Dolly Parton, The Adaptive Climbing Festival And Appalachian Plants, Inside Appalachia

We reflect on Dolly Parton’s passing and her legacy in the region.

Also, the Adaptive Climbers Festival at Kentucky’s Red River Gorge feels like home for climbers with disabilities from around the world. 

And, a new book spotlights Appalachian plants and encourages readers to get in touch with nature.  

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

• Remembering Dolly Parton
• Adaptive Climbers Festival Celebrates Five Years With Documentary
• Appalachian Plants: In the Garden, In the Yard, and In the Wild
• One Of North Carolina’s Oldest Rodeos Returns After Hurricane Helene
• Designing Dignity With Carebots
• Poet And Cabinet Maker Talks Creating With Words And Hands
  
  

Remembering Dolly Parton

Appalachia, and the entire world, really, is shook by the passing of Dolly Parton this week. Dolly — everyone called her Dolly — was a Tennessee native, country and pop music singer, and philanthropist who invested heavily in people – especially here in Appalachia. And in children’s literacy through her Imagination Library, which provides free books to young kids. To a lot of people, she was Appalachia. To mark her passing, we spoke with Ted Olson, a country music historian at East Tennessee State University’s Department for Appalachian Studies. 

Adaptive Climbers Festival Celebrates Five Years With Documentary

In October, hundreds of rock climbers will gather in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge for the fifth annual Adaptive Climbers Festival.  For three days, they’ll camp, hike, climb, and share meals at the mom-and-pop campground that hosts them. The event is organized by and for athletes with disabilities. 

In 2023, Folkways Reporter Emily Chen-Newton covered the event for Inside Appalachia. Since then, the Adaptive Climbers Festival has grown. Organizers say they’re nearly at capacity, with 300 climbers, caregivers, and volunteers. Ahead of the festival, the campground has made accessibility improvements. Volunteers with the ACF have been sprucing up the trails too.

Appalachian Plants: In the Garden, In the Yard and In the Wild

Appalachians have always made use of the region’s wide variety of plants.  A new book, called Appalachian Plants: In the Garden, In the Yard, and In the Wild, explores some of the history and lore of regional staples. It’s written by Linda Hager Pack and illustrated by Pat Banks.

The two Kentucky residents previously teamed up on two children’s books: A Is for Appalachia and Appalachian Toys and Games from A to Z.  As Linda Hager Pack explains, the beginning of the new book explores a historical medical theory called the “Doctrine of Signatures.” Host Mason Adams spoke with the author.

One Of North Carolina’s Oldest Rodeos Returns After Hurricane Helene

One of North Carolina’s oldest rodeos is back in action after a storm-induced-hiatus. After Hurricane Helene, the rodeo fairgrounds closed down to serve as a hub for disaster response.

Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Laura Hackett was in the stands for the rodeo’s comeback this July and brings us this. 

Designing Dignity With Carebots

Countries like the U.S. and Japan have a shortage of caregivers for senior citizens. That’s an acute problem in Appalachia too.  Some places are turning to robots as a potential solution. WESA’s Kiley Koscinski reports the latest in her series Designing Dignity.  

Poet And Cabinet Maker Talks Creating With Words And Hands

Steve Scafidi has spent nearly 40 years dividing his time between writing poems and restoring old furniture. The West Virginia poet and cabinetmaker is the author of five collections of poetry, including his latest, The Appalachian Sea.

Producer Bill Lynch caught up with Scafidi to talk poetry and working with his hands.

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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Hello June, Dolly Parton, Ted Olson and Blue Dot Sessions.  

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Irina Zhorov is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from Folkways Editors Chris Julin and Ibby Caputo.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads or here on Facebook.

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.