Something wild: A native habitat grows in Free Union
Sweat glistens on Amy Lewis’ brow as she cracks open a bottle of beer in the kitchen of her home in Free Union. It’s late August, and she’s just back […]
10 things I’ve learned about homesteading: Lessons from adventures, successes, and failures on the land
I don’t claim to be an expert on anything in the homesteading realm. But my husband and I have been gardening for 18 years and raising chickens for nine, preserving […]
Bugged: Non-native insects threaten Virginia’s ash trees and fruit harvests.
With its metallic-green shell and wings, the emerald ash borer looks almost like a smaller version of a brooch your great-grandmother pinned to her lapel. But it’s not a decoration—it’s […]
“I was about to die!” Three writers recount terrifying close calls.
Exploring outdoors, whether in a city or the wilds, can be relaxing, exhilarating, ennobling—and sometimes, extremely dangerous. We’re not talking about the kind of danger one knowingly faces, for instance, […]
Urban wilderness: Jill Trischman-Marks brings her love of nature to McIntire Botanical Garden
Jill Trischman-Marks bears the title executive director in her new role at McIntire Botanical Garden, but she calls herself its chief cheerleader. Her enthusiasm for the outdoors and all things […]
Trail nix: The Dominion pipeline should not be allowed to cross the Appalachian Trail
“Dominion’s pipeline would permanently affect the trail experience on these protected federal lands, carving up a largely forested mountain landscape with a cleared right-of-way the width of a multi-lane highway.” […]
The View: River of history
Upon finding the source of the Jackson River, parent to the James River, Earl Swift writes in Journey on the James: Three Weeks through the Heart of Virginia: “From this […]
That dog will hunt: The poodle returns to its roots as a water retriever
Poodles get a bad rap as frilly leash candy. For this, we can blame the French. Forget Best in Show. The poodle has hunting-dog roots, which were developed in central […]
Devils’ dogs: Adventure dogs are on everyone’s mind
Many years ago, in a different life, it seems, I steered a little aluminum boat with an outboard motor across the glistening surface of a lake. The memory is so […]
Adventure dogs! Nothing beats being in the great outdoors with your best four-legged friend
Science has proven the extraordinary connection between humans and dogs, but perhaps the best evidence of the bond is easier to find—when people and their pups get outside and play. […]
Outsider art: Our favorite plein-air murals and sculptures
In a self-styled art town like Charlottesville, you don’t have to step into a gallery to have an art encounter. There are lots of places to see murals, sculptures, and […]