David Sibray
FRENCH CREEK, W.Va. — Get ready for an early spring, West Virginia! French Creek Freddie called for warmer temperatures during his annual Groundhog Day celebration at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center in Upshur County. Trevor Moore, a wildlife biologist for the center, says he’d bank on Freddie, whose predictions are right half the time. “When … Read more
ELKINS, W.Va.– The Monongahela National Forest has been selected to provide the 2023 Christmas Tree for the U.S. capitol, kicking off a year-long celebration with the theme of “Endlessly Wild & Wonderful” to connect more Americans to West Virginia’s public lands. The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, known as “The People’s Tree” reflecting the nickname for … Read more
MARLINTON, W.Va. — Syrup production is thriving in Pocahontas County, where organizers of Maple Days events are welcoming new producers and expecting more attendees, thanks partly to a renewed interest in Appalachian customs. Six maple producers are opening their doors to public tours in February and March 2023 as the number of maple syrup producers … Read more
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — To learn more about the distribution of odd-looking hellbenders and mudpuppies, the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources has launched a citizen science project to track sightings of these important but declining salamanders around the state. The project, which will take two years to complete, gives anglers, science enthusiasts and public members … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va — The W.Va. Department of Agriculture is encouraging all farmers and farm operations in the state to participate in the 2022 Census of Agriculture to ensure support for agriculture in West Virginia. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service mailed paper questionnaires to producers in December, according to W.Va. Commissioner of … Read more
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Trail development has emerged as a driving force in economic revitalization across the United States, but few regions are witnessing its transformative potential more clearly than West Virginia. “With the state’s outdoor recreation industry gaining national attention, advocates and developers are turning to trails as a key to unlocking economic, health, and … Read more
SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. — Four Shepherd University programs will benefit from $2,708,000 in congressionally directed spending that the university is receiving from the $1.7 billion omnibus bill signed by President Joe Biden on December 23, 2022. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who serve on the Appropriations Committee, requested the money to … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — International tourism is growing in southern West Virginia due to the creation of America’s newest national park. Visitors to the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve are more culturally diverse than ever, say civic leaders in Fayetteville, West Virginia, the chief center of activity in the park’s northern region. Sharon Rynard, … Read more
Winter in West Virginia is a delightfully varied season. The Ohio and Potomac lowlands and sheltered southern valleys witness only a few blanketing snowfalls, though the Allegheny Mountains, rising to more than 4,000 feet above sea level, are practically Canadian in climate and can be beset by blinding squalls long into spring. Photographer Rick Burgess … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W. Va. — The nation’s newest national park, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, is full of secrets, surprises, historic sites, and charming quirks, and chances are good that all of these are within just a day’s drive. The park is within an eight-hour drive of nearly 60 percent of the U.S. … Read more
