More than six years ago, a wildfire in Great Smoky Mountains National Park consumed a chunk of the park, as well as downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Fourteen people died; it took 21 days for the fire to be put out. 

I'm in Gatlinburg right now, fire-scarred mountainsides all around me. Things have moved on: Some lawsuits are still in limbo or dismissed; tourism reached record highs in 2021. There are signs on hiking trails in the forest describing the stages the forest are in, and lots of information about the fire from NPS. I come to the Smokies enough to see the small changes—the thin saplings much taller than a year ago, the vibrant greenery on the forest flower, the pines that still stand tall—but not enough to understand the larger context the regrowth—both for people and for the environment—is all working in. 

For me, this is a reminder to appreciate the small changes happening after such an event: the knowledge and understanding gained about climate disasters; the conversations at the dinner table about policy or voting; the ongoing support mutual aid networks and neighbors give each other; the new growth and new opportunities for more equitable and safe housing and recreation; the shared expertise and power between communities geographically distant from one another. In this work, we see all of this, everyday, all over the South.

In community, 

OUR LATEST

Reproductive health during disasters in southwest Florida

By Kayla Alamilla

Community reporting fellow Kayla Alamilla created a zine about pregnancy, abortion, sexual health, and other reproductive health issues during disasters.
 

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Things are looking up for the Everglades

Wildlife, including birds and alligators, is rebounding in parts of the Everglades—a major sign the water and ecosystems are being restored, according to scientists. Read more in the Miami Herald: “You didn’t see the green the last 20 years you saw in the dry season. That’s the river of grass. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Judge rules N.C. ag-gag law unconstitutional 

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's ruling that North Carolina’s “ag-gag law” is unconstitutional and infringes on free speech. As NC Policy Watch reports, the law "allowed courts to assess civil fines on employees who took videos or photos — or even took handwritten notes — of a business’s non-public areas to document alleged wrongdoing, and then passed that information to anyone besides the employer or law enforcement. The fines were hefty: $5,000 per day, plus attorney’s fees." Read more from Lisa Sorg about her experience with the law while trying to report a story. 

How you can help protect the Okefenokee Swamp

As we've covered before in this newsletter, a mining company applied to build a strip mine less than three miles from the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division opened a period of public comment that is ongoing, and in two recent public meetings the department held, "aside from a Twin Pines representative, not a single person spoke in favor of the mine," according to Margaret Renkl's NYT column. She details the history of the swamp, and of the fight to stop the mine that could harm it. From the article: "Comments on the proposed mine can be sent to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division through online forms at the Southern Environmental Law Center or the Nature Conservancy or by emailing the Georgia E.P.D. directly. The comment period ends March 20 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time."