honey bee and the coal mine. @thelanereport @motherearthnews #local #honey #kentucky #appalachia
Challenges remain, but apiculturists believe eastern Kentucky can fill growing U.S. demand for honey, wax and bees.
One of the things I remember most about my childhood was that my family had honey bee hives. My grandfather spent hours watching them work and usually had me alongside him. He showed me how important honey bees were to our ecosystem.
I also remember when we lost all the bees to mites. Bees once thrived in Appalachia’s diverse landscapes; however, the introduction of tracheal and varroa mites in the 1980s devastated bee populations, and they are still recovering.
With the dramatic loss of bee colonies from 1989-2008, nearly 32 percent, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Department of Commerce felt that they could make Kentucky a viable source for honey production. The plan was to use reclaimed mining properties for hives and to plant bee friendly trees and flowers to encourage their growth and future success in the region. With coal mining jobs on the decline in Appalachia, it is vitally important that we look to other means to continue prosperity in the region.
Dr. Tammy Horn, director of Coal Country Beeworks at Eastern Kentucky University, recently received a special grant to continue investigation and assessment of native bee populations on reclaimed surface mining sites in Appalachia. Our hope is that this may be the return of the honey bee to Appalachia.
Referenced from The Lane Report and Mother Earth News
the 911's alter ego. @expoportal @porsche #rallyracing #parisdakar
What do you think of when you envision a Porsche 911? Probably a fast roadster that can hug mountain curves at 60 miles per hour. Well that is what I used to think of too.
"Seven-time Pikes Peak Champion Jeff Zwart discusses the alter ego of the Porsche 911 - Rallying and Off-Roading. Watch Jeff attack Pikes Peak and then drive the Porsche Museum's Paris-Dakar winning Type 953, the All-Wheel-Drive 911 precursor to the 959."
Jeff Zwart is a professional rally driver who's father bought a 911 2nd hand and when it was time for Jeff to learn to drive he learned in a Porsche as well. Its no surprise that he has claimed so many championships behind the wheel of one.
This is the Porsche Museum's Paris-Dakar winning Type 953. It makes me think that maybe Mountain State Overland should consider something like this as our next overland vehicle, maybe not. Either way it is a sweet ride!
Happy motoring!
Referenced by Expedition Portal
happiness arcade. @cocacola @greygravy @cnet #recycle #awareness
The city of Dhaka in Bangladesh has a population of 15 million, a major refuse problem and very little awareness of recycling. Recently, the Coca-Cola Company and Grey Advertising stepped in with an attempt to make a difference - the "Happiness Arcade."
With a slot built to accept a plastic Coke, credits are issued to play "Happiness Arcade" when players recycle.
The Grey Group - Dhaka released six standalone arcade machines throughout the city for just six days and collected thousands of plastic bottles. Those bottles were turned into pellets and reused to make other plastic products.
While some could argue that this is yet another campaign for the Coca Cola Company; the truth is, this simple little arcade game gave street wanders an opportunity to cash in on their sugar rush and learn to appreciate the value of an empty plastic bottle.
Regardless of its resemblance to Atari's Pong video game of the 80s, the recycling arcade machine concept may be rolled out in other parts of the world as part of a larger campaign to encourage recycling awareness.
Referenced from CNET.
weekly video II - huayhuash. @bikemag @joeyschusler #epic #bike #adventure
weekly video II: "Huayhuash" - a Joey Schusler film
This past winter, three friends set out on a self supported ride, looking for nothing more than a truly genuine and thrilling experience. They planned to circumnavigate one of the most wonderful and wicked mountain ranges in the world – the Huayhuash in the Andes of Peru.
spruce knob. @wv_tourism @themountaininst @foresthistory #explore #protect #appalachia
Nestled within the Monongahela National Forest, Spruce knob is West Virginia's high point; peaking out at nearly 4900 ft. The summit of Spruce Knob has a definite alpine feel, much more so than most other mountains of the Southern Appalachians. The upper few hundred feet are covered in a dense spruce forest; a relic boreal forest environment similar to those found in northern New England and Canada.
Spruce Knob's climate can be classified as cold continental or highland. Summers are cool and often damp, with thunderstorms common both in the spring and summer. It's cold and snowy winters average over 180 inches of annual snowfall often crippling its access roads.
Just a portion of the 15,000 visitors that jammed Spruce Knob Lake on opening day circa 1953
Established in 1965, the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreation Area was the first National Recreation Area designated and protected by the US Forest Service. With over 75 miles of hiking trails, a 25 acre lake and a vast network of gravel roads, Spruce Knob is invites nearly every adventurer.
The Spruce Knob Mountain Center's lodges are patterned after Mongolian yurts
Next weekend, Mountain State Overland is heading to the summit for Episode 5. We'll setup base camp at The Mountain Institute's Spruce Knob Mountain Center and spend the rest of the weekend exploring this Appalachian highland while advocating The Mountain Institute's conservation efforts.
To learn more about Spruce Knob and The Mountain Institute, point your browser to the MSO Facebook and Twitter pages, enjoy still shots from our trip and anticipate the Episode 5 release near the end of May.
Referenced from Wikipedia, The Mountain Institute, the Forest History Society and other Google Images.