would mean local taxpayers would pay for most of the tab. “I’ve actually got appointments with people in D.C. next week to talk about how to try to get Build Back Better money for this project,” Magill said. “I am using every single connection I can build, find, or not burn to find money for this project.”The Build Back Better Act is an infrastructure spending bill that passed the U.S House of Representatives on a 220 to 213 vote, but is not likely to pass the Senate. Councilor Michael Payne said he was struggling with the numbers and the message from city budget staff that the debt service for the school would mean no new capital projects for several years. “Our draft budget, where it is, if you’re talking about a ten cent real estate tax increase and freezing our budget for several years, taking all politics aside, is that good public policy?” Payne asked. “To me it seems like it is just not.” Payne said the city needs to be able to have the flexibility to further increase wages, fund firefighter positions that are currently covered by a federal grant, funding for further subsidized housing to be built by the Piedmont Housing Alliance project, and more. Payne also suggested continuing to pursue a PILOT with the University of Virginia, implementing a plastic bag tax, and lobbying the General Assembly again for the sales tax referendum  Mayor Lloyd Snook suggested for this year leaving some tax rates the same. “Why don’t we simply leave personal property tax rates where they are,” Snook said. “Let’s leave real estate estate taxes where they are, leave personal property tax rates where they are. I as a general proposition am not a fan of trying to change the tax rate based on whether the underlying values have gone up or down by a commensurate amount.” Snook also suggested increasing the meals tax by an additional half of a percentage point. “Those two sources would give us $3 million,  roughly,” Snook said. Pinkston agreed with leaving the personal property tax rate the same, as well as the half-percent increase on the meals tax. This paragraph was amended on March 19, 2022 to clarify Wade’s position on the meals taxPayne said he would be open to both. Wade said he would support keeping the personal property tax rate the same, but was flexible on changing the meals tax. Commissioner of Revenue Todd Divers said leaving the rate at $4.20 of assessed value would likely yield $2 million this year in additional revenue due to the sharp increase in the value of used vehicles. “I can tell you some of these bills are going to curl people’s hair and so you need to be ready for that,” Divers said. Council directed staff to advertise the half-percent increase in the meals tax. Snook said he wants to hear from the public about how to proceed. “Get that advertisement in and get the public hearing on it held and let’s hear from the public and let them weigh in,” Snook said. “If they’ve got thoughts that they would rather see their personal property tax go up rather than real estate taxes. Obviously some of these are issues that they’ve elected to deal with.” Councilor Magill made clear she wants property owners to pay more this year in order to build up the capacity to pay for debt service.  “I am interested in raising our [real estate] property tax one or two cents this year,” Magill said. Pinkston was in agreement. “My sort of sense is two cents this year, two cents next and sort of spread it out,” Pinkston said. The next work session is tonight and will be on funding for outside agencies. There will be another work session on the Capital Improvement Program on March 31. There is a public hearing on the real property tax rate on March 21 followed by one on April 4 on the meals tax increase and the budget. What do you think? Do you know someone or a group that needs to know this information? Please send it on! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

This week and next, Scott and Karl explore Joel Salatin's book Polyface Micro: Success with Livestock on a Homestead Scale.  Joel Salatin and his family own and operate Polyface Farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The farm produces pastured beef, pork, chicken, eggs, turkeys, rabbits, lamb, and ducks, servicing roughly 6,000 families and 50 restaurants in the farm's bioregion. Karl says, "His absolute conviction and his brilliance at systems come through. He figures out a way that it can work." Salatin believes that success with domestic livestock does not require large land bases. Whether you live in an apartment in a big city or on a farm as a seasoned homesteader, you'll find tips and inspiration as Joel coaches you towards more abundant living. Brought to you by onlinegreatbooks.com. 

Attack of the Killer Soundtrack 63 This episode we welcome back composer Erich Stem as we play and discuss all the 2021 Oscar nominees for both Best Original Song and Best Original Score.  And as we decide who has just thrown in a B-side from their latest album, we also delve into… the movie trailer formula, a transformation, layers upon layers, the harmonic box, If Beale Street Could Talk, taking a year off, moody and quiet, Nicholas Britell, that was the point… was to watch stuff break, calculated, detuned piano, Coco, Tōru Takemitsu, sometimes they gotta snub somebody, Beyoncé, chord progression, The Cure, they made you feel like you were in the room with the band, Hans Zimmer, checking the boxes, the single sound of a standard orchestra, Radiohead, Daniel Craig, Lin-Manuel Miranda, thriller score, different harmonies, Ashley Thursby, Germaine Franco, Don't Look Up, sounds of different cultures, Alberto Iglesias, VHS tapes mailed to your house, Trent Reznor, when we run the microwave, Van Morrison, parenting styles, the Belgian radio orchestra, writing in another language, oh this is what they are doing, Jonny Greenwood, the Shenandoah Valley, inserting politics, colorful shifts, Billie Eilish, Zoom calls, assaulting you with jazz and a floodgate of musical performances. "Well she had the good formula... she had a key change at the chorus then a... multi-instrument climactic moment followed by the crash cymbal and then just the voice alone."

Our destination is beautiful Shenandoah National Park for mountain Brook trout with 60-year fly fishing veteran, Harry Murray, Murray's Fly Shop, Edinburg VA.   Virginia has over 3,500 miles of trout streams, and the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding mountains are loaded with brook trout.  With 79,000 acres of protected wilderness area, prolific hatches, and dozens and dozens of steams to choose from, the Park is where to go for scenery, solitude and wild brookies.   Harry opened his fly shop in 1962, the same year he received his pharmacy degree. He ran both the fly shop and the pharmacy out of the same building for many years.  Harry's written 17 books on fly fishing and developed over 30 fly patterns that are staples for anglers chasing trout and smallmouth everywhere.  His articles have appeared in many national fly-fishing magazines, and he does a podcast of his own on fishing conditions in his neck of the woods.  Harry shares his “feeding stations” approach for sizing up trout streams, great stories of Art Flick, Dave Whitlock, and Lee Perkins, tips on how to scout out your own fly-fishing adventure in the Park, and important hatches and flies you need to be aware of.   So, let's listen in as Harry shares his wisdom about trout fishing in this beautiful part of the world!  With Host, Steve Haigh Pictures and top fly patterns from Harry @DestinationAnglerPodcast on Instagram and Facebook Murray's Fly Shop https://www.murraysflyshop.com/ 540-984-4212 | Email: info@murraysflyshop.com Facebook: @murraysflyshopdotcom | Instagram: @Murrays_fly_shop Our Sponsors: JP Ross Fly Rods & Company - specializing in small stream rods: Use Happyfish for $50 off any rod purchase.  https://www.jprossflyrods.com/  Facebook @jprossandcompany   Instagram @jprossflyrods.  Angler's Coffee - Elevating the coffee experience for the fly-Fishing community & anglers everywhere with small-batch coffee delivered to your doorstep.   https://anglerscoffee.com/ Facebook & Instagram @anglerscoffeeco Destination Angler: The Destination Angler Website and Show Notes:   http://destinationangler.libsyn.com/ Get updates and pictures of destinations covered on each podcast: @DestinationAnglerPodcast on Instagram and Facebook Join in the conversation with the @DestinationAnglerConnection group on Facebook: Comments & Suggestions:  host, Steve Haigh, email shaigh50@gmail.com Available on Apple, Spotify, or where ever you get your podcasts Recorded Jan 13, 2021.  Episode 59. Music on the show by A Brother's Fountain, “Hitch Hike-Man”.    Podcast edited by Podcast Volume  https://www.podcastvolume.com/

Ryan Hall serves as an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Builder for the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund. Ryan has several years of nonprofit and marketing experience having served as the Coordinator for Marketing, Membership, and Special Events for the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum and Marketing Coordinator with Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity. Ryan holds a Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership from Shenandoah University and was named the institution's "Most Outstanding Graduate" in 2020. Ryan is also the founder of the Valley Makers Association, a nonprofit dedicated to providing access to tools, equipment, and, education for entrepreneurs and craftspeople in the northern Shenandoah Valley. He and his wife live in Winchester with their son and rescue dog. Shenandoah Comunity Capital Fund www.sccfva.org INSTAGRAM LINKEDIN

Join us this week for an unsolved double murder in the Shenandoah Valley.  This tale is tragic all the way around with an answer maybe closer than we think.  Follow us on all the things!Facebook: Mountain Mysteries: Tales from AppalachiaInstagram: Mountainmysteries.appalachiaGmail: mountainmysteries.appalachian@gmail.comPatreon: Patreon.com/mountainmysteriesSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/mountainmysteries )

Are we loving the land to death? This question comes up time and time again with folks I talk to on and off the podcast, and many professionals in the outdoor industry wonder the same thing. In episode 21 of the Outdoor Minimalist Podcast, we are going to explore this topic through the lens of conservation and political engagement. To help guide me through this discussion, I'm excited to introduce Tom Sadler. Tom Sadler is the deputy director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network. He is also the national capital correspondent for Mountain Journal. Sadler has an extensive history of promoting conservation through advocacy and communication. Sadler is an award-winning journalist with awards from the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Virginia Outdoor Writers Association. He has served on the boards of numerous fly-fishing, conservation and journalism organizations. Sadler spent 14 years as a public affairs officer in the United States Navy Reserve. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Hampshire. A lifelong fly fisherman who, in his free time, guides and teaches for Mossy Creek Fly Fishing in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He and his wife Beth live with their family in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/ WEBSITE: https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/ PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/outdoorminimalist PRE ORDER THE BOOK: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781493063994/Outdoor-Minimalist-Waste-Less-Hiking-Backpacking-and-Camping ----------------------------- Lava Linens Discount Code for 15% off your next purchase: OUTDOORMINIMALIST TOM SADLER WEBSITE: http://middlerivergroup.com/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TomSadler FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/tom.sadler LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomsadler24482/ ----------------------------- EPISODE RESOURCES MARINE FISH CONSERVATION NETWORK: https://conservefish.org/ MOUNTAIN JOURNAL: https://mountainjournal.org/ QUOTED: A Book-Lover's Holiday in the Open by Theodore Roosevelt

About 1/2 mile from our home was a little marsh. And, along with the flowering dogwood trees, one of the ways we knew that spring was upon us, was that 100s of little frogs down in the marsh would start to sing. The backyard was a perfect place to sit in the evening, watching the fireflies dance in our little grove of trees, viewing the brilliant colors in the sky change as the sun set, and listening to the shrill song of the little frogs. Frogs are an interesting bunch. They are not necessarily that bright as a general rule, but there are things we can learn from them.I recall a little story I heard years ago, not sure when. But as I recall it was a mostly true story that may have happened down in that little marsh in the Shenandoah Valley near our home. It was truly a calamity.

One is tempted to say “G’Day Mate” given that January 26, 2022 is Australia Day, but that would be a cheap trick to which I will not surrender. I could celebrate National Peanut Brittle Day, but I suspect that may not really exist. Or perhaps National Spouses Day is more appropriate, given my dedication to creating Charlottesville Community Engagement, a program that seeks to bring you information for better or worse. I am Sean Tubbs, and let’s get started. On today’s edition:Area contractors may soon have a cheaper option to dispose of some construction materialUVA and August Health plea for the public to get vaccinatedAlbemarle County will pay property owners to lease people who hold housing vouchersThe Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is investigating a petroleum leakShout-out to Code for CharlottesvilleCode for Charlottesville is seeking volunteers with tech, data, design, and research skills to work on community service projects. Founded in September 2019, Code for Charlottesville has worked on projects such as an expungement project with the Legal Aid Justice Center, a map of Charlottesville streetlights, and the Charlottesville Housing Hub. Visit codeforcville.org to learn about those projects.Augusta and UVA Health systems make vaccination pleaThe leaders of major hospitals in both the Shenandoah Valley and Charlottesville are pleading with unvaccinated members of the community to get a dose in order to help reduce the strain on health care workers. “For the past several weeks we’ve routinely had more than 100 patients hospitalized with COVID and this has really been the most we’ve seen at any point in the pandemic here at UVA,” said Wendy Horton, the CEO of UVA Health System. Horton said the majority of these hospitalized patients are unvaccinated. That’s also the case at Augusta Health, which is losing people two years into the pandemic. “We find that well over 80 percent of our inpatients are unvaccinated and one hundred percent of our patients that are on ventilators are unvaccinated so that kind of gives you a feel for what’s happening in the field,” said Mary Mannix, the CEO at Augusta Health. Horton said Augusta Health doesn’t have as many patients in hospital because they took a different approach during delta to treat as many people as possible through outpatient care. But, she said the strain is real. “Our staffing levels are very different with this surge not only because our staff are getting exhausted and many staff are deciding to pivot their careers and focus in different directions but also with the high transmission of omicron, we have staff out every day,” Mannix said. The omicron surge is showing signs of waning with the seven-day average today down to 11,891 new cases a day, down from 18,782 two weeks ago. Hospitalizations are also down, but Horton says the strain on the system is still being felt. “Even though it appears we may soon be reaching the peak of omicron, we know that it’s going to take several weeks or even months before hospitalizations return to pre-omicron levels,” Horton said. Vaccination shots per day have declined to a seven-day average of 10,488, a number that has declined sharply this month. While 68.7 percent of Virginians are fully vaccinated, fewer Virginians have received a booster or third dose. In Albemarle, 75.9 percent of the eligible population is fully vaccinated, but only 48.9 percent have gotten their additional shots In Augusta, those numbers are 55.8 percent and 28.7 percent respectively. Mannix urges the public to take advantage of vaccines that are available for free. ‘We really need the community as Wendy said a few moments ago to step up and help us and that continuing to follow what science has proven is efficacious, and that is social distancing, wearing our masks, and most importantly getting vaccinated,” Mannix said.Meanwhile, policy in the Commonwealth of Virginia continues to shift. The acting Commissioner of the Virginia Health has announced an end to tracking and tracing of all cases in favor of tracking down major outbreaks. “Public health staff will prioritize responding to COVID-19 clusters and outbreaks in long-term care facilities and other congregate settings, healthcare settings, and other high-risk settings, and will focus follow-up with individuals most at risk for negative health effects from COVID-19,” reads a press release. “VDH will continue to partner with K-12 schools on prevention strategies to reduce spread in schools so schools can remain open and safe.”The VDH also continues to stress that vaccination is the key to continuing to fight the pandemic. “Bonus bucks” project launched in AlbemarleAlbemarle County is offering a one-time bonus to property owners to take on tenants whose rent will be subsidized through the Housing Choice Voucher program. “[The Albemarle County Office of Housing] currently has between 15 to 20 clients with vouchers who will be seeking apartments starting February 1,” reads a press release for the Bonus Bucks program.Each of those clients has 90 days from receipt of the voucher to find a place to live. One of the difficulties has been finding people willing to take on tenants. The $24,000 in funding comes from the American Rescue Plan Act. This action helps implement a section of the recently adopted Housing Albemarle plan. Notably Strategy 9B, which is to “Expand community’s knowledge of rights and responsibilities under the Virginia Landlord and Tenant Act.” Petroleum has leaked into Moores Creek tributary The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is investigating a petroleum seep that is affecting an unnamed tributary of Moores Creek, according to the city of Charlottesville.“The suspected responsible party, Charlottesville Tire & Auto, is working with DEQ to mitigate the impact to the tributary,” reads a press release. “A subsurface investigation to confirm the source of the release is ongoing.” Someone reported the information through DEQ’s Pollution Response program. This specific incident is known as a point source incident. “The [Charlottesville] Fire Department observed a petroleum release to an unnamed tributary,” reads the incident report. “This is the same area where petroleum fumes have been reported. DEQ observed petroleum seep discharging from the southwest stream bank.” According to the report, absorbent devices called booms have been placed in the area to try to remove the petroleum.Supreme Court to hear case on federal water protection regulationsOn Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take on a case that could remove federal protections over wetlands across the nation. The Court issued a writ of certiorari in the case of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last September in favor of the agency’s claim that it has jurisdiction over a wetland in Idaho. At issue is the scope of the phrase “waters of the United States.” The plaintiffs filled in a wetland to build a home, but the EPA ordered them to remove the fill and restore natural conditions. They sued in 2008 and the Supreme Court will take up the matter in their next term next October. Learn more on Ballotpedia.At that time, there will be at least one new Justice. Stephen Breyer announced today he will retire at the end of this term. He was appointed to the Court in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. A shout-out to Camp AlbemarleToday’s second subscriber-supported public serv