Smoky Mountain Living Feb. 2012 by Smoky Mountain News

2012

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WELCOME

from the managing editor

In 1944, at age 17, my grandmother, Delma Kerley, joined the United States Cadet Nurse Corps through Grace Hospital in Banner Elk, N.C. The U.S. government established the program in 1943 to ensure that the country had enough nurses to care for patients both on the home front and at war. The Cadet Nurse Corps greatly increased our country’s number of nursing students, led to greater public recognition for nurses, and changed how nurses were educated and trained. Delma only spent a year in Corps, but it was a year that shaped her future goals. My mother remembers the distinctive grey and white striped cotton of the summer uniform tucked away in a drawer. Delma’s Cadet Nurse shoulder patch always remained with her New Testament. Delma refused to let her dream of being a nurse die. She worked full-time as a licensed practical nurse while attending Mayland DONATED FAMILY PHOTO Technical College and Caldwell Community College, finally earning her Associate Degree of Nursing in 1976—31 years after leaving the Corps. Perhaps then it is no coincidence that at age 31, I have discovered my own passion for healthcare. Upon being diagnosed with a rare type of a rare vascular disease (intimal fibromuscular dysplasia), I began writing about my own health experiences and working to both raise awareness of my disease and improve communications between patients and doctors. This type of writing falls within the realm of narrative medicine—combining the humanities and scientific thought, breaking down barriers, and providing a different medium through which to discuss the medical profession. My interest in the human side of medicine provided the inspiration for this edition of Smoky Mountain Living dedicated to healers and healing. The concept is applied with care and creativity, as our writers explore traditional Appalachian herbal remedies; animal-facilitated therapy; invasive species threatening our local landscape; outdoor recreation for those with disabilities; and, of course, writing as remedy. Our hope is that this issue is as educational as it is meaningful. — Sarah E. Kucharski, managing editor

Editor’s Note: The October/November edition of Smoky Mountain Living featured the renowned woodcarver Phillip Brown on its cover. Brown, a member of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild, passed away in December at age 55. Photographer Tim Barnwell captured the indelible image of Brown at work used on the cover of Smoky Mountain Living. “It was always a pleasure to talk with Phil, as he had a very down to earth view of the world and was happy with his life choices and career,” Barnwell said. “His wife was a ceramic artist so they were able to work together and travel to art fairs to sell their work, and his family was a great source of pride for him. He was thrilled to have been able to make a modest living doing what he enjoyed, and being able to work in his shop at home, a small space that he had appointed with the tools and comforts he needed to carve his wonderful birds. His was a unique talent that allowed him to produce superior work that expressed his love of nature.” Memorials may be sent to Brown’s family at 44 Lee Road, Swannanoa, NC 28778. 2

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

VOL. 12 • NUMBER 1 Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Scott McLeod editor@smliv.com General Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Boothroyd ads@smliv.com Advertising Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Nichols jason@smliv.com Managing Editor. . . . . . . . . . . Sarah E. Kucharski sarah@smliv.com Art Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Bumgardner travis@smliv.com Graphics . . . . . . . Margaret Hester, Micah McClure Finance & Administration . . Amanda Singletary Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Boothroyd, Whitney Burton, Scott Collier, Drew Cook, Lila Eason, Jason Nichols Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Nichols Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Erin Davis, Laura Haywood-Cory, Don Hendershot, Joe Hooten, Becky Johnson, Constance E. Richards, Rebecca Tolley-Stokes, T. Wayne Waters Contributing Photographers . . . . . . Ben Bishop, Margaret Hester, Rick Queen, Sherry Shook, Vera Visser, Amber Wallace, Rosemary Williams Contributing Illustrator . . . . . . Mandy Newham Smoky Mountain Living is published bi-monthly by SM Living LLC. Smoky Mountain Living has made every effort to insure listings and information are accurate and assumes no liability for errors or omissions. For advertising information, contact Jason Nichols at 828.452.2251 or jason@smliv.com. For editorial inquiries, contact Sarah Kucharski at sarah@smliv.com. Smoky Mountain Living assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. Queries should be sent to Sarah E. Kucharski at sarah@smliv.com. ©2012. All rights reserved. No portion of this magazine may be reprinted without the express, written consent of the publisher.

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About the writers Laura Haywood-Cory is a

North Carolina native, born in Charlotte. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, currently living in Durham with one cantankerous 18year-old cat and one not-so-cantankerous husband. She is a professional editor with more than a decade of experience. When not editing other people’s words, she enjoys exploring the natural places in the N.C. mountains while her husband photographs them. She also is a retired Scottish highland dancer.

Don Hendershot is a freelance

writer, naturalist and biological consultant living in Waynesville, N.C. He has written in magazines including Our State, Native American Journal, and Smoky Mountain Living. His weekly column, The Naturalist's Corner, appears in The Smoky Mountain News. Hendershot was nominated by the Roosevelt-Ashes Society for Outstanding Journalist in Conservation 2010. He is contracted with the USDA Forest Service to conduct bird point surveys in six of the eight North Carolina Ranger Districts. His most coveted title is “Daddy” to 10-year-old Izzy and 6year-old Maddie. Read more at thenaturalistscorner.com.

T. Wayne Waters is a Knoxville-

based wordsmith who loves to write about almost anything regarding Southern or Appalachian culture and society. He has a master’s in journalism and nearly a decade of freelance writing experience. A native Georgian, Waters lived in Asheville during the ’90s before taking up residence near the Smoky foothills of Tennessee. He thinks the beauty of the region and of the people who live here is often breathtaking. When not at the keyboard

wordsmithing, Waters enjoys the occasional Smokies hike, a kayak glide on the Tennessee River, savoring a dark ale while enjoying Knoxville’s extraordinary music scene, or just sitting around at home nibbling on tropes and bon mots.

Becky Johnson grew up in

Raleigh, raised by parents who instilled in her an appreciation for the outdoors and wild places, which in turn gave rise to a strong environmental ethos. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1999 as a double major in journalism and anthropology and a creative writing minor. She worked as a park ranger on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a year before pursuing journalism in Western North Carolina. She has been with the Smoky Mountain News, based in Waynesville, since 2003, where she is reporter and news editor.

Erin W. Davis, a former New York

state native, is a recent transplant to North Carolina. Her love of the rich culture and landscape of Smoky Mountains sprung from frequent family visits during her teenage years and was sealed with her first taste of hickory-smoked barbeque. After graduating with a B.A. in English from the State University of New York at Fredonia, Davis wrote briefly for the Cuba Patriot and Free Press newspaper before seizing the opportunity to relocate to North Carolina. In her spare time, Davis is working to fulfill her culinary bucket list: a compilation of 52 things to cook and eat before she leaves this earth.

Rebecca Tolley-Stokes is a

writer, librarian, and East Tennessee native/resident who no longer has time to knit, sew, quilt, play accordion, ride horses, or enjoy any other favorite pastimes because she is teaching her daughter to throw Frisbee with their border collie, how to fall without injury whilst on roller skates, and most importantly, she is providing Elsa with a baseline repertoire of animal noises

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that will make her the popular girl at parties. Tolley-Stokes enjoys writing everything—from haiku inspired by spring’s whimsy to trends in Appalachian roller derby. She hates the way that people from “off” mispronounce Appalachia, especially on NPR, and loves how the Southern Appalachian region is rife with opportunities for learning about ecology, community, and culture. Her work appeared in Now & Then, Gastronomica, Food & Foodways: The Journal of Food and Culture, various library journals and reference books, and on her blog potlikkery.com.

Constance E. Richards is a

seasoned travel, arts, and food writer, who spent half her life in Europe, and was based in Russia as a foreign correspondent for seven years. She has written for Time, Life, the New York Times, Southern Living, People, Conde Nast Traveler, and the London Daily Telegraph, and is contributing food editor for WNC Magazine. She has penned a literary guide to St. Petersburg, Russia; Artful Asheville - Along the Urban Trail; and continues to co-author the Insiders’ Guide to North Carolina’s Mountains with her father. Along with working as update editor for the most recent edition of North Carolina Curiosities, she is director of an international art gallery. Her most recent project is writing a catalog raisonné about the work of her late husband, sculptor and painter Vadim Bora.

Joe Hooten was born in Macon, Ga.,

but spent his formative years surfing the beaches near his home in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. He eventually found his way to Western North Carolina for college at Cullowhee. He received his B.A. in Education from Western Carolina and his M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Hooten taught public middle and high school history in Hendersonville, Cary and then Raleigh for ten years before moving back to Asheville with his wife and three young kids in 2008. Hooten writes about his all-time favorite hobby— music—for The Smoky Mountain News and Smoky Mountain Living. A second-rate guitarist, he can be found most evenings pickin’ some tunes on the back porch while enjoying the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains.

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in this issue: Let The Dandelions Grow The wild is where our first medicines originated. Learn from two local herbal healers who rely on what nature gives as a way of preserving tradition and offering alternative therapies. By Laura Haywood Cory

Saving Our Southern Forests Invasive species have wreaked havoc on the native landscape. Find out which culprits are doing the most damage and what is being done to restore the trees of life. By Don Hendershot

A Way With Words Narrative medicine combines storytelling with healthcare as both a way for those affected to express themselves and as a way to communicate more than test results and symptoms to doctors. By Constance E. Richards

Aptitude, Ability & Accessibility Regional organizations help outdoors enthusiasts with debilitating injuries find ways to reconnect with nature and bring others to the outdoors to recover from within. By Becky Johnson

Furry & Four-Legged Facilitators Animal therapy programs offer youth and adults a way of improving their mental, emotional, and physical skills. By T. Wayne Waters

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 â&#x20AC;˘ ISSUE 1

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departments Mountain Music Tyler Ramsey, now of Band of Horses fame, sits down with SML. 11

Arts Dolly Parton sings out in “Joyful Noise.” 14

Cuisine Boone welcomes a new brewery soon. 15

Out & About Oak Ridge, Tenn., high schoolers claim major science award. 18

Seeing Healing Photographers share their views of healing and health in Smoky Mountain Living’s photo essay. Submit your images to photos@smliv.com. By Sarah E. Kucharski

Mountain Voices Pigeon Forge, Tenn., finds the cowboy way. 20

Mountain Letters Charles Frazier’s latest tells a dark tale. 22

Outdoors Are the white squirrels of Brevard, N.C., spreading? 24

Sustainable Living On the cover: Bringing herbal healing home. MARGARET HESTER PHOTO PICTOGRAPHYBYMARGARET.COM

Solar farms add to N.C.’s power grid. 26

Mountain Views How Erin Davis found healing in friendship. 64

resources: Shopping Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Shop Savvy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Select Lodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Asheville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 White Co. Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Waynesville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

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Sherry Shook

Cassie White

Crystal Gray

“I promise to keep on living as though I expected to live forever. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up interest wrinkles the soul.” —General Douglas MacArthur

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How do you heal? Is healing an act of the body, the soul, or the mind, or is it a combination of the three? In this edition of Smoky Mountain Living, we explore healing in its various forms. Here our readers share their own views of what it means to heal.

Aimee Harmon

“Realize that this very body, with its aches and its pleasures… is exactly what we need to be fully human, fully awake, fully alive.” — Pema Chodron

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“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.” —Hippocrates

Rosemary Williams

Vera Visser

Sherry Shook

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Amber Wallace

The next edition of Smoky Mountain Living will explore what it means to be green. Words and concepts that come to mind include ecology, sustainable, growth, youth, inexperience, and envy. What do you picture when you think of green? Submit your images to photos@smliv.com by Feb. 15. For more information, visit smliv.com.

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Music. Moments. Memories. April 26 – 29, 2012

Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas

Sam Bush

Vince Gill

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Doc Watson

Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile

Steep Canyon Rangers

Marty Stuart

Sierra Hull and Highway 111

Donna The Buffalo

Dailey and Vincent

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Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, the Original Lineup

The Waybacks

Scythian

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mountain music

DEPARTMENT

In stride Tyler Ramsey moves easily between rock stardom and folk roots BY JOE HOOTEN

ne of Asheville, N.C.’s premiere songwriters has seen his career take off in ways he probably never imagined. Certainly back when he was a record store clerk at the now-defunct Almost Blue on Patton Avenue he may well have been spinning records, daydreaming of traveling to exotic locales, playing his songs to thousands of fans in prestigious venues without hope it would come to fruition. Yet, it’s amazing how dreams find a way of coming true. Earlier this year Ramsey, who is now a full-time member of the internationally successful indie-rock group Band of Horses, was able to find time to write, record, and release his third solo album, the rustic classic, “The Valley Wind.” Filled with stark imagery and simplistic arrangements swirling around his intricate guitar work, “The Valley Wind” is the perfect backdrop to a serene snowy day in the Appalachian Mountains that Tyler Ramsey calls home. Tyler’s been on the Asheville music scene for many years, playing in multiple bands, helping friends write and record, but always continuing the pursuit of his own collection of songs. His first album, the self-titled debut in 2004, was a humble yet melancholy record that garnered him notoriety among his hometown friends and fans. It wasn’t, however, until his second release, “A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea,” which was recorded at the highly praised Echo Mountain Studios in 2008, that his career began taking the path he might have been dreaming of in his youth. Everyone from NPR, Stereogum, WNYC’s Soundcheck, Popmatters and a host of other critics raved about his skills as a songwriter and guitar player. Labeled as an “Artist to Watch,” Ramsey continued to put on mesmerizing solo shows across the Southeast and beyond. One of his most anticipated shows each year is the

annual holiday/homecoming show at the Grey Eagle in Asheville. It was around 2007 when friend and current bandmate Bill Reynolds, an Asheville alum and bass player for Band of Horses, asked Tyler to meet Ben Bridwell, the band’s lead singer. Ramsey subsequently was asked to join the band prior to the release of their second album, “Cease to Begin.” From there, Ramsey has had the great fortune of playing on multiple continents in some of the world’s most impressive music halls and stadiums, but he seems to be taking it all in stride. “I can get way more nervous about a Grey Eagle show because I only get a chance to do those maybe once a year, and I am playing to my family and my friends and neighbors,” Ramsey admits. It is remarkable that the “The Valley Wind” tracks were laid down in less than a week. Over a snowy six days, holed up in a modest recording studio in Nashville, Ramsey and friend Seth Kauffman (of Floating Action) with Reynolds producing and adding bass created an album — Tyler Ramsey

“People start to forget

CHRISTOPHER WILSON PHOTO

how special a place is after they have been there for a while. It’s good to miss something and someplace and someone. You can remember why you were drawn there to begin with.”

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Music. Moments. Memories. Tickets Are On Sale Now at MerleFest.org/Tickets Featuring: Doc & Richard Watson t 5IF #PYDBST t 4BN #VTI t %BJMFZ BOE 7JODFOU t %FIMJB -PX t %POOB 5IF #VGGBMP t #FMB 'MFDL BOE 5IF 'MFDLUPOFT UIF 0SJHJOBM -JOFVQ t 5IF (JCTPO #SPUIFST t 7JODF (JMM t 5IF (SFFODBSET t 4JFSSB )VMM BOE )JHIXBZ t "MJTPO ,SBVTT 6OJPO 4UBUJPO GFBUVSJOH +FSSZ %PVHMBT t +JN -BVEFSEBMF t 1VODI #SPUIFST GFBUVSJOH $ISJT 5IJMF t 5POZ 3JDF 6OJU t 1FUFS 3PXBO BOE UIF 'SFF .FYJDBO "JSGPSDF t 4DZUIJBO t 4UFFQ $BOZPO 3BOHFST t .BSUZ 4UVBSU BOE )JT 'BCVMPVT 4VQFSMBUJWFT t 5FEFTDIJ 5SVDLT #BOE t 5IF 8BZCBDLT t "OE NBOZ NPSF See the complete lineup at merlefest.org

April 26-29, 2012 MerleFest.org facebook.com/merlefest

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SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

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Q&A with Tyler Ramsey SML: Your guitar style is incredibly unique. When did you switch from piano to guitar? Who were your musical influences growing up? Tyler Ramsey: I had been playing piano for about four years when I picked up the guitar. I still play piano as much as I can because I find it helps me write, and I get a lot of ideas that I try to take back to the guitar. My first piano hero was Oscar Peterson, that’s the first record I bought. SML: Does songwriting become a forced activity while on the road or is it more of an escape from the daily routine of touring? Ramsey: I think it is really more of an escape. The challenge for me is getting to the right place in my head when I am sitting in a hotel room or somewhere. SML: As Band of Horses takes you farther away from home, what you do you miss most about Asheville? What’s the first place you visit when you get off the road? Ramsey: Right now the thing I miss the most is spending time in front of my woodstove! I don't really go out a whole lot when I am home!

people start to forget how special a place is after they have been there for a while. It’s good to miss something and someplace and someone. You can remember why you were drawn there to begin with. SML: I’ve seen you play in Madison Square Garden, the Lincoln Theater (Raleigh), and the Grey Eagle (Asheville). How does the experience change, for you, when going from huge arenas to smaller clubs/listening rooms? Ramsey: It is strange to me that it doesn't feel that different one from the other. I mean, I can get way more nervous about a Grey Eagle show because I only get a chance to do those maybe once a year, and I am playing to my family and my friends and neighbors! SML: “The Valley Wind” makes several references to birds. In your opinion does the ability to fly pale in comparison to the freedom to do so? Ramsey: Most of the birds that I was referring to were these crows and things that were hanging out in my backyard. They weren't flying around as much as posting up in the branches and staring and yelling at me!

SML: Does WNC become less influential the more you travel? What are three reasons why you still call North Carolina home? Ramsey: Maybe home becomes even more of an influence the more I am away. I think

SML: It took six days to record “The Valley Wind” with Seth Kauffman (of Floating Action) in a snowcovered Nashville studio. What was the

that’s reminiscent of Tyler’s last album, only a more stripped down version of what could have been. The songs—written on and off the road over the course of a year—were originally intended to be arranged with a full band sound, but Ramsey elected to give his third album a different vibe than his previous efforts. “This time I wanted to go through the process more quickly and not allow there to be any over thinking,” Ramsey said. “The songs were all written, but any thoughts on what we were doing with them were kind of left up in the air. Plus I wanted the whole thing to be sparse—just to leave room for the songs.” The album is both cavernous in tone, drenched in warm reverb, and expressively sung with that Neil Young tenor he’s well known for. Standout cuts on the album are plentiful: “1000 Black Birds” clearly exempliﬁes his outstanding

guitar licks and use of heavenly reverb; “Angel Band” with its touching waltz-like sway; and the fuller sound of “Stay Gone” that shows some inﬂuence from his time with Band of Horses. Tyler Ramsey is a unique player, his style both on and off the stage is less rock star and more folk singer with exceptional guitar and songwriting skills. He tours as a solo artist when has the opportunity, but for now his duties with Band of Horses continue to take him across the world. It’s clear he still loves Asheville and Western North Carolina, and hopefully he’ll continue to call it home no matter where his musical journey may take him. WWW.SMLIV.COM

experience compared to your time in Echo Mountain Studios recording “A Long Dream About Swimming Across The Sea?” Ramsey: They were both really good experiences. This time I wanted to go through the process more quickly and not allow there to be any over thinking. The songs were all written, but any thoughts on what we were doing with them were kind of left up in the air. Plus I wanted the whole thing to be sparse, just to leave room for the songs. SML: Some of your lyrics are very touching. Does introspection flow through your pen naturally or does that take time to sort out before it hits paper? Ramsey: Maybe equal parts writing and pacing. Add in a little staring out the window. SML: Can music be a true therapeutic agent? Ramsey: Definitely. It works for me. SML: Will there be another Tyler Ramsey song on the next Band of Horses album? Ramsey: We have all been writing and collaborating and getting songs together. We'll see what we end up with!

hear more:

To hear samples from “The Valley Wind” and more go to tylerramsey.com.

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DEPARTMENT

mountain arts

Exhibits examine work of expressionist Pat Passlof A new exhibit on display through Sunday, May 27, focuses on the work of painter, Black Mountain College alumnus, member of the New York School, and under-recognized ﬁgure in the development of abstract expressionism, Pat Passlof. The exhibit, titled “Selections 1948-2011,” will occupy space at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C., and the Black Mountain College Museum+Arts Center in Asheville, N.C., simultaneously. It will feature a selection of 50-60 of Passlof’s paintings representing more than 60 years of her career. This long-planned retrospective is among the ﬁrst since Passlof’s death from cancer at age 83 this November. In the months before her death the artist helped select the work represented.

“Melon 2,” oil on linen, 60 inches by 48 inches, by Pat Passlof, 2011.

Dolly Parton returns to the silver screen

and R&B with memorable songs performed by the cast and from a wide range of artists including Michael Jackson, Usher, Chris Brown, Paul McCartney, Sly & the Family Stone and Stevie Wonder. Dolly Parton also wrote original songs for the ﬁlm, including “Not Enough (Love)” and “From Here to the Moon.”

In the new film starring Oscar nominees Dolly Parton (“Transamerica,” “Steel Magnolias,” “Nine to Five”) and Queen Latifah (“Chicago,” “Hairspray”), the small town of Pacashau, Georgia, has fallen on hard times, but the people are counting on the Divinity Church Choir to lift their spirits by winning the National Joyful Noise Competition. The choir has always known how to sing in harmony, but the discord between its two leading ladies now threatens to tear it apart. Their newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill (Latifah), stubbornly wants to stick with their triedDolly Parton as G.G. Sparrow, Keke Palmer as Olivia Hill and and-true traditional style, while the fiery Queen Latifah as Vi Rose Hill in Alcon Entertainment's "JoyG.G. Sparrow (East Tennessee native ful Noise," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. VAN REDIN PHOTO Parton) thinks tried-and-true translates to tired-and-old. Alongside Latifah and Parton are Keke If the two strong-willed women can Palmer (“Akeelah and the Bee”), Courtney B. overcome their differences and find a common Vance (“Extraordinary Measures”), Jeremy voice, they—and their choir—may make the Jordan (Broadway’s “Rock of Ages”), and Kris most joyful noise of all. Kristofferson (“Dolphin Tale”). The musically driven story also brings The film opened in theaters nationwide on together the sounds of gospel, pop, country, rock Jan. 13. 14

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

Creating strong economic ties A group based in Asheville, N.C., has started an initiative to grow the regional fiber economy, focusing on craft artists, fiber animal farmers and emerging fiber mills and processing businesses. The WNC Fibershed Initiative aims to sustain and encourage the growth of the regional fiber and textile arts economy and professions through collaboration, education and innovation. The initiative will focus on eight specific tasks or areas: develop an online director of sources, makers, and users of fiber; develop an online calendar of events and classes; estimate and track the size of the fiber economy; organize textile shows and tours; start a textile study group; perform a feasibility study for a community dye studio and textile center; support fiber entrepreneurship and identify money for new fiber-related ventures; advocate wearing and making garments from the local fibershed. For more information or to get involved with the initiative, contact Judi Jetson at jjetson@handhamdeinamerica.org or call 828.252.0121, ext. 304.

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mountain cuisine

WNC SHOWS SOME LOVE FOR LOCAL GROWERS The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project estimates that Western North Carolina consumers alone purchased $62 million of local food in 2010, a four-fold increase since the Asheville, N.C.-based nonprofit’s Appalachian Grown™ certification and branding program began in 2007. The organization’s recent consumer survey explains the increase: understanding that local food benefits local communities. “We are way ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to supporting local farms,” says Charlie Jackson, ASAP’s executive director. ASAP’s survey, conducted this spring in the greater-Asheville area (Buncombe, Madison, and Henderson counties) and the state’s six westernmost counties found that a majority (55 percent) of respondents reported spending over one-tenth of their food budget on locally grown products. More than 80 percent of respondents say they choose local food because the purchases help support local farms and contribute to the local economy. In addition to farms, businesses benefiting from the increase include grocery stores and eateries in the region’s vibrant and growing independent restaurant scene. Three-quarters of survey respondents (77 percent) deemed local food a somewhat or very important consideration in choosing a grocery store, and roughly six in ten (64 percent) viewed it as somewhat or very important when choosing a restaurant. Over 55 percent mentioned Ingles as their grocery store of choice for locally grown food.

DEPARTMENT

Meeting a need Asheville has welcomed its ﬁrst whole animal butcher shop featuring meats from locally sourced farms that are committed to sustainable, all-natural farming practices—The Chop Shop. The Chop Shop features custom cut meats, a variety of house made fresh and smoked sausages, charcuterie, stocks, and more with the personal service of a traditional neighborhood meat market. Stop in the small corner store on Charlotte Street if for nothing else than the French Toulouse sausage, traditionally served for breakfast but impossibly good when wrapped in a bun with caramelized onions and a touch of spicy mustard. The Chop Shop does special orders, but the cases are regularly full of choice selections. For more information, visit chopshopbutcher.com or call 828.505.3777.

MAKING COMMUNITY GARDENING EASIER

Something new is brewing in Boone

As winter slowly turns toward spring, gardeners are eagerly planning their plantings for the growing season. In Knoxville, Tenn., the Food Policy Council offers a Community Garden Toolkit for those looking to share the costs, labor, and rewards of gardening as a group. The toolkit is designed for anyone in the Knoxville or Knox County area interested in beginning a sustainable community garden in his or her neighborhood. It addresses gathering a group of interested people; overcoming barriers such as acquiring land and getting access to water; some legal issues such as gardening contracts and by-laws, gardening development, and identifying potential costs and grant agencies. The City of Knoxville’s Food Policy Council monitors and evaluates the performance of Knoxville's food system, in terms of costs, availability, accessibility and implications for public health/economic efficiency, public awareness of food issues, improvement of food supply and distribution network in Knoxville. Download the toolkit at ci.knoxville.tn.us/boards/food.asp.

Appalachian Mountain Brewery, which would be the first commercial establishment in Boone, N.C., to brew beer since Cottonwood’s brewpub closed over a decade ago, is on the verge of cracking open a cold one in celebration of the new venture. The plans for the brewery include a tasting room of about 500 square feet, where customers may sample and purchase the brewery’s beers, self-sufficient operations through solar-thermal systems and Sean Stiegelman (right), one of the owners of Aprain harvesting; leasing palachian Mountain Brewery with entrepreneur/brewer property to grow local Seth Hewitt (left). DONATED PHOTO hops; partnerships with ASU’s fermentation science program; a venture capital fund for Appalachian State University students and alumni; and donations to charitable causes. WWW.SMLIV.COM

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COME. SEE. CONQUER.

An Olive Oil and Balsamic Tasting Shop Also featuring Mediterranean wines, local and imported artisan foods.

Mon. - Sat. 10-5:30; Sun. 11-4

Locally Owned and Independently Operated 22 LODGE STREET, HISTORIC BILTMORE VILLAGE ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 828.505.4049 | www:thetreeandvine.com

Allanstand Craft Shop at the Folk Art Center

Milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway | Asheville, NC Open Daily 9am-5pm | 828-298-7928

Whether you’re in the mood for skiing and hiking, or maybe just a stroll through downtown, the WNC Travel Guide is a great starting point for your Smoky Mountain adventure.

PICK ONE UP WHILE YOU’RE HERE OR VISIT WNCTRAVEL.COM 16

Guild Crafts

930 Tunnel Road/Hwy 70 | Asheville, NC Open Mon.-Sat.: 10am-6pm | 828-298-7903

Supporting mountain artists and setting the standard for ﬁne crafts since 1930.

Shop online: www.craftguild.org The Southern Highland Craft Guild is an authorized concessioner of the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

VISIT

Asheville NORTH CAROLINA

work shown: Jim McPhail

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Thrive Deerfield’s state-of-the-art amenities make your retirement vibrant, active and fulfilling in body, mind and spirit. Your days will be filled with friends and activities, and you can retire your snow shovel forever! Our stunning campus is located just minutes from the historic Biltmore Estate and Asheville’s eclectic downtown. Call to schedule a visit and learn more.

A N E P I S C O PA L R E T I R E M E N T COMMUNITY Deerfield is the 2011 winner of the National Pathways to Greatness Award. Visit our website to learn more.

1617 Hendersonville Rd. Asheville, NC (828) 274-1531 ext. 1 www.deerfieldwnc.org

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DEPARTMENT

out & about

Online archives highlight WNC, Cherokee history

ndividuals with an interest in the region’s past can now search two new online archives devoted to Cherokee culture and the evolution of travel in Western North Carolina courtesy of Western Carolina University’s Hunter Library. “Travel Western North Carolina” includes images and commentary about 27 towns and communities in WNC over ﬁve decades. The site allows users to follow a route along footpaths and wagon trails in the 1890s, take a train ride in the 1910s, and drive by car along mountain roads in the 1930s. Each “stop” includes a description of the community and excerpts from primary documents of the time, including newspapers, letters and guides. The site is online at wcu.edu/library/DigitalCollections/TravelWNC.

info:

For a list of all Hunter Library’s digital collections, visit wcu.edu/library/DigitalCollections. The ‘Cherokee Traditions’ website includes this image of woodcarver Watty Chiltoskie (top) at the 1953 Craftsman’s Fair in Asheville. The Asheville photographic studio of Lindsey & Brown published this postcard (above) showing a wagon, captioned a ‘Prairie Schooner,’ in the 1890s in Asheville. The image is part of WCU’s ‘Travel Western North Carolina’ website. PHOTO (TOP) BY EDWARD DUPUY, COURTESY OF SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS CRAFT GUILD AND WCU HUNTER LIBRARY PHOTO (ABOVE) COURTESY OF WCU SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

“Cherokee Traditions: From the Hands of Our Elders” unites information about Cherokee basketry, pottery, woodworking and more and includes information about artisans and archival photos. The “From the Hands of Our Elders” pages grew from a grant-funded, multi-institutional project that also saw the creation of two guides to Cherokee basketry and pottery. The site is online at wcu.edu/library/DigitalCollections/CherokeeTraditions. Both new collections formerly were elements within Hunter Library’s “Craft Revival: Shaping Western North Carolina Past and Present” website, a research-based site that documents an effort to revive handcraft in the western region of the state in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. George Frizzell, head of special collections, coordinated the “Travel in WNC” collection and hopes visitors to the site to come away with an understanding that the WNC region changes and adapts like any other. “I hope it shows people that this area changed with the arrival of new technologies, and that with the arrival of the railroad and automobile, the infrastructure was revised and revamped, and people acknowledged the impact on the economy,” he said.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

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Bioengineering project earns Tenn. students national acclaim

wo Oak Ridge, Tenn., high schoolers, Cassee Cain and Ziyuan Liu, won the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology—the nation’s most coveted teen science prize, and in Cain and Liu’s case came with a $100,000 scholarship. The competition recognizes remarkable talent early on, fostering individual growth for high school students who are willing to challenge themselves through science research. The two teens’ bioengineering project, “Beyond Gaming: Using Kinect for Xbox 360 and Computer Vision to Analyze Human Gait,” combined the use of the Kinect™ for Xbox 360® game system, a device with a camera and a depth sensor, and a robotic leg to analyze leg motions while walking. Every human being has a different pattern of walking. An accurate understanding of a person’s motion is important in prescribing and determining the success of treatment for those with injuries or ailments, which affect movement, such as amputees or people with joint replacements. The team’s project may help with the development of an accurate, affordable device to detect abnormal gait patterns. Ziyuan was born in Qujing, Yunnan, China, and dreams of becoming the head of a software company or a banking ﬁrm on Wall Street. A senior, he is the founder and chairman of the Solar Initiative Committee to educate others in his school and community about solar energy. A member of the International Relations Club and French National Honor Society, Ziyuan enjoys playing the alto saxophone and swimming. Cassee, a senior, is the drum major of her high school marching band and the costume designer of the drama club. She has always been interested in health care and dreams of becoming an oncologist. Cassee’s thirst for knowledge has pushed her to enroll in harder classes. A National Honor Society National Achiever, Cassee plans to major in chemical engineering.

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now this is a wireless hot-spot.

WWW.SMLIV.COM

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DEPARTMENT

mountain voices

Saddles, stories and strings B Y T. W AY N E W AT E R S

t’s time once again to saddle up and head out to Pigeon Forge for the Smoky Mountain city’s celebration of the cowboy lifestyle. The 12th annual Saddle Up! will be Feb. 23-26 and this year the family-friendly festival will add an extra dose of storytelling and song. “There’s a rich Appalachian heritage of storytelling, and there’s a story behind every song,” says Butch Helton, special events manager for Pigeon Forge. “The performers at Stories & Strings are going to share stories of their musical influences and play tunes that show off their individual styles. This particular group of highly talented musicians has never been on one stage together, and may never be together again for something like this, so it’s a concert that’s not to be missed.” You’d be hard pressed to find a more talented group of bowers, pickers, and pluckers than the talented musicians and songwriters set to perform at the Smoky Mountain Guitar Shop for this inaugural Stories & Strings. Guitarist and singer-songwriter R.W. Hampton; multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Stephanie Davis; singer/songwriter/guitarist Ray Doyle; western swing fiddler Richard Chon; steel guitarist Bobby Black; mandolin player David Wilkie; harpist Keri Lynn Zwicker; stringedinstrument specialist T. Scot Wilburn. All bring a true western-music flare and sing stories Smoky Mountain folk can understand and appreciate.

Wilburn will not only perform at Stories & Strings but is also producing the show. A highly skilled string-instrument player, Wilburn performed for years with Wylie and the Wild West, including at last year’s Saddle Up! “I picked some of my favorite musicians, some of the most talented you’ll ﬁnd anywhere, for this show,” said Wilburn of the Stories & Strings performers. “It’s a good lineup of mostly instrumentalists with a few songwriters in there, too. It should be a real interesting mix.” If you’re a western music aﬁcionado, chances are you recognize most or all of the names in the lineup. Most of the performers have played in acclaimed western music bands through the years, some leading their own, and as solo performers. Even if the names don’t ring a cowboy dinner bell for you right off, you should know that they’ve all won a passel of music awards for either instrumentation or songwriting or both. Bobby Black even played with Hank Sr. and Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys in his youth, according to Wilburn. Stephanie Davis penned a half-dozen songs for Garth Brooks including “The Gift” and “Wolves,”as well as songs for Martina McBride and Waylon Jennings, among others. Ray Doyle is an award-winning songwriter whose songs include “The Jewel” and “The Emigrant Song.” Wilkie co-wrote “Wind in the Wire” and “Cowboy Boogie,” both released by Randy Travis. R.W. Hampton has written numerous songs through the years. Wilburn sings praises for each and every one of the Stories & Strings performers and explains that all seven are going to choose several of their favorite songs to perform.

New Mexico native, Ashland City, Tenn., transplant Don Lasater plans to do some casual pickin’ and croonin’ beside one of the chuck wagons during Saddle Up! Multitalented musicians such as Stephanie Davis (right) and T. Scot Wilburn (above) will also be in attendance. PHOTO BY T. WAYNE WATERS (ABOVE) • DONATED PHOTO (RIGHT)

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

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saddle up:

S E T

Y O U R S E L F

Saddle Up! will be held February 23-26 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. For more information, call 865.453.8574, 800.251.9100 or visit mypigeonforge.com/ events_winterfest_saddleup.aspx

As each takes center stage, the others will play as the supporting band. “I’ll probably play electric guitar and will mostly play a supporting role since there’s seven of us,” Wilburn said. “It’ll be a lot of fun. All these performers are just wonderful people and being with them and around them will be a joy.” As always, Saddle Up! will include “Intimate Evening” dinner shows at two Pigeon Forge restaurants Thursday evening; multi-musician concerts Friday afternoon and evening (as well as the following Monday night); a competitive chuckwagon cookoff beginning Saturday morning; a Cowboy Dance Saturday night; and a chuckwagon breakfast Sunday morning followed by Cowboy Church. Saddle Up! mainstay Kent Rollins will again add his authentic cowboy culture to the proceedings. An award-winning poet/humorist/chuckwagon cook, Kent regales audiences with his pithy, poignant tales of cowboy wisdom and will be on stage for the event’s headline concerts at the Tennessee Shindig Theater. “Cowboy poetry is not all bad grammar and just talking,” Rollins said. “You can relay a part of life and a way of living with it. Going east of the Mississippi, it’s a chance to share something with people who may not know what all’s goin’ on in the cowboy lifestyle.” Rollins knows whereof he speaks. The Oklahoma native was raised on a ranch in the Sooner State near the Red River and now lives just the other side of the waterway and across the state line in Byers, Texas. He’s been doing poetry/storytelling performances for about two decades. Rollins, who has won more awards for his cowboy cooking than you can shake a stick at, will also cook up some tasty vittles at his chuckwagon every day of Saddle Up!, as well as at the Intimate Evening dinner show at Mama’s Farmhouse Restaurant and at Cowboy Church. “Saddle Up is a big event with a great following,” Rollins said.

A P A R T

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www.highcountry.com 3232 Dellwood Rd., Waynesville, NC

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THE

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576 Hwy 360 • P.O Box 69 Vonore, TN

423.884.6246

Open Year Round • Mon-Sat 9-5 • Sun 12-5 Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years 67663

WWW.SMLIV.COM

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DEPARTMENT

mountain letters

Depression-era insights into America BY REBECCA TOLLEY-STOKES

Alan Lomax: The Man Who Recorded the World by John Szwed. New York, NY: Penguin, 2011. ohn Szwed argues that Alan Lomax was one of the most inﬂuential men of the twentieth century not only because of how people listened to music but because of how they viewed America. Lomax followed his father, John Lomax, collecting songs across the United States during the Great Depression. They collected folksongs from chain gangs, work crews, ﬁeld hands, and others throughout the South and other regions. By collecting, preserving, and disseminating long-buried or forgotten songs, he was a messenger to the masses. Singers’ emotions emanated from their voices and physical performances, and they asked Lomax to take their songs straight to President Franklin Roosevelt.

By collecting, preserving, and disseminating long-buried or forgotten songs, Lomax was a messenger to the masses. Musical forms sweeping the country fueled Lomax, including white-diluted jazz and rock n’ roll, and he sought isolated pockets of communities to ensure cultural purity of songs. He sought to heal the nation’s injustices and racial and social rifts via the power of folksong. Under the aegesis of the Library of Congress, Lomax collection spanned the majority of his lifetime and brought the performances of Leadbelly, Aunt Molly Jackson, and Jelly Roll Morton to broader audiences. He was the ﬁrst to raise questions about ownership and creativity in terms of copyright and royalties. He worked closely with Zora Neale Hurston and Margaret Mead, who championed his work despite his outsider status in academia. The Man Who Recorded The World chronicles Lomax’s life’s work, including the time he spent abroad during the Red Scare—when the U.S. went through a serious anti-Communist spell during the McCarthy Era. Lomax wasn’t a Communist, but was active in protest movements and with labor unions and therefore accused of being one. The FBI compiled a ﬁle on him and in-

Nightwoods by Charles Frazier. New York, NY: Random House, 2011. disused lodge by a lake in the North Carolina mountains is the setting for Frazier’s latest novel wherein Luce finds herself encumbered with her murdered sister’s twins, whom the state has foisted onto the reclusive woman. As caretaker of the lodge, she enjoyed a peaceful existence apart from town where she healed from childhood wounds and more recent abuses. Her work was limited to the landscape, the weather, animals, books from the lodge’s library, and music from the radio in the lobby, which—given its fireplace—she made into her bedroom. Luce is not quite sure what to do with the twins, who are mute, chicken-strangling, pyromaniacs, so she occupies the girl and boy with nature walks and otherwise treats them with gentle care, allowing them to heal from witnessing their mother’s murder at the hands of their stepfather and whatever other abuses they suffered. She eases them into her daily routine, talks to them but they never respond, and tries to explain lessons such as cause and effect—if they kill the chickens, they won’t have eggs or chicken to eat. Eventually Luce seeks out her own teachers, three widowed sisters who reminisce about how smart, difficult, and troubled she was. Luce’s estranged father, Lit, a WWII vet and the town’s deputy, fights crime and meets up with a new bootlegger come to town, Bud. Bud’s arrival in town coincides with the twins’. He thinks the twins know where his dead wife, Lily, and the twins’ mother hid a vast sum of money. Frazier’s characters, whether you root for them or not, are complex, carry the story forward, and keep the pages turning. The degree of ambiguity in the story may trouble some readers. Yet, if tying up loose ends isn’t an issue, do give this book a go.

vestigated him several times. The book sheds tremendous light on his contributions to folksong and ethnomusicology as well as his prescient imagining of the concept of predictive algorithms and his global jukebox idea that evolved into the Music Genome Project and Pandora Radio that now has over 80 million users. However, the book fails to reveal the complexity of Lomax’s true character. Szwed offers occasional insight into Lomax’s personal life, such as the conﬂict he suffered regarding his life’s work: was it an extension of his father’s or was it truly his? There is some mention of his failed marriages and his daughter, but in the end, the book leaves one more curious about Lomax’s life, work, and legacy and than feeling all the questions have been answered—which perhaps is the point.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

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WWW.SMLIV.COM

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DEPARTMENT

outdoors

SHOWCASING THE TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY

A new online geotourism map of the Tennessee River Valley has been created in conjunction with National Geographic Maps. The map highlights the Smoky Mountains through Knoxville and south to Chattanooga and north Georgia and is designed to showcase to national and international audiences the natural, cultural and historic attractions that define the East Tennessee River Valley region. From Lake Loudon boating to Lookout Mountain hang gliding to Lottie’s Diner, Tennesseans sent in more than 600 nominations of their favorite points of interest; historic, cultural and natural landmarks; events; artisans; and attractions, which capture the region’s unique character and beauty. Tennesseans can continue to nominate new sites, events and special places to the MapGuide, which will be a dynamic and constantly changing interactive site. “This Geotourism MapGuide is a showcase of what makes the East Tennessee River Valley so critically and beautifully significant,” said James Dion, sustainable tourism program manager, National Geographic Maps. “More than ever, this project underscores the importance of conserving the region’s tremendous scenic and historical assets for future generations.” To view the map, visit tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org.

Rare squirrels spread in WNC

DON WEISER PHOTO

rare sighting of a white squirrel at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. has workers there abuzz. The squirrel has been spotted a number of times, and is clearly not albino because it doesn’t have pink eyes, said Roger Turk, grounds superintendent for WCU’s facilities management department. There is a large population of 1,500 or so white squirrels in Brevard, N.C.—a small town east of Cullowhee. The white squirrels are a unique phenomenon intrinsic to that area. Sightings are unusual outside Transylvania County, although not entirely unheard of. It is not known whether the white squirrel in Cullowhee is an offshoot of that population or simply an Eastern Gray Squirrel variation. Jim Costa, a WCU biology professor and director of the Highlands Biological Station,

said it’s possible the white squirrel strain from Brevard migrated to Cullowhee—but it might also be a separate strain that evolved on its own. In Brevard, the white squirrels have a distinctive black cap and black saddle that WCU employees aren’t reporting seeing on their white squirrel. The white squirrel population in Brevard, according to annual white squirrel counts, is growing larger, Warner said. The 2010 count recorded 37.1 percent white-versus-gray, the highest yet on record, in Brevard, well above the 14-year average of 28.1 percent, according to Brevard’s White Squirrel Research Institute. One of the prime viewing sites for white squirrels is Brevard College. The town and college are so proud of their white squirrels Brevard holds an annual White Squirrel Festival and a Squirrel Box Derby. The story behind the population in Brevard seems a mixture of fact and lore. According to history, the white squirrels there originated from a circus truck that overturned in 1949 near the home of a man in Madison, Fla. He gave two white squirrels to another individual, who bequeathed them on Barbara Mull, a longtime resident of Brevard. She kept them inside and hoped they might breed, but they didn’t. In 1951, one of the white squirrels escaped outdoors. Not long afterwards, Barbara’s father let the other white squirrel free. Before long, white squirrels were seen about Brevard. And now, at WCU.

In her bestseller that inspired the North Carolina Arboretum’s traveling exhibit, Amy Stewart takes on Mother Nature’s most appalling creations. Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities is an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, the exhibit—on display through June 8—presents tales of bloodcurdling botany that will entertain, alarm, and enlighten even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers. Stewart will give a special presentation at 1:30 24

KC KRATT PHOTO

Wicked Plants author to appear at N.C. Arboretum exhibit

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

on May 6 in conjunction with the exhibit. Dazzling photographs, historical images, copper engravings, and other visuals will accompany Stewart’s talk. In addition, she will bring seeds and plant samples with her so the audience can meet some of these botanical villains in person. To view and pre-order any of Stewart’s ﬁve books and register for her special presentation on May 6, visit ncarboretum.org. Copies of the book will be available for pick-up the day of the event. Registration for the presentation is $10 for Arboretum members, $12 for the general public. For more information, call 828.665.2371.

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Cecropia Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)

Discover Life in America presents:

15th Annual All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory Conference Gear • Flies • Guides Friendly Helpful Staﬀ First rate guided fly fishing trips on the Tuckasegee River, Oconaluftee River, Raven Fork Trophy Water and surrounding Great Smoky Mountains National Park Streams and even the Little Tennessee River. We specialize in guided float trips on the Tuckasegee and the Little Tennessee for trout and smallmouth bass.

546 W. Main St. • Sylva, North Carolina

“Roots of Biodiversity” with Dr. E. O. Wilson

MARCH 22-24, 2012 GATLINBURG, TENN.

Keynote speaker: Dr. E.O. Wilson - March 23, 6 p.m., Glenstone Lodge, Gatlinburg, TN A Special Evening with E.O. Wilson: March 24 at 6 p.m. Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory is a unique ecological undertaking to find and document every species of life in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, from ferns and fungi to birds and beetles. The effort began in 1998 and is serving as a model for efforts to document the diversity of life throughout the nation—at other National Parks, State Parks, and in other preserves, large and small. To date more than 915 species have been identified that are new to science and more than 7,100 species have been identified that are new records for the Smokies.

For more information or to register, visit www.dlia.org or call 800.362.9522

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DEPARTMENT

sustainable living

Duke Energy Renewables has acquired three 1-megawatt commercial solar projects near Murphy, N.C. The company now owns seven commercial solar farms in North Carolina. The new acquisition consists of the 4,298panel Murphy Farm Solar Project, the 4,340panel Wingate Solar Project and the 4,242-panel Holiness Solar Project, The power from each of the newly acquired solar farms is sold through Blue Ridge Mountain EMC to the Tennessee Valley Authority. The three projects join Duke Energy Renewables' other commercial solar farms in the state: the 1-MW Shelby Solar Project, the 1-MW Taylorsville Solar Project, the 1-MW Martins Creek Solar Project, and the under-construction 5-MW Murfreesboro Solar Project. Duke Energy Renewables acquired the Martins Creek Solar Project in Murphy from ESA Renewables (esarenewables.com ) in April 2011. That project, which is sited on the grounds of the Martins Creek Elementary School, generates enough electricity to power more than 150 average-sized homes and enough revenue for the district to staff approximately two full-time teachers.

BILTMORE SOLAR FARM GENERATES A BUZZ

Featuring 5,000 panels covering a six-acre site, Biltmore Estate’s 1.5-MW solar farm is one of the largest and most advanced system to date in western North Carolina. The electricity generated will offset nearly 40 percent of the Biltmore's energy use. This power project is just part of Biltmore's larger sustainability efforts. Other environmental efforts at the estate including sustainable forestry, soil and water conservation, employee environmental teams, field-to-table initiatives, recycling, and waste stream reduction.

JON D. BOWMAN PHOTO

DUKE BOLSTERS ITS GREEN PORTFOLIO

Taking tabs of cycling resources Land-of-Sky Regional Council has been awarded a grant from N.C. Department of Transportation to undertake a Regional Bike Plan study for Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, Swain, and Transylvania counties. The ﬁrst phase of the study was concluded at the end of 2011 and involved collecting survey responses from the public regarding bike use and the ﬁrst round of bike counts across the regions. A second bike count is planned for spring 2012. Contact mpo@landofsky.org to be added to the mailing list for the Regional Bike Plan or to volunteer to help with bike counts. Community meetings and social media forums will be held from March through May as part of the planning efforts.

Additional charging stations installed in Asheville BioWheels Responsible Transportation Solutions recently unveiled the company’s first electric vehicle charging station at Asheville City Public Works Building at the corner of Charlotte and Eagle streets. The station will generate 5 kilowats of solar energy annually, enough to provide 30,000 vehicle 26

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

miles of solar power for electric vehicles. BioWheels will open additional stations at Land-of-Sky-Regional Council off Leicester Highway, at the Reuter Center on the UNC Asheville campus and at the BioWheels store on Coxe Avenue. The company used $376,000 in federal stimulus money funneled through the N.C. Green Business Fund to boost alternative energy.

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Get Real!

Cocke County, Tennessee

For your next “Real” Smoky Mountain adventure, give us a holler!

Treat Yourself to a Cozy Winter Getaway Enjoy a two night stay including a three course dinner for two in the Cork & Cleaver and breakfast each day, starting at *$109 per night. For more information or reservations please call (800)-627-6250 or visit www.thewaynesvilleinn.com/packages-specials *Offer expires 3/31/12

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he green growing world is both medicine cabinet and grocery store, and it’s all around us. A lot of people spend good money every year to rid their perfect lawns of a weed—the dandelion—that could otherwise provide them with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin B complex, plus zinc, iron and potassium. Dandelion is also recommended as a liver tonic or a mild laxative, and dandelions have a long history of being used for their diuretic properties, to help counter all of the salt that had to be used in preserving meats before refrigeration existed. The dandelion doesn’t quite have “a million and one uses,” but dandelion—roots, leaves, and ﬂowers—is a most versatile plant, and it can be wild harvested. It grows, well, like a weed, so it doesn’t appear to be in any danger right now of being picked to extinction, much to the dismay of those who desire a dandelion-free green lawn. From dandelion wine to the distinct aroma of ramps, a knife under the bed to cut a pregnant woman’s pain to sassafras tea—the origins of Appalachian herbal healing are in the melding of disparate cultures. Several hundred years ago, European settlers came to the mountains bringing their plant-lore, and plants, with them. In fact, dandelions—pernicious weed to some, delicious food to others—were brought to our shores on purpose. When those settlers arrived in the Appalachians, they found that the indigenous peoples had their own traditions, like sassafras tea as a spring tonic. It’s estimated that the Cherokee, for example, have identiﬁed around 600 medicinal plants, around 250 or so which have crossed into general knowledge. Those add to the 350 plants species like dandelions and plantain—also known as “Englishman’s foot” (because it grows everywhere that Englishmen have colonized)—that the Europeans brought with them. It’s probably safe to say that as long as mankind has been eating plants, there have been herb doctors. Hippocrates (Greece, 460 BC – 370 BC) said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” but it’s something that could well have been said by Ila Hatter as she waxes eloquent about the internal spring cleaning provided by that pungent member of the leek family, ramps. Hatter is a longtime Appalachian resident. She grew up learning natural remedies from her parents, and today, “The Lady of the Forest,” as she’s known, is passing that knowledge to others. She’s an instructor for the Smoky Mountain

Field School at the University of Tennessee, a guest instructor for the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, and at the John C. Campbell Folk School, among others. One might also know her as a granny woman. In years past, that title was synonymous with “midwife” but now has a broader meaning and refers to an older woman in the community who is skilled with herbal remedies. Hatter says that women have always preferred a woman to help with childbirth (unless in cases of a difficult delivery), and thus it was almost exclusively women who were the midwives. Granny women, men and women both can be herb doctors. In hard economic times like these, Hatter sees an uptick in the number of students who are interested in her classes. And lately, the students are younger, too. They’re not only interested in learning about wild edible plants, they also want to know about the poultices and extracts that their grandparents would make and give them. So knowledge is being preserved both by people who are choosing to be frugal, as well as by people who have a growing interest in familial folklore. As a skilled forager and wildcrafter, Hatter is a font of knowledge about local plants and the folklore surrounding them. She illuminates the tradition of eating “a mess o’ ramps” every spring: ramps are one of the ﬁrst fresh greens to poke up through the late snows, and after a winter of eating mostly dried meats and vegetables, people would gladly harvest and cook fresh ramps. They tasted better than the alternative spring tonic, which was sulfur in molasses. Ramps are part of the allium family, like gar-

HERBALISM AND TRADITIONAL APPALACHIAN FOLK MEDICINE B Y L A U R A H AY W O O D C O R Y

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

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Learning about the world of edibles and medicinals is a way to appreciate the wild on a more intimate level and to share that knowledge across the generations so that it is not lost forever.

CoreyPine Shane is a practicing herbalist and director of the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine. MARGARET HESTER PHOTO

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Ila Hatter makes a few adjustments at her demonstration booth at the 2007 Gather ‘Round the Blue Ridge annual meeting of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. BLUE RIDGE NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA PHOTO

SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

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He says that when he first got involved in herbal is that the flavor is in the leaves, too. The healing in the late ‘80s, it seemed that Western leaves, instead of the bulbs, can be used herbalism was very symptom oriented, simply refresh, or they can be dried and used as placing drugs with herbs: for this disease, take seasoning. That way, the bulbs stay in this herb instead of that drug. “I felt like there was the ground, which helps the plants to more to medicine than this, so I searched and come back year after year. found Chinese medicine and integrated that A few years ago, galax was almost medical philosophy with the use of local plants,” harvested to extinction for another culiShane said. Of these local plants, he too worries nary purpose. It had become fashionthat ginseng will become extinct in the wild in our able for gourmet chefs in the lifetime, due to overharvesting. Logging, defornortheastern U.S. to use it because it estation, industrial society, and overpopulation stays fresh and green for so long after it’s are putting a greater strain on our resources than picked. They wanted it to use in sushi, wild harvesting is, but it’s still crucial for people in canapé trays, and more. Its evergreen to harvest sustainably—ethical wildcrafters take properties also make it a favorite in floral only what they need. Hatter says that ginseng (or arrangements. Two counties in NC ‘sang for short) also is endangered due to the high were nearly stripped bare of galax by prices it can fetch from the overseas market— migrant workers who heard about the $200-300 per pound of dried root, according to good money they could get for it, Hatter the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consaid. The U.S. Department of Agriculsumer services. It’s illegal to collect wild ginseng ture says that 99 percent of the galax from April 1 to September 1, but some ignore the harvested in the U.S. comes out of the law and try to harvest and sell it whenever they N.C. mountains. The Forest Service need the money. Around 75 percent of all medicnotes that ninety percent of galax harinal plants that grow in the U.S. can be found in vesters are now migrant workers, and an the Appalachian mountains. experienced harvester can pull approx— Ila Hatter “Even plants like black cohosh, which is imately 5,000 leaves a day. While not abundant in many places, could become threatofficially listed as endangered, there are lic, and herbalists say that the allium family is ened as we ship thousands of tons a year to Eusome minimal restrictions in place; it can’t be colgood for colds and congestion, as well as lowrope for herbal products there,” Shane said. lected from May 1-June 15, according to the U.S. ering blood pressure; garlic and ramps are often “People all over the world use the plants that Forest Service. Meanwhile, the Forest Service referred to as “plant penicillin.” While good to grow around here for medicine.” and the National Park Service are doing research eat, ramps do leave behind a potent aroma, and Medicinal herbs are may seem a mysterious now to determine sustainable harvesting levels stories abound of school children who reeked lot. One should never assume that a plant’s name of galax. Grandfather Mountain Stewardship of ramps being sent home. It’s even said that Foundation employees and State some of the mountain ramp festivals got their Park rangers joined local and federal start because the communities figured that it authorities in cracking down on was best to have everyone eating their spring galax poaching this December. ramps and reeking all together. Otherwise, Poaching activity on Grandfather t’s cold and flu season. “You’ll reek of leeks for a week,” and you won’t Mountain and on the Blue Ridge What herbs and remedies be able to go out in public. Parkway spikes in early winter as do Ila Hatter and CoreyPine In England, a similar plant is called a rampion; cold temperatures turn the galax Shane not leave home without? when English settlers came to the Appalachians, leaves a crimson red and the market they shortened the name, thus on our side of the for the ornemental leaves booms Hatter: Sambucol—it’s an elderberry extract Atlantic, we have “ramps” and not “rampions.” with the holiday season. Workers that’s a powerful antiviral. Ramps are also known as wild garlic, and one of sprayed a large portion of the galax our most famous US cities is named for them. population with non-harmful, orCoreyPine Shane: In holistic medicine, we look at The Native American word shikaakwa (from the ange arborist paint, so that leaves the whole person and not just the disease, so it Miami-Illinois tribes), means “place where wild are no longer valuable. The area will would depend how the problem is manifesting for garlic grows.” We know it as Chicago. be monitored very closely, warning that person… osha or boarhog root (the latter is a Much as it might be tempting to think of signs have been posted and a bill local species) for a cold with nose or upper chest ramps as a common weed, they’re actually in danhas been introduced in the North congestion; elderberry syrup for prevention or ger of being over-harvested, thanks in part to the Carolina state legislature to increase with echinacea as an immune stimulant; and many ramp festivals that have appeared over the the penalty for individuals caught ilalways add something warming (unless the past decades. “If you take 100 percent of the patch legally harvesting the plant. person is burning up) like fresh ginger to get of ramps, it takes 100 years for the patch to grow CoreyPine Shane is another practhings moving. And of course, the best treatment back to its original size,” Hatter said. Yes, they’re ticing herbalist in the N.C. mounis prevention—eating well, sleeping enough, and slow growers. It used to be legal to harvest ramps tains; he is the director of the Blue making sure to wear a scarf to protect the neck. from the national forests, but people were pulling Ridge School of Herbal Medicine up whole patches. The good news for ramps fans and is a Holistic Clinical Herbalist.

“If you take 100 percent

of the patch of ramps, it takes 100 years for the patch to grow back to its original size.”

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ever, there are others who have asked me to tell them the plant names in English so that they can pass on what they learned as children, to their children.” One fortunate discovery was the 1950s manuscript of William Banks’ student thesis. Banks spent months with fourteen elders who still knew and used herbal medicine. By using the herbarium at the University of Tennessee he was able to positively identify species, and tried to give the name in Cherokee. There had been no study of Cherokee plant medicine since the famous ethnographer James Mooney’s in 1900. “The public copy of the manuscript disappeared from the University of Tennessee library,” Hatter said. “Then a copy of Plants of the Cherokee turned up in the attic of one of my students who had been a typist in the Botany Department in the ‘50s. We took it to the Great Smoky Mountains Association and they eagerly published it. It became a popular book for a second and third generation of Cherokee who now did want to know ‘what grandpa/grandma knew’.” CoreyPine is afraid that too much lore has already been lost. “Too often I meet people who tell me about their aunt or grandmother who used to give them herbs when they were young, and now that generation has passed on,” he says. “I do think there is more openness to herbal medicine in the Appalachians because we have a recent memory of that tradition.” One of the newer waves of immigrants to our shores is coming — CoreyPine Shane up from the south, from the countries in Central and South Amerdicinal uses—treating fevers, coughs and colds, ica, and they are slowly infusing Appalachian for example—setting broken bones isn’t one of culture with their native herbal traditions. them. Boneset is one of the herbs that CoreyPine Hatter’s first mother-in-law was Cuban, and uses to treat flus with muscle aches, while pointthe two women nearly came to blows over the traing out that a holistic herbalist treats the entire ditional American Thanksgiving meal. The person, not just the particular symptom. mother-in-law had requested a Thanksgiving Shrub yellowroot, while not a “weed,” is a comdinner with all the trimmings, including stuffing, mon ground cover and landscaping plant, but it’s and also offered to go out and do the shopping, if unlikely that most landscapers are familiar with its only Hatter would provide a shopping list. She medicinal properties. It’s native to the Blue Ridge did, and she added sage to the list because one mountains and has antibiotic properties, plus is doesn’t make stuffing without sage. The motherrecommended for illnesses of the stomach, kidin-law was confused, then angry, then flat-out reneys, bladder, and liver. One may have it growing fused to purchase sage. For her part, Hatter was in the yard right now, perhaps walking past it adamant that she wasn’t making stuffing without every day and not knowing it as anything other putting sage in it. Finally, the husband had to inthan that plant in the decorative lawn border. tervene to clear up the disagreement. In Cuban In cultures like the Cherokee that don’t generculture, sage isn’t food; it’s medicine. Specifically, ally have a strong written language, there is a real it’s headache medicine. The leaves are either danger of information loss. “In some Cherokee steeped as a tea and the person with the headache families that we know, the elders say ‘the young drinks sage tea, or the leaves are made into a poulpeople don’t want to know the old ways,’ and so tice which is applied to the forehead. Hatter’s their knowledge will be lost,” Hatter said. “Howmother-in-law didn’t realize that sage was also a

“I do think

there is more openness to herbal medicine in the Appalachians because we have a recent memory of that tradition.”

has a direct relation to what it’s good for. “The National Park caught four Laotians with a huge quantity of what turned out to be rattlesnake plantain,” Hatter said. “Though they said it was for ‘seasoning food,’ I told the law enforcement ranger that it had no such use and for whatever reason they wanted it, someone had paid them to collect it for sale. It was never determined who paid them or exactly what it to be used for. But a couple of years later I learned from a wild orchid expert—rattlesnake plantain is actually an orchid with folklore that says it is good for snakebite— that Laotians are snake charmers! They must have believed that this was a magic “cure” from the Great Smoky Mountains.” Don’t try to mend a broken bone with boneset; you’ll be disappointed. This member of the daisy family gets its name because it was used to treat “break-bone fever,” so named for the bone and joint pain it causes. Appalachian residents might also recognize boneset by its other common name, Indian sage, and while it has plenty of me34

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spice to cook with, and Hatter didn’t realize that sage was an herbal remedy for headaches. Herbal healing also is familial heritage, as information is transmitted from one generation to the next, wrapped in stories of Great Aunt Martha’s famous onion plasters, or in Hatter’s case, of a great-great-grandfather who not only famously said, “Remember the Alamo,” but also, “I think the chickens got there first.” When there were no commercially-available deodorants or anti-perspirants, young women would roll, mostly naked, in beds of mint leaves to cover up the smell of sweat. Hatter’s recalls a story about her great-grandfather Billingsley who was at a large community gathering in Tennessee—a common means back then as a way for young people to meet each other and often a picnic or barbecue during the day, then a break, with dancing in the evening. At such gatherings, young women would discreetly head for the mint patch for a refresher once it got dark out. As Hatter tells it, her great-grandfather Billingsley was dancing with the girl he was courting and the young lady asked if he noticed that she’d been in the mint. He said that he did notice. Then he added, slyly, “But I think the chickens got there first…” One doesn’t have to have any background in herbs, or gardening, or an interest in folk medicine, in order to start effectively making use of plants. First consider allowing the dandelions to spread and grow, and—with the help of a guide who can differentiate between edible and poisonous species—explore the world of flavors from the wild, like spice bush and elderberry,

that can’t be bought in a store. Hatter suggests that beginy Ila Hatter: www.wildcrafting.com ners head to their local booky CoreyPine Shane, Blue Ridge School of store or library and check out Herbal Medicine: blueridgeschool.org Peterson’s Field Guides, The y Ramp festivals in N.C.: Reader’s Digest Magic and kingofstink.com/NC.html Medicine of Plants (the fully N.C. Department of Agriculture website color pictures of the herbs make on growing and harvesting ginseng: identiﬁcation a bit easier), and ncagr.gov/plantindustry/plant/ for making remedies, see Peneplantconserve/sangno.htm lope Ody’s The Complete Medicinal Herbal. Hatter also has videos on her website, y Cavendar, Anthony. Folk Medicine in www.wildcrafting.org, most noSouthern Appalachia. Chapel Hill, NC: tably “Wild Edibles & MediciUNC Press, 2003. nals of Southern Appalachia.” y Crellin, John K. and Jane Philpott, Trying Don’t neglect one’s own eldto Give Ease: Tommie Bass and the ers, either. At the next family Story of Herbal Medicine. Durham and gathering, make a note to ask London: Duke University Press, 1997. family members if anyone remembers using plant remedies. If not, ask parents’ or grandparents’ friends—ﬁnd the folks in said. Several schools also offer either stand-alone one’s community who do remember some herbday classes or programs to begin learning. lore, and make the effort to talk with them. Either Learning about the world of edibles and medwrite down your conversations or record them. icinals is a way to appreciate the wild on a more There are several native plant societies across the intimate level and to share that knowledge across region; take a class, or go on a nature walk. Learn the generations so that it is not lost forever. “If about the plants growing in your own back yard. you know the name of something, it’s a friend,” Shane thanks Asheville’s herbal schools for Hatter said. “We only conserve what we love, bringing a lot of herbalists to the area. “Find one and we love what we know. Plus, we have a reand have them take you for a walk in the woods sponsibility to show the next generation that they or around your house—the healing plants are reare part of the world around them.” ally everywhere, not just deep in the woods,” he

Recommended reading

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A DVERT ISING SEC T IO N

Haywood County, N.C. Winter Family Fun in the Smokies! This winter bring the kids and have a blast with affordable family fun in Maggie Valley, Waynesville, Canton, Clyde and Lake Junaluska. Cataloochee Ski Area, located in Maggie Valley, has 16 exciting slopes and trails for both skiers and snowboarders to enjoy With the KIDS STAY FREE KIDS SKI FREE program, children 17 & under can STAY FREE on any nonholiday Sunday through Thursday night and SKI FREE on any nonholiday Monday through Friday, when accompanied by a paying adult. But the fun doesn’t stop on the slopes. Restaurants & merchants in the area will also be offering giveaways and special deals throughout the season, making your Smoky Mountains

winter getaway even more affordable. For a list of participating accommodations and rules visit the KIDS SKI FREE website. Find something unique for everyone on your list in an enjoyable atmosphere and a beautiful setting. Stroll the brick sidewalks of quaint downtown Waynesville adorned with holiday decorations, where you’ll discover everything from art galleries, bookstores and home furnishings to clothing, antiques and toys. Several cafés provide the perfect respite. Take some mountain holiday spirit home with you by visiting one of our Christmas tree farms and create your perfect family memory.

For detailed information on the Kids Stay Free, Kids Ski Free program, visit www.KidsSkiFree.com. For information on Haywood County connect with us at www.visitNCsmokies.com or on Facebook at www.facebook/SmokyMountainsNC.

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he Smokies are renown for their biological diversity and scenic beauty. But a short drive along either of two scenic byways—The Blue Ridge Parkway or the Cherohala Skyway—provides a window on forests under attack from invasive exotics. There are many places near the North Carolina end of the Cherohala Skyway where one can look to the north-northeast towards the Santeetlah Creek drainage and see acres of dead eastern hemlocks, testimony to the voracious appetite of the tiny hemlock woolly adelgid, an exotic invasive from Asia. If one stops at Richland Balsam, the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and gets out of the vehicle, one will be standing in a mausoleum surrounded by the stone-grey skeletons of Fraser fir trees. Mature Fraser firs have been all but extirpated from the peaks of the Southern Appalachians by another adelgid—the balsam woolly adelgid. Forests across the country are under siege from threats ranging from urban sprawl and fragmentation, to air and water pollution, to loss of native species and natural communities and to a seemingly unending barrage of invasive exotic plants, disease, and insects. The many and diverse forest ecosystems of the Southern Appalachians are no exception. The U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Research Station based in Asheville recently issued a “report card” on forest health across the region that noted that of the 47 natural communities across the region five were critically imperiled and 13 were imperiled. The report stated that, “… regional experts believe communities are declining at a faster rate than seen in previous years—primarily due to impacts by invasive plants and pests.” According to a December 2011 announcement by the U.S. Forest Service, invasive species (insects and diseases) cost the U.S. taxpayers about $138 billion dollars each year. The report called the invasion of nonnative plants and animals a “… catastrophic wildfire in slow motion,” and announced the first ever published national plan to combat the problem. The announcement calls for the Forest Service to be more proactive in addressing this invasion and to reach out to state and local agencies to work together to slow this onslaught. But this is no easy order. Dr. Pete Bates, natural resources professor at Western North Carolina University, registered forester and president of the board of directors of Forest Stewards LLC notes, “…there is no panacea.” Bates said that as a forest steward, he appreciates all the efforts being put forth by different individuals, organizations and agencies 40

but “it seems like every month there’s a new pest introduced and when you look, historically, at our efforts—we have a poor track record. Once these invasives are established they are difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate.” No single natural event has altered the composition and ecology of Southern Appalachian forests like the loss of the American chestnut, Castanea dentata. The American chestnut was the dominant species in hardwood forests from Georgia to Maine. It accounted for anywhere from 25 to 40 percent of entire forest stands across more than 188 million acres. The American chestnut bloomed later in the spring than oaks and hickories, missing those late spring freezes and producing dependable mast year after year. It grew large and straight producing valuable timber and pioneers used it for everything from cribs to caskets. The chestnut succumbed to an invasive Asian fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, known commonly as chestnut blight. The blight is believed to have arrived in the U.S. on

Once these invasives are established they are difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate.” — Dr. Pete Bates

imported plant material. It was ﬁrst documented in the early 20th century in New York City and by 1950 more than 400 million American chestnuts had been decimated. Sprouts still grow today but hardly make it past 10 to 15 years before the blight does them in. Occasionally a mature chestnut is discovered but they are so rare and widely dispersed that the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) calls chestnut “functionally extinct.” TACF founded in 1983 is at the forefront of efforts to restore the American chestnut to eastern forests. The organization has been working on developing a blight resistant chestnut by cross breeding American chestnut with the blight resistant Chinese chestnut. Paul Franklin, communications director with TACF, said the organization recently initiated a joint project with the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Tennessee. In 2008, the partnership began planting TACF-bred hybrid chestnuts on national forest plots in the Smokies region. “This is the ﬁrst time we’ve actually put trees back in a natural ecosystem,” Franklin SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

said. The tree is a sixth generation hybrid and is 94 percent American chestnut and six percent blight-resistant Chinese chestnut. Stacy Clark, research forester for the U.S. Forest Service, said that while there has been initial success, the project is a long-term project and it will be 10 or 15 years before any really meaningful insights regarding reestablishing the chestnut in the eastern forests are realized. “All of these trees are going to get the blight,” Clark said. “The question is, how are they going to deal with it—how resistant will they be—and the answer to that is probably 10 to 15 or more, years down the road.” Sadly the blight is not the only obstacle to reestablishing the American chestnut. The tree is also susceptible to ink disease—a kind of mold (genus Phytopthora) that attacks the roots. “We don’t know a lot about Phytopthora—how to control it, so we look at ways to avoid it,” Clark said. Phytopthora doesn’t appear to be a problem from northern Kentucky northward or at altitudes above 3,000 to 3,500 feet, Clark said. Clark said the Forest Service has plans to introduce more hybrid chestnuts through 2013, and Franklin said that while TACF feels good about its sixth generation hybrid, work is underway on the seventh and eight generation. “It’s our mission to see the American chestnut restored to the eastern forests,” Franklin said. “And we definitely intend to see it become a significant tree once again.” Franklin said that TACF is collaborating with partners in all 16 states that were once home to the American chestnut. “It’s been out of the woods for 50 years and a lot has changed,” Franklin said. “We are working to create a broad-based comprehensive plan for actually reintroducing the chestnut in the landscape.” Researchers hope that knowledge gained from the efforts to breed blight-resistant chestnuts and reintroduce them into forest ecosystems will aid in the restoration of other species too. American elm and butternut or white walnut are two other important hardwoods of the eastern forests that have been plagued by nonnative diseases. Dutch elm disease (DED), named because Dutch scientists first identified it in Holland in 1917, appeared in Cleveland, Ohio in 1930 and began laying waste to American elms. The American elm was common in eastern forests but it reached its glory in the yards and along the streets of almost every hometown in eastern America. There probably isn’t a city in the East that doesn’t have at least one “Elm Street.” Those streets are mostly devoid of their namesake now and the American elm has been relegated to an understory component in today’s forests.

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Saving the Southern Appalachian Forests BY DON HENDERSHOT

WWW.SMLIV.COM

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“This is the first time we’ve actually put trees back in a natural ecosystem.” — Paul Franklin

Another prized hardwood disappearing from the Smokies region is butternut or white walnut, Juglans cinerea. The wood was valued for carving, cabinets and furniture. The roots and nuts were used for dyes for traditional Cherokee baskets. Butternut canker, another Asian fungal disease, arrived in the U.S. in the 1950s and scientists estimate that 70 to 80 percent of the butternuts across the Smokies have succumbed to the canker. DED-resistant elms and canker-resistant butternuts have been found across their range and researchers are working on breeding disease resistant trees of both species. And while, at this point, there are no programs for reintroducing either species in forested landscapes there has been some success with American elms in urban settings. The Southern Appalachian forests used to sparkle as the large white showy bracts of eastern flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, heralded spring and announced the awakening of the slumbering mountains. But in 1976 scientists in Washington State notice a disease attacking pacific dogwood, Cornus nuttallii. A couple of years later eastern flowering dog-

woods in New York and Connecticut were exhibiting the same symptoms. The disease cascaded like an avalanche down the Southern Appalachians and by 1999 half of all the dogwoods in the 24 counties of Western North Carolina had disappeared. The pathogen was described and named in 1991—Discula destructiva. The origin of this anthracnose fungus is unknown but its sudden appearance, fast spread and the lack of any resistance all lead researchers to believe it is introduced. Dogwood anthracnose is especially virulent above 3,000 feet in elevation and in moist, shady areas below 3,000 feet. Researchers have estimated that at least 90 percent of eastern ﬂowering dogwoods in heavy shaded alluvial forests of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park have died. The aesthetic loss of those great white blooms in the spring, reddishpurple leaves in the autumn and bright red winter berries is surely one to lament, but the forests may miss the ecological functions of dogwood even more. The seeds, fruit, ﬂowers, leaves, and bark of dogwood are all used as food by different forest animals. Dogwoods also are vital to the calcium cycle

Chestnut Seedlings at Meadowview Farm. Giant chestnut trees in the Great Smokey Mountains of Western North Carolina. c.1910. FOREST HISTORY SOCIETY PHOTO

of the forest. They are one of the few vascular plants that actually absorb calcium from the soil and rocks. The calcium is stored in the leaves and wood, and when the dogwood leaves fall to the ground each autumn that calcium becomes available to other plants and animals in the forest. Researchers have linked the loss of this dogwood-calcium nutrient cycle to the decline of songbirds in the eastern forest. Land snails ingest the calcium from the dogwood leaf litter and are much more common under dogwood than any other trees in the forest. Songbirds, in turn, feed on the snails and accrue calcium, which is needed in eggshell production. The loss of the dogwood equals a reduction in the snail population, which in turn, leads to poorer eggshell production, limiting birds’ ability to nest successfully. Studies in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park suggest that prescribed burns could help dogwoods. Research noted that areas within the park that had been subjected to wildﬁres over the past few decades showed more young dogwood stems than areas that had been ﬁre free. According to the study, those areas that had burned twice had four times more dogwood

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stems than areas that had burned once and 20 times more stems than those areas that were fire-free. Eastern hemlocks are not so numerous as American chestnuts used to be, but like the chestnut, they are a keystone species of eastern forests and there is a pitched battle to try and save them. Researchers, foresters, and biologists are apprehensive about what the loss of the hemlock could mean. The loss of the hemlock could mean the loss of food and shelter for numerous species of wildlife like owls, bats and the endangered northern flying squirrel. Because many hemlock communities are riparian, their loss could have deleterious effects on many aquatic species like native brook trout, which depend on the shade from hemlocks to keep water temperatures cool. There are effective chemical treatments that kill the hemlock adelgid but there is no way to treat all hemlocks across the landscape. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) has treated more than 100,000 hemlocks, but that is only a small percentage of the 1,400 acres of old growth hemlocks that have been mapped, and for some areas it is already too late. When one adds the hemlocks throughout the millions of acres of national forests across the region, it’s easy to see what kind of daunting task is at hand. Land managers have tried introducing exotic beetles that feed on the hemlock adelgid in its native landscape but that has, so far, failed to stem the tide. Frank Varvoutis, owner of Hemlock Healers in Waynesville, N.C., began battling the adelgid as one of the first members of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s hemlock treatment crew. “The park actively treats pockets of hemlocks in highly visited areas and is maintaining some old growth stands,” Varvoutis said. He said that soil injections are highly effective and that he has seen treatments last for years. Varvoutis noted that while saving large expanses of hemlocks in the wilderness was probably not feasible, saving hemlocks on private property and in urban settings was quite doable. And he noted that the advent of generic chemicals made the treatment much more affordable. He said that it cost about $70 to treat one 24-inch diameter hemlock and that the treatment would last four to six years. There are invasive insects and invasive fungi and in at least one case they have joined to produce a deadly one-two punch. According to Kristine Johnson, forester in the GSMNP, in the early 1990s the park had a healthy beech forest. Now, according to Johnson, most of the beech gaps at higher elevations in the park have succumbed to beech bark disease. The first punch is a body shot. The beech scale, an introduced insect, bores holes into the beech bark. The knockout punch then comes when a fungus invades the tree through the holes provided by the scale. The original invading fun-

gus was Neonectria faginata, introduced from Europe. But recently researchers are also ﬁnding a native Neonectria-ditissima that is following the beech scale. Beech bark is rather new on the scene and GSMNP has enlisted the help of Discover Life in America’s (DLIA) “Tree Teams.” Todd Witcher, executive director of DLIA, said the park asked for help because the disease was complex and so little was known about the various arthropods inhabiting or utilizing the beech trees. Witcher said that DLIA utilizes citizen-scientists (volunteers) to capture arthropods in the beech gaps. Witcher said the project had two major components. One, of course, was to try and shed light on the beech bark disease complex. But just as important was to see what critters were present and what their relationship to the rest of the forest ecosystem might be and what kind of ripple effects might occur should the beech gaps be lost.

Non-native invasive plants

LET THE HEALING BEGIN

Some of the most aggressive include: y Kudzu – that fast growing vine that covers anything that gets in its way. Park rangers battle kudzu at 116 sites. y Privet - forms dense thickets and out-competes native plants. Rangers spend up to 500 hours or more each year trying to eradicate privet. y Japanese grass – prevalent in Cades Cove and Sugarlands. y Multiflora rose – introduced for wildlife cover and food back in the 1940s is a bane throughout the park at mid to lower elevations. y Mimosa – introduced from Asia in 1745 mimosa is really hard to control because it sprouts readily and seeds can remain viable for 50 years. y Musk thistle – one plant can produce more than 100,000 seeds. It is especially pernicious in open balds. y Garlic mustard – grows well in the shade and can dominate native ground cover in the span of a few years. y Oriental bittersweet – this climbing vine from Asia grows almost as rapidly as kudzu and smothers almost anything and everything in its path. It also hybridizes with American bittersweet destroying the native’s genetic integrity. y Japanese honeysuckle - also introduced as wildlife cover and to control erosion. Because it is an evergreen it can grow all winter giving it a leg up when it comes to competing with native deciduous plants.

It’s easy to see that the challenges facing today’s forests are myriad, various, and complex—without even broaching the subject of climate change or talked about other native pests like the emerald ash-borer and gypsy moth that are marching towards our region. Suffice it to say the forests of the Southern Appalachians can’t be “cured.” As Bates at Western Carolina Univeristy and Clark with the U.S. Forest Service have noted, there are no known cures for these introduced pathogens. And as the hemlock dilemma has shown, even where there are ways to deal with individual pests on individual trees, there have been, to date, no effective ways of dealing with a species across its entire range. So what are land managers to do? Bates believes the most practical course for land managers is to adhere to what he calls, “the ecological axiom—stability in diversity.” The key he said is to, “preserve ecosystem integrity.” He said land managers need to be innovative and knowledgeable about the many mechanical and sivicultural treatments available like shelterwood, crop tree release, prescribed burns and removal of invasive exotics where possible. While it is romantic to think about pre-Colombian forests, Bates said land stewards must look to the future. There was no chestnut blight, dogwood anthracnose, hemlock woolly adelgid, etc. present in North American pre-Colombian forests. But those and many more pests are likely forever more present. And today’s healthy forest will have to be a forest diverse enough to handle these pests while retaining enough integrity to support a balanced and adaptive ecosystem while providing those things like clean water, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities that we have come to depend on forests to provide. WWW.SMLIV.COM

Another major threat to ecosystem integrity across the eastern forests is non-native invasive plants. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to more than 380 exotic plant species. Species were introduced by settlers; carried by wind and/or water currents; hitched rides with birds and other animal; transported by park visitors; even brought in with fill dirt used on construction sites. Many of these invasive pose little or no threat but the park actively battles 35 species of invasive across 600 sites within its boundary.

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Narrative Medicine A Way with Words C O N S TA N C E E . R I C H A R D S

Storm Damage Windows weep. Hibiscus blooms lie in wadded clumps, ﬂat funeral handkerchiefs the hummingbird cannot enter. How to make better, worlds where atrophy rains repetition? How to sweep, straighten debris when the body plods heavy, wakes under water, another dream gone unwell? Every morning, we lean against kitchen counters, swallow sip after sip, cups of breath-cooled loss. — Donna Doyle

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very January health clubs and the local Y suddenly are filled to capacity with shiny-faced, energetic newbies, or steely-eyed returnees—resolving that this will be the year they: lose weight, lower cholesterol, start a regular exercise regime and so on. If one has experienced loss or illness any time in the previous year, the new year sometimes serves to allow a separating from the old life, a moving forward from the grief, a healing of the soul. I lived in the ICU waiting room for 16 nights and days over Christmas and the New Year of last. I doubt that reading poetry would have helped my state of mind in the sudden hospitalization and ultimate agonizing loss of my husband, but now—a year on—reflecting on illness, loss, and death through poetry, prose, and art, seems a meaningful way to address the unspoken. Narrative medicine and medical poetry seeks to break traditional barriers between doctor and patient, caregivers and the cared for, their families, their survivors. It combines the humanities and scientific thought; and for those in the medical profession—it provides a different framework for discussing and analyzing medical practice. A leader in this field is Rita Charon, director of a program in narrative medicine at Columbia University. The idea came to her as an internist, when she was struck with how sickness unfolds in stories. Dr. Charon established the Narrative Medicine Program at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1996. Her concept of narrative medicine came from a point of “revolutionary” inclination that was a part of 1960s upbringing. At that time, she wrote that medicine seemed an elitist part of the establishment. “The idea of medicine at that point was—it seemed to us—part of what was wrong in the country. … It was not terribly committed to giving power to patients, and to hearing what their desires were. And it was at that time, in the ’50s and ’60s, more common practice where doctors would decide things and impose them on patients.” Empowering patients, as well as physicians and other medical staff to understand a more full narrative, has been her life’s work now. “Illness exposes. In the presence of illness you are down to the “floor” of who you are,” Charon said at a TedXAtlanta conference. “It is in the dying, in the limits of the life—that we have our meaning. And that we pour ourselves into those things that endure, the family, progeny, work, art dance, life, play….” Closer to home, Donna Doyle, poet, teacher, and a supervisor of the Preston Medical Library at the University Of Tennessee Graduate School Of Medicine, firmly believes so. The Knoxville native has been awarded the New Millennium Poetry Prize, the Libba Moore Gray Poetry Prize, and the Tennessee Mountain Writers Poetry Award. Recent anthology publications include Southern Poetry Anthology Volume III: Contemporary Appalachia, and MOTIF 3: All the Livelong Day – Writings about Work. Her medically-based poems have appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which generally accepts only 7 percent of 750 poems submitted annually. Doyle shares some of what brought her to merging writing with medicine in a special Q & A with Smoky Mountain Living.

SML: Has poetry/prose writing always been a part of your life? Donna Doyle: In some sense, yes. Even as a child, I scribbled in books and believed I was writing. Throughout adolescence and young adulthood, my writing felt like a flirtation. I fantasized about becoming a best-selling novelist. I also wrote a lot of bad poetry. Then, as a non-committal English major in college, I was required to settle down and declare a concentration. By then, I had no desire to write fiction, and I knew I didn’t want to teach. After one intro level course that covered both fiction and poetry writing, I was terrified of writing poetry. Maybe I was especially afraid of writing poetry in an academic environment. I thought poets had to be mysterious and that poetry should be esoteric. So, it was being backed into a corner by fear that led me to take my first poetry writing class. The first poet I read in her class was Sharon Olds. I wrote what I considered to be my first poem. And for the first time in my life I felt this is what I want to do. Why did you turn to the writing when your father was ill? I wrote letters to my father after he died. But actually, I didn’t write about my father’s terminal cancer until about ten years after his death. The poem I consider to be my first real poem (10 in college) was inspired by that loss. During his illness, I kept a journal because I felt scared and alone. Writing has been a way to have a conversation with a deeper part of my self—to finish conversations I was not able to have years ago. How difficult was it to get poetry in these journals? Did you feel there was anywhere else for them to appear? Please explain why you wanted them in JAMA? I hope this doesn’t sound dismissive, but the difficult part of poetry writing has always been the more business-like side—researching publications, revising, submitting, and writing cover letters. Writing comes fairly easy. I get up around 5 every morning, and I write. Recently, I’ve discovered a way of revising that is working well for me. JAMA was my first choice for the poem Stroke. It was very wel- received by the poetry editor, Charlene Breedlove, and I valued her communication. After it was published, I was amazed by the number of emails I received from people WWW.SMLIV.COM

who found the poem meaningful. So often, poetry publishing feels like throwing a message in a bottle out into an ocean. I knew JAMA published an email address with bylines, but I wasn’t prepared for the responses. This response along with valuing the skills of Ms. Breedlove—led to me sending three more poems. Why JAMA? Well, JAMA is the New Yorker of medical journals. Their publication is evidence of the importance they place on the humanities. Their covers feature beautiful artwork. And, who reads JAMA? Healthcare professionals. Ultimately, I want them to have a glimpse of what patients and caregivers experience and to contribute to their growth. Of course, poetry matters to people who read poetry journals. I want poetry to matter to a more diverse audience— to be accessible beyond the academic and solely literary worlds. There are other journals that publish medically-themed poetry. My challenge will be not to give all my poems to JAMA—to share some with literary journals as well. You have taken this on as a life project; please explain the concept of “narrative care” and how and where it fits into medicine or where it should fit into care-giving and wellness. I think narrative medicine took me on as a disciple. There’s an especially lovely Pablo Neruda poem where he writes about being “found” by poetry. Rita Charon is the founder and director of the narrative medicine program at Columbia University. She is a physician who obtained a Ph.D. in English when she realized how central telling and listening to stories is in the work of doctors and patients. Basically, narrative medicine strengthens clinical practice. Every patient has a story. Narrative competence helps develop the ability to recognize, absorb, metabolize, interpret, and be moved by the stories of illness. Doctors, nurses, social workers, and therapists can improve the effectiveness of care by developing the capacity for attention, reflection, representation, and affiliation with patients and colleagues. There are numerous ways to approach teaching and practicing narrative medicine. Reflective writing can be a healing practice. 45

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There’s research that supports the practice of family members keeping an ICU journal to share post-hospitalization as a means of helping decrease PTSD related to the ICU stay. A while back, I met a doctor who plays harmonica for his patients. There are so many ways to make the patientphysician encounter more humanistic. I try to bring poetry into my work environment at Preston Medical Library by organizing related events. For example, every April during National Poetry Month we celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day by handing out pocket-sized poems. Also, I work with a doctor on various levels workshops with interns, mentoring medical students, etc. We’re going to introduce a monthly literary series which we plan to launch in April. In what way do you suggest that poetry is healing, and would be “useful” in any case? While poetry is important to me, I don’t assume it will be something that “works” for everyone. For one thing, not everyone is open to reading or writing poetry. It can be a significant part of integrative and palliative medicine. So can the practice of yoga and tai chi. The poems in Tess Gallagher’s book Moon Crossing Bridge were written after her husband’s death. She has said that she wrote it in order to “sustain the grieving process long enough to absorb the loss.” Her goal was not to absolve her grief but to attend her grief. Gallagher also wrote a deeply profound essay—“The Poem as a Reservoir Grief.” In it, she confronts and challenges how people typically address grief by running away from it. She thinks poetry can be a place to slow down and be attentive to feelings—similar to what Joan Didion refers to as “staring at the rattlesnake.” In terms of healthcare professionals, reading or writing poetry is not the only way to increase awareness and empathy. Reading and discussing poems, however, can feel easier than talking about what they face with their patients. I can only attest to how poetry has been healing and useful to me. It’s a part of how I naturally process my world, a way of serving as witness, and a way to communicate in a deeper way. At the same time, there are moments when I want to run away from poetry writing… take a break…write a silly children’s book. But, ultimately I feel called to write poetry. After poetry readings, people tell me how touched they are…how they identified or connected to what I wrote. Some people thank me—very simply and directly. For them, maybe the poetry I’ve read is useful in affirming that it’s okay to share feelings in a room full of strangers. In a sense, this interview qualifies as a sort of narrative medicine…don’t you think? 46

Donna Doyle DONATED PHOTO

How easy was it for you to turn to writing after your various familial illnesses? The challenge of writing is finding and devoting time—quality time—to it. It requires significant emotional energy and can take a toll on physical energy. Every day when I prepare to write, I’m aware it’s possible the process will lead to prodding a wound—going where the pain is. A friend once told me, “When you write, you open a vein.” That’s a lot to ask of myself, and there are times I don’t expect it—when life is presenting me with ongoing challenges. Like during my husband’s hospitalization. Not long after he returned home though I felt it was necessary to establish a regular writing routine. Maybe that felt like a small bit of control I could exercise. Interestingly, the only time writing did not come easy was after I was hit head on by a drunk driver. I was worried I’d never write again. That I’d lost my voice. Several months later, a witness told me he would never forget the sound of my scream. Something in me opened and lifted. I thought, “So, that’s where my voice went…” It’s not very rational, but I don’t know quite how to describe or explain it. I started writing again. How have people in the medical industry, particularly doctors, responded to your narraSMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

tive care concept? Please expand on this. The response has been mixed. One of the scariest things I’ve experienced was leading a poetry workshop for medical residents. Their attendance was mandatory. It went fairly well. They seemed more open to reading poetry than to writing poetry—although I did get one haiku out of a resident. I’ve received positive feedback from doctors who have read the JAMA poems. Ultimately, poetry is received by doctors similarly to the way it’s received by any group. Some are receptive; others aren’t. Overall, poetry can help provide balance and help us pay a different kind of attention to the world and to each other. When my father was dying, I went to our family doctor complaining of tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss—symptoms similar to what my father was experiencing. The doctor’s advice? He told me to get up early every morning, go for a run, and then return home and prepare breakfast for my father and me. Did he read or write poetry? I don’t know. But, in some way his “prescription” for me helped me become the person…the poet that I am.

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THE ONLY Fly Fishing Trail

Intensive Care Now that you have been there you recognize them, bodies a languid blend of love and loss, every movement ﬂuid, as if limbs have been surrendered by bones. No language for this limbo, an island where time is measured by visiting hours, and purpose shines clear as the world that seems to remain outside these walls. Later is ﬁlled with wandering, each step a pooled reminder of liquid without a vessel, the wading between widow and wife.

IN THE

United States!

Stroke Not the feather fall of fate turned to fortune, wings unburdened by flight, or the care-filled caress planted on skin tilled by seasoned desire. Not ideas, inspired buds like bright fists opening on summer gray mornings, or water met and separated by determined arms, parted by slow-oared paddling. Not even whisper of pencil breezing across paper, but the egg, hard-boiled rolling slow across the counter, halted by lift and blow, crack signaling settled stillness, somewhere a bell tolling time like heat lightning, jagged and fierce, branding the sky with sudden loss.

The Kiss

58974

for David Not the mosaic couple made famous by Klimt, bodies cleaved close, so thin they could be construed as one person. Not the ﬂoating lovers Chagall lifted, praised with brush strokes of color. But us, seconds before you were transported to surgery, our kiss witnessed by a few who dared not look away. They still carry the moment like a postcard purchased at the Louvre, a souvenir against forgetting what might, or might not be, the last—our portrait rendered without an artist, love sculpted more naked than Rodin’s nudes. How my feet could not feel the ground. How your heart refused letting go all that between us shimmered.

FREE MAP to 15 Great Fly Fishing Spots Jackson County, NC

JACKSON COUNTY TOURISM AUTHORITY

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APTITUDE

ABILITY

Accessibility

Exploring the healing powers of the mountains BY BECKY JOHNSON

RIC

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ife was looking up when Bill Bowen was 25. He’d just landed a job as a logger, and as a lifelong hunter, nothing beat getting paid to be outside in the woods every day. But less than a week later, his world took a drastic turn. A tree fell on him, and the years being confined to a wheelchair stretched out hopelessly before him. “When I first got hurt, I didn’t know if I would ever be able to get myself back in the woods again,” Bowen said. His first attempt was by all accounts an experiment. Bowen asked his parents to drop him off in the woods near their home in Rockwood, Tenn. Alone in a standard-issue manual wheelchair, Bowen muscled his way through the forest, determined to be outside again on his own terms. “I had to learn all over how to get back into hunting,” Bowen said. Now, hunting plays an even greater role in his life than it had before. “You can go to the woods and sit and look and think about things, things that sitting at the house you just won’t think about. You’re out there, it’s quiet, you’re watching the woods wake up,” Bowen said. “It’s the peace you get out of it and the think time.” It’s been 17 years since Bowen’s accident. These days, he hunts from a four-wheel drive power wheelchair, a technological testament to the growing demand among people with injuries to be outdoors. Bowen works with the Wheelin’ Sportsmen program of the National Wild Turkey Federation, motivating others to hunt again or take up hunting despite disabilities and injuries that landed them in a wheelchair. RICK QUEEN PHOTO

“Whatever you want to do there is a way out there for you to do it. You may have to do it a little different and it may take a little longer, and yeah you are going to get mad. But I don’t know of an able-bodied person in the world that doesn’t get mad when something doesn’t go their way,” Bowen said. Bowen helps organize group hunts all over the country with Wheelin’ Sportsmen. Some participants are like him—lifelong hunters determined to reclaim their passion—while others have never held a gun and just want to take pictures. “It does give them a sort of freedom back instead of just having to sit at the house all the time. We get them out in the woods and just let them have a ball,” Bowen said.

MOUNTAINS BRING RENEWAL

The healing power of the mountains has been part of the human psyche for centuries— not just for the psychological benefits, but for actual physical improvements. A prolonged mountain vacation was the standard prescription from doctors in the 1800 and early 1900s for their wealthy patients afflicted with everything from tuberculosis to depression. It motivated Dave Linn, a triathlete with cerebral palsy, to move to the Smoky Mountains outside Franklin, N.C. “I noticed my muscles were much more relaxed and less fatigued than in Florida,” Linn said. Alex Bell, a flyfishing guide in Sylva, N.C., has witnessed the healing effect of fly-fishing for a client from Atlanta with vasculitis, who suffers from debilitating vertigo. “It is almost like aqua therapy. Being in the moving water enhances his balance and his leg strength,” Bell said. The therapeutic benefits aren’t exactly a surprise to Bell. “I joke that as a high school principal that was my chief therapy—to go out on the river and spend the evening with a fly rod in my hand,” Bell said, a reference to his former life before becoming a professional fishing guide. Bell is now certified in adaptive fly-fishing techniques after spending a moving weekend on the river with a group of wounded Iraq war veterans. “One of the guys said, ‘This may not seem like much to you, but after spending a day in the water in this cool mountain air, last night was the first night I had slept seven consecutive hours in years,’” Bell recalled. Meanwhile, fly-fishing is helping Rhonda Burleson cope with post-traumatic stress disorder following a tour in Iraq. Burleson, 47, who lives in a rural community outside Asheville, N.C., was a member of the 210th and 211th National Guard units from Western North Carolina— some of the first troops deployed to Iraq in early 2002. By the summer, she found herself on a medivac air transport out of the war zone with PTSD. Burleson was unable to find her way back into society. She cashed in what little savings she had and bought a small piece of land at the end of a gravel road with no neighbors in sight, put a camping trailer on it, and entered a life of seclusion. “I don’t like to talk to people. I don’t like strangers to talk to me,” Burleson said.

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Tri, tri again

“They ﬁnd out after

When Dave Linn appeared on the shore of Lake Chatuge, scoping out the start line in a pair of water-rated biker shorts, the organizer of the Great Smoky Mountains Summer Sizzler Triathlon that day got a little nervous. The first few minutes of a triathlon can be harrying, a churning mass of flailing limbs as dozens of competitive swimmers surge into the water and jockey for positions. Yet here was Linn, an Iron Man of the first order judging by his perfectly sculpted biceps and quads on his right side, a testament to the hours of weight lifting and gym time he logs every week. But his left side, the side affected by cerebral palsy since birth, is half the size. “The race organizer was really shocked to see me. He didn’t know how to handle me. I told him to just throw me in the group,” said Linn, who live in Franklin, N.C. “If he drowns, he drowns,” Linn remembers his coach piping in. Of course, both Linn and his coach knew that wouldn’t happen. They had been training on this very lake for three months, ever since Linn saw a flyer for the triathlon and got a wild notion to try it. Linn had never biked or swum before, but friends from the gym volunteered to help him train. Linn isn’t easily daunted, thanks to his parents encouraging him to develop a thick skin from an early age. “They just pushed me out there and expected me to fly,” Linn said. “They encouraged me to go out and play football with my brother and his friends or play baseball with the neighborhood kids. If I fell down, they told me to get back up.” To this day, Linn hates being babied for his disability. It’s one reason a triathlon appealed to him—it was a personal challenge between just him and the mountains, one he could tackle on his own terms. “I knew no one could baby me when I am out there on the swim or the bike. I controlled the atmosphere,” Linn said. Linn first had to overcome a fear of lakes where the water is too murky to see the bottom and the shore is too far away to provide much solace if one gets fatigued. “I was terrified of lakes,” Linn said. “It took me a long time to become one with the lake.” David Linn is a Linn honed a special stroke, triathlete who using a leg whip rather than a happens to standard kick, to compensate have cerebral for the stronger pull on his palsy. right side. He also uses a DONATED PHOTO special bike clip for his left leg. There was another upside to the training. Instead of a treadmill and TV, Linn was swimming beneath mountain ranges and biking past waterfalls. “It gave me a chance to enjoy the beauty of the mountains,” Linn said, something locals can too easily forget. Linn’s amazing drive, inspirational charisma and dogged training ethos landed him the job as fitness director for the Old Edwards Inn in Highlands, a mountain resort. As for that first triathlon? “I came in dead last,” Linn said. Ten years later, Linn has a whopping 72 triathlons under his belt, including the 2009 national championship among physically challenged athletes in the USA Paratriathlon.

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one lesson, ‘Hey, I can do it this.’ It is a mindset. In some cases it changes their whole life.” — Sam Lloyd, adaptive ski instructor

Burleson suffers from severe hypervigilance, always on edge and suspicious of anyone she encounters. In those early years of the war, the implications of PTSD for returning soldiers was much less understood than it is now. A few months ago, Burleson connected with a group called Project Healing Waters that helps soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with injuries and PTSD discover the benefits of fly-fishing. Burleson grew up fishing with her father, more out of necessity than recreation. “When I was little we were really poor, and we ate trout almost every night,” Burleson said. Rekindling that connection with nature and the outdoors has given Burleson an outlet to do something she enjoys. “I have always been the most happy that I can be when I am doing something outside in the woods,” Burleson said. Project Healing Waters also has helped her trust other people in a way she thought she no longer could. Out on the river, “I felt really safe and secure.”

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Rhonda Burleson (facing page) shows off a catch reeled in thanks to Project Healing Waters. Alex Bell works with a young fly-fishing student (above) to improve his cast. Edee Vaughan, who was born with spina bifida (above right), uses her hand cycle to train for a half-marathon. BEN BISHOP PHOTO • WCU PHOTO • PHOTO COURTESY OF COVENANT HEALTH

It helped that her volunteer guide, a member of the North Carolina Fly-Fishing Team, has been incredibly patient. “I am not that great with my hands, and he told me probably about 15 or 20 times how to cast and pull the line,” Burleson said. “I thought I would get in a big tangle from the start. It was a lot easier than I thought, but I had expert instruction, too.” A major break-thru came when the guide took Burleson’s hands—something that under any other circumstance would be unnerving for her—and walked her through the motions. “That’s probably been the best part of it, meeting some really nice volunteers. They make such an effort to cater to your individual disability,” Burleson said. After her last fly-fishing excursion in Cherokee, N.C., Burleson came home one day to find a package on her front porch. Inside, was a fly-rod and reel, a walking stick to help with stability in the water and a hat with the

Project Healing Waters logo—along with a Christmas Card from John Bass, the five-state coordinator of the program who himself is in a wheelchair. She was so excited she spread it all out on her porch and took a picture of it. She looks at it every day, a reminder of something she can look forward to doing again. In her long-term recovery, “It is going to be a big part,” she said. Re-entering society can be difficult for injured soldiers from Iraq or Afghanistan, but Sam Lloyd, an adaptive ski instructor at Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, N.C., has seen first hand the benefits outdoor recreation can have. “When they go over there they are young and healthy and they come back minus a leg and their life is over—or so they think,” said Lloyd. “They realize life isn’t over, it is just a little bit different. Next thing you know they are back in the mainstream. They realize, ‘If I can ski, I can do anything I want.’” Cataloochee Ski Area is the only ski area in North Carolina that has an adaptive ski WWW.SMLIV.COM

instructor on staff, offering lessons and sessions every day of the week during the winter season. The program launched four years ago and has steadily grown in popularity. Lloyd anticipates serving 100 skiers this year. Motivations vary. Some come with their families and youth groups, others simply want to try something new. “I don’t know why anyone would want to slide down a mountain in the freezing cold, but they want to do it,” Lloyd joked. “This is a desire to do something they thought they couldn’t do. People might think they can’t ski, if they can’t even stand up, but they can.” Lloyd said the experience is liberating and empowering. “We get people who say, ‘I don’t think I can do this’ and we say, ‘Well, let’s try it,’” Lloyd said. “They ﬁnd out after one lesson, ‘Hey, I can do it this.’ It is a mindset. In some cases it changes their whole life.” The story is a familiar one for David Kiley, who hit a tree in a skiing accident at the age of 19 and ended up partially paralyzed from the waist down. 51

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“If you were to ask individuals to close their eyes and imagine a place of nurturing and healing, and you ask them to draw that place, would they draw a hospital or clinic, or would they draw a beach or a waterfall?” — John Willson, executive director of SOAR

“At first I was the world’s worst rehab patient. I thought my life was going to go in the toilet,” Kiley said. Today, there’s little that Kiley doesn’t do. Water ski, dove hunt, mountain climb, kayak, bass fish, hand cycle. “I own one of everything,” Kiley said of his sprawling collection of adaptive sports gear. Despite the accident, Kiley didn’t swear off the slopes. He became a competitive downhill skier, spending four years on the U.S. Paralympics National Ski Team, using a seated mono-ski. Kiley lives in Charlotte, N.C., and frequents the ski slopes of North Carolina mountains, particularly Beech Mountain. While double black diamonds are more his style—skiing he has to go out West for— Appalachian’s slopes fit the bill when it comes to going downhill fast. “Because I am an adrenaline junkie, it certainly answers that for me, but it is empowering to be able to take your own gear, take it out of your truck, hook your ski up and then bam—get out there and do just 52

David Kiley (left) speeds down the slope. Kaleigh Carpenter (above) discovered a love for the outdoors after attending NOC’s Adventure Camp. A youth participant of NOC’s Amputee Adventure Camp flies through the trees on a zipline.

whatever everybody else does,” Kiley said. Much better than everybody DONATED PHOTO • PHOTOS COURTESY OF NOC AMPUTEE ADVENTURE CAMP else, in fact. “There is a very small opened for me,” Vaughan said. “It was the percentage of stand-up skiers who can beat first time I felt like I could excel at something me down the hill,” Kiley said. physical.” Next came snow skiing, and now Vaughan OPENING A DOOR is training for a half marathon. She won’t be Unlike those driven to get back outdoors running it, but will be clocking the entire 13following an injury, most who are born with a miles with a human-powered apparatus disability never realize what’s out there. For known as the hand cycle. Edee Vaughan, who was born with spina “As I have learned about adaptive sports, bifida, simply going on a walk is a challenge, being physically active has gotten a lot more let alone outdoor adventure sports. important to me,” Vaughan said. “My parents encouraged me to do those On the other side of the Smokies, kids born things, and I couldn’t do it,” said Vaughan, with a missing limb are being immersed in who lives in Knoxville and works at the high adventure every summer at the Amputee University of Tennessee. “I thought this is Adventure Camp. With the Nantahala what it is. I am not going to be able to do Outdoor Center as their base, they paddle those things. They aren’t going to be in my down rapids, strap on water skis, and test out realm of possibility.” mountain biking. But recently, she got her first taste of water They even tackle a ropes course, both a skiing on Fort Loudoun Lake near her home. physical and mental feat as they scale rope “It was incredible. I felt like doors had been SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

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ladders, a maze of cables and high wires despite missing an arm, a leg or even two. “It is amazing. Just thinking about it makes me cry,” said Lisa Carpenter, whose daughter Kaleigh has attended the camp for several years. Kaleigh is missing her lower left arm but has always been athletic. She is a star tennis player, and volleyball player, too. But getting out of Atlanta and coming to the mountains every summer has exposed her daughter to a whole new world. “She is a total outdoors person now,” Carpenter said of her daughter. “If you gave her a choice of going downtown to the Hyatt and or sleeping in a tent, she would pick the tent.” Kaleigh has joined the outdoor adventure trekking club at high school and been on church mission trips from Kenya to the Dominican Republic. The Amputee Adventure Camp is free, funded entirely by donations to reach economically disadvantaged kids. Stephen Hart, an outdoors guide and river runner with Nantahala Outdoor Center, looks forward to the arrival of the amputee camp every summer. They’re not much different than any other group: some are gung-ho, but some are apprehensive as they face down a rapid or stare up at the high ropes course. For many,

it’s their ﬁrst time really being outdoors. “So many will say ‘I can’t believe I have actually paddled down a river’,” Hart said. “I think the outdoors in general encourages them to see they don’t have a limitation other than what they place on themselves. It opens up their minds to all the physical things they can do.” After spending years shepherding the amputee campers over land and water, Hart has a knack for relating openly to the kids even when navigating what could be uncomfortable moments for those untrained in adaptive recreation. “I ask them ‘Hey man, I noticed you are missing a lower leg. How do you want to sit in the boat?’ We don’t treat them like they are fragile or are going to break, which is how a lot of people treat them,” Hart said. Hart has become a go-to guide at NOC for groups with disabilities, including an annual pilgrimage by spinal rehab patients from Atlanta. A trip to NOC is by far the favorite yearly outing for mentally and physically disabled artists based in Burnsville, N.C., who live in a group home proudly called the Shortbus Studio. “For weeks and months afterward they can’t stop talking about it,” Hart said. “There is a different bonding experience. It’s the same reason that corporate leaders come here for retreats. You are breathing the clear air, you don’t have the distractions of the city, you don’t have your cell phone—it is so much more powerful and just stays with people longer.”

FOOD FOR THE SOUL The outdoors is engrained in the human psyche, perhaps encoded in our very DNA, as a place of comfort. “I think that if you were to ask individuals to close their eyes and imagine a place of nurturing and healing, and you ask them to draw that place, would they draw a hospital or clinic, or would they draw a beach or a waterfall?” asked John Willson, the executive director of a high adventure camp for kids with learning disabilities in Waynesville, N.C., called SOAR. At SOAR, conquering the challenges of outdoor adventure serves as a metaphor for success in life. The majority of the 500 WWW.SMLIV.COM

students who participated in SOAR last summer have ADHD but were able to reengineer how they move through the world after the high-adventure experience. “You put a kid on a rock, and guess what they are not going to have trouble doing?” Willson said. “You are stacking the deck in favor of creating focus.” Rock climbing is an integral component of SOAR, helping kids learn to trust their partners and be relied on by others, as well as communicate calmly under stress. “If the rope gets too much slack in it, do you start yelling and screaming at your belayer? Or do you just say what you need, which is ‘up rope?” Willson said. For Kathy Ralston, who lives in Whittier, N.C., the therapeutic benefits of the outdoors influenced her family’s decision to move to the mountains a year ago—and in particular to buy a house along a stream. Her 10-year-old son with autism craves the moving water. “Running water is therapeutic for all of us, but it has always been something he is drawn to. It really is a calming mechanism for him,” Ralston said. So Ralston jumped at the chance to participate in a fly-fishing outing for children with autism through nearby Western Carolina University. “He wanted to fly-fish since we moved here because, of course, it is such a big part of the culture here,” Ralston said. Recreational therapy students teamed up with the fly-fishing guide Bell to get kids with autism out on the water with a fly rod in their hand. They learned how to tie on a fly, how to cast and how to reel in a fish. The benefits were enumerable: patience, focus on a task, and fine-motor skills among them. “All the boys when they caught the fish were excited to hold it. They felt rewarded and kind of a completion to the task,” Ralston said. “It is like for any other child and individual—being able to participate in recreational activates is terribly important.” That’s the basic premise behind a new recreational therapy firm called Blue Ridge Treks in Asheville, N.C., helping children with emotional issues conquer life through hiking and camping. “Our environment is always changing and so are the outdoors,” said Alex Hersey, owner of Blue Ridge Treks. “For people to be able to learn skills like navigating with topographic maps and start a fire with a bow drill so they can survive no matter what their environment is—that parallels our real life, to be able to respond in a positive way to the things you don’t have control over.” 53

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Four-legged Facilitators How animals are helping people live their lives to the fullest B Y T. W AY N E W AT E R S

A little H.A.B.I.T. dog-student interaction at Belle Morris Elementary School.

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Through the years, research has shown the positive effects of animal-assisted therapy. Several types of animals are regularly used in schoolrooms across the nation to facilitate learning, as well as in healthcare and assistedliving facilities to provide emotional support to residents and patients. Trained dogs are sometimes used to help people with Parkinson’s disease walk more efficiently. A growing number of psychotherapists are beginning to use therapy animals too. In the Smokies, animalassisted therapy programs include Mountin’ Hopes, a therapeutic riding center in Western North Carolina, where people with disabilities experience simultaneous exercise and therapy with a little help from a horse, a similar program in Knoxville, Tenn., and Human Animal Bond in Tennessee (H.A.B.I.T.), which is associated with the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and relies largely on canines to make connections.

ix-year-old Emma Randall is a cutie, and perhaps never more so than when she’s geared up in her horseback riding helmet and sitting astride Senorita, a handsome white horse she rides on a regular basis thanks to the therapeutic riding program Mountin’ Hopes. Emma has Down syndrome, a genetic condition in which a person has an extra chromosome resulting in problems with the way the brain and body develop. “We do it primarily for her physical strength, her muscle tone, and her ability to follow instructions,” said Christine Randall, Emma’s mother. “We’ve been very pleased. Her strength has increased. Her posture is really good when she’s riding a horse. She corrects her balance herself when she’s kind of tilting over to the side a little. She’s very motivated to follow directions and to learn how to tell the horse to stop by saying ‘whoa’ or to go by saying ‘walk on,’ so it helps with her speech—both expressive and receptive. And she’s learning to use the reins, which is really neat.” Mountin’ Hopes’ purpose is to facilitate physical, cognitive and emotional therapy for people of all ages by embracing “the unique gifts and challenges of each individual, encouraging personal growth through the horse and human relationship.” Mountin’ Hopes riders range from four years old to adults in their 40s. “The interaction between the horse and the person is a really wonderful experience,” says executive director Laura Nelson. “The rider gains strength, balance, conﬁdence. It’s a very calming situation for people with disabilities.” Mountin’ Hopes leases horses from Creative Horse Connections, whose owner, Anne Westall, manages the organization’s riding programs—one out of her own facility just south of Asheville in Mills River, the other from the Horse Sense of the Carolinas operation in Marshall. The horses have been trained using the Parelli Natural Horsemanship method and are exceptionally calm—“bombproof” as Nelson puts it. Sudden movements, physical contact, and sounds don’t startle them. The economic downturn has taken a toll on the donations needed to keep Mountin’ Hopes operating. To generate revenue the organization’s board of directors elected to sell a 45-acrew farm in Mars Hill, citing the expense and commitments necessary to maintain it. The challenges have meant that the organization has dispensed with a costly drain on its expenses and strategically set itself up for the future including the possibility of buying a smaller farm or taking advantage of long-term lease options. Meanwhile, Nelson indicates that one of her goals for the coming year is to reestablish a Mountin’ Hopes program working with veterans, something the therapeutic operation has done in the past. About half of Mountin’ Hopes’ riders are on scholarships funded by donations to the organization. As donations have

dwindled, though, available scholarships have, too. “We’re going to try to spread that money out and keep as many riders coming back as we can,” vowed Nelson. Numerous volunteers are needed to operate Mountin’ Hopes, as most riders require one volunteer to lead the horse and two “side-walkers” to tag along on each side of the animal for safety purposes and to provide added physical support when needed for riders to stay seated upright. Nelson and all the volunteers undergo training and are supervised by certified instructors. Principles of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH) guide the program’s teaching methods, safety standards and all other aspects. “Everything is very systematic,” said Emma’s mother, Christine Randall. “It’s not just, ‘put a kid on a horse and take her for a ride’.” Randall knows a thing or two about systematic therapy. She used to be a special education teacher and her husband worked in the field a long time as well. The couple has opened its Mars Hill home to two young men with autism who were Randall’s students and now are part of a therapeutic alternative family living arrangement. Autism is one condition that has been proven to benefit from equine assisted activities, according to a study by funded by the Horses and Humans Research Foundation. Children with autism between the ages of seven and 12 showed improved cognition, communication, and motivation after participating in specific activities. Riding, grooming, and interacting with horses had a noticeable, positive effect on study participants.

ON TRAK Across the Smoky Mountains and Tennessee state line is another therapeutic riding center, this one on eight acres of farmland nestled in the Karns community just northwest of Knoxville. This is the new home for the Therapeutic Riding Academy of Knoxville (TRAK). The family of late Knoxville veterinarian Bill “Doc” Butler, a local legend for his skill and his willingness to provide service even when animal owners couldn’t manage to offer much in compensation, granted use of the land. TRAK owns three horses and leases several more, says Stacie Hirsch, TRAK founder, executive director and program coordinator. The TRAK facility includes indoor and outdoor riding areas, a tack room, and stalls. TRAK has several trained volunteers who assist in therapeutic riding sessions, and two more volunteer instructors are being trained. They should be ready to start in March when the riding program starts back up after the winter break, said Hirsch. As with Mountin’ Hopes, TRAK is certiﬁed through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) and the organization’s horses are of the right natural temperament and training to respond well in therapeutic situations.

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Hirsch worked for years as a speech therapist at various area schools before deciding to merge the two things she was skilled at and loved — speech therapy and horseback riding. It didn’t take too long, though, before she realized therapeutic riding had many more benefits than just speech related ones, so she underwent additional training and broadened her focus to include therapeutic riding for those with other physical and emotional problems. Bobbie and Michaela Lee, mother and 11-year-old daughter, are glad she did. Michaela has cerebral palsy and has been riding now for more than two years, said her mom. “She’s always excited when it’s TRAK day. She can tell me the directions to get there. Once we get off the exit she gets excited. She tells me where to turn. Afterwards, she doesn’t want to leave the horses. She wants to love them to death, she wants to ride them again.” Bobbie Lee says the pleasure her daughter gets from riding horses is a big reason she benefits from it as much as she has, explaining that Michaela doesn’t really like the conventional physical and speech therapy she also undergoes. “She’s very bored by it and gets aggravated with it,” Lee said. “This [therapeutic riding] is therapy in disguise. When she goes to TRAK, she gets all three—physical, occupational, and even speech therapy, but it’s all disguised, and it’s fun to her. She’s doing all this hard work but she doesn’t realize it. That’s the big advantage for the parent and for her.” Bobbie Lee attributes much of Michaela’s improvement in coordination, balance, and ability to relax her body to TRAK riding. Hirsch agrees. “Michaela used a wheelchair for long distances and a walker for short distances when she first started,” Hirsch said. “Within a year, she was able to leave both at home and her doctor credited it to her being on the horse.” Individualized treatment designed for each student is a key to TRAK’s success. In general, students who, like Michaela, have tense muscles and muscle spasms experience muscle relaxation and greater coordination riding slowly. On the other hand, students with flaccid muscles and little muscle tone benefit from a faster pace that causes their muscles to tense up and strengthen. Hirsch also still manages to get speech therapy into the mix, too. In one popular exercise, a student rides to a placard with a number or letter on it. The student must say the number or letter out loud and then maneuver the horse to a bucket with the matching symbol. The commands the students are encouraged to give the horses and the strategic conversation Hirsch and her volunteers initiate address many of the 56

same issues found in traditional speech therapy. Hirsch has a unique perspective on the therapeutic work she does. She contracted the ﬂu in 1996 and developed Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The ailment paralyzed her from the legs up. “I went through the process of understanding what it’s like being in a wheelchair,” Hirsch said. “I had to have fulltime care and eventually had to learn how to walk again. I try to take the same processes that I went through to become better and heal and share it with my patients,” she said. While acknowledging that her situation is different from that of her students she says, “I can identify how horseback riding helps.”

vet school and the university’s College of Social Work teamed up to promote therapeutic uses for animals in the Knoxville community. Through the nonproﬁt volunteer program, volunteers take medically and behaviorally screened dogs, cats, and rabbits into area nursing homes, schools, residential treatment centers, cancer treatment centers, and other places to offer comfort, companionship, and therapy. Karen Armsey, H.A.B.I.T. program administrator, has been a H.A.B.I.T. volunteer for about eight years and served as the program administrator for six. She’s had ﬁve different H.A.B.I.T. animals and now has two. Armsey says H.A.B.I.T. has 120 active program sites, mostly in schools ranging from public and private school systems, pre-K through high school, special education, and regular classrooms. Volunteers and their animal com-

info:

Mountin’ Hopes 828.545.6516 mountinhopes.org TRAK 865.386.5970 traktn.squarespace.com H.A.B.I.T. 865.974.5633 vet.utk.edu/habit/index.php

H.A.B.I.T. program administrator Karen Armsey and Nash. Armsey has been a H.A.B.I.T. volunteer for eight years and Nash is also a dedicated participant. PHOTO COURTESY PHIL SNOW AND LANDON MATHERS, UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE.

Hirsch credits the prayers of her father, a Protestant preacher, with initiating her healing process. She says the process took a long time with many relapses but that she’s been essentially recovered now for nearly a decade. The TRAK website makes clear the religious underpinnings of Hirsch’s approach and states, “All therapies and counseling are provided with an underlying Christian inﬂuence where God can be recognized as our Ultimate Physician.”

A GOOD H.A.B.I.T. It isn’t only horses that aid people therapeutically, of course. Dogs also do their part. Even cats, those preternaturally aloof creatures of selfsatisﬁed solitude, occasionally get in on the act. Human Animal Bond in Tennessee (H.A.B.I.T.) is associated with the University of Tennessee (UT) College of Veterinary Medicine. This good H.A.B.I.T. was born a quarter century ago when educators associated with the SMOKY MOUNTAIN LIVING VOLUME 12 • ISSUE 1

panions visit most program sites at least once a week, and approximately 95 percent of volunteers work with dogs. “With pre-K through third grade, when they are working on their reading skills and comprehension skills, the dog gives them the opportunity to work on their reading out loud without judgment and with reduced stress,” said Armsey. “It helps them learn to read without having to read in front of a classroom. Studies have shown up to a 20 percent improvement on comprehension scores from this.” Special-needs children can beneﬁt from H.A.B.I.T. programs in special ways, as well. The socialization of simply petting a dog or brushing a dog, as well as verbal communication gains that can be gleaned by student’s issuing of verbal commands, are valuable activities. Armsey noted that such things can make or break a kid’s day sometimes and can help him or her focus more clearly on what’s going on. “With autistic kids particularly, dogs can help them focus a little more and not get as overwhelmed as they often can,” she said. According to research cited by the Delta Society, a national non-proﬁt organization and research foundation that helps people live healthier and happier lives by incorporating therapy, service, and companion animals into their lives, the presence of a therapy dog has

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been shown to lower behavior distress in children during a physical examination at a doctor’s office and may be useful in a variety of healthcare settings to decrease procedure-induced distress in children, including dentistry. Many of the same kinds of things can benefit the elderly and people with health issues. The Delta Society points to additional studies that state visits with a therapy dog help heart and lung function by lowering pressures, diminishing release of harmful hormones and decreases anxiety with hospitalized heart failure patients. Furthermore, animal-assisted therapy can effectively reduce the loneliness of residents in long-term care facilities. H.A.B.I.T. volunteers also help cancer patients relax right before their chemo treatments, for instance. And overworked, underpaid, and overstressed health employees are almost as happy as the patients are to see an H.A.B.I.T. volunteer and his or her pet. As with horses, dogs and cats have to have the right temperament to render animal-assisted therapy. Armsey says dogs have to “have good doggie manners and work calmly on the leash” and that some obedience training usually helps the owner and animal become a better team. Suzie Ferguson of Sevierville is a longtime H.A.B.I.T. volunteer. She and husband Roy take their two German Shepherds, Apache and Schatzi, and occasionally their cat Search, to schools and healthcare facilities. “Apache goes to Children’s Hospital on Wednesday,” Ferguson said. “We call them doggie visits, and he just basically helps break the monotony of the hospital situation. Schatzi and Apache both do nursing home visits at Sevier County Healthcare Center and Fort Sanders Sevier Nursing Home. And both of the dogs do the Ruff Reading program at Boyd’s Creek Elementary. We have a first-grade class and a fourth-grade class.” Ruff Reading is a popular program in Tennessee’s Knox, Blount, Sevier and Anderson counties. Teachers who have H.A.B.I.T volunteers and their dogs regularly visit their classrooms report that the children greatly improve their reading skills and gain self-confidence. Ferguson said her dogs mostly offer emotional support to the people they visit in other situations but also occasionally get involved in limited physical therapy oriented activities. “They brighten up when they see us coming. We have one lady in a nursing home that has instructed us to wake her up if we visit when she’s asleep. It’s that important to her. Even the people who’ve had strokes and can’t communicate, you can see it on their faces how they appreciate it.”

Tycen Letsinger obviously enjoys the therapeutic workout he gets while riding Bob with the TRAK program. (Above) Michaela Lee loves her horseback therapy with TRAK. THERAPEUTIC RIDING ACADEMY OF KNOXVILLE PHOTOS

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