This week, we learn about a new podcast from WNYC called "Our Common Nature." Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and producer Ana González visited Appalachia. They went to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mammoth Cave National Park and West Virginia’s coal country.
A morel sliced lengthwise will resemble a gutted fish. Note its characteristic hollow stem, a final safety check on whether you have a true morel, and the reason for its nickname of “dry land fish.” Also note that unclean morels can house ants as well as snails. Courtesy Adam Boring.
Every spring, morel hunters head to the woods in search of mushrooms that look like little wrinkled Christmas trees. Some folks freeze them for later. And even add them to their holiday menus.
Folkways reporter Wendy Welch spoke with foragers and chefs in Virginia about how to safely harvest and prepare these beloved fungi.
Raising Flood Relief With A River Song
Four months after Haddox appeared on stage at the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance festival in Black Mountain, North Carolina, Hurricane Helene tore through the conference location, where recovery efforts are ongoing. Courtesy Chris Haddox.
In 2016, torrential rains resulted in one of the deadliest floods in West Virginia. It inspired songwriter Chris Haddox, called “O, This River.”
Since Hurricane Helene, Haddox has been using that song to raise money for people in North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.
Folkways reporter Connie Bailey Kitts spoke with him about the story behind the song.
Smashing Pumpkins For Science!
The crowd looks on at a package with a parachute falls to the ground at the 35th Annual WVU Pumpkin Drop Oct. 25, 2024. Photo Chris Schulz.
Mason: Just because Halloween is over, doesn’t mean pumpkin season is done. At West Virginia University, the big orange gourds are part of an annual challenge that takes a lot of guts –pumpkin guts.
WVPB’s Chris Schulz had more.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Christian Lopez, The Appalachian Road Show, Tim Bing, Caleb Caudle, Chris Haddox and John Inghram.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Zander Aloi is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from folkways editor Nicole Musgrave.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
This week, we learn about a new podcast from WNYC called "Our Common Nature." Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and producer Ana González visited Appalachia. They went to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Mammoth Cave National Park and West Virginia’s coal country.
West Virginia is aging faster than the rest of the nation. More than 1 in 5 residents are over 65, and as young people leave the state, the gap between those who need care and those who can provide it keeps growing. At the same time, elder care has shifted from nursing homes to home-based support — but there aren’t enough workers to keep up. Us & Them explores the looming caregiving crisis and what it means for families, workers and the future of care.
Appalachian Power customers may be seeing another price hike, caregivers are under stress, particularly during the holidays, and a new mountain roller coaster is a destination for fun seekers in Mercer County.
This week, the cost of health insurance is going up in 2026. Millions of people are faced with sticker shock. Also, a mountain farmer kept an encrypted diary for years. It’s unclear whether he would have wanted that code to ever be cracked. And, a beloved West Virginia hot dog restaurant closed in 2018. An annual tribute sale gives people a chance to relive its glory days.