Fayette County, West Virginia’s Mitchell Dech is one of my foraging mentors, and when he wants me to try an edible new to me … I’m ready to learn about it.
This year is a landmark one for this treasured piece of mountain land in Virginia: the 100th anniversary of Congress authorizing its establishment and the 90th anniversary of its dedication.
When it officially opened in 1940 — in the depths of the Jim Crow era — Green Pastures was likely the first U.S. Forest Service recreation area in the nation constructed for African Americans.
Veteran forester John Scrivani dedicated his career to restoring American chestnut trees — and helped lay the groundwork for the effort’s next generation.
