From Summer Camp to Charlottesville

By Rustina Mullins

                We drove up the mountain in east Kentucky; the road twisting and turning as it snaked its way to the top. I looked out the passenger side window to a breath taking view of green mountains. The rolling hills made me think of what these majestic hills and hollows used to look like when Nick’s family first came to them. The higher we climbed the more came into view. Looking further off into the distance, I could see brown and grey splotches marring the beautiful mountain view—mountaintop removal jobs. Before long, we arrived at our destination, Mountain Justice Summer Camp.

                We were greeted by wonderful people who share our thoughts and views on all that is happening in the mountains of Appalachia. People who have made the choice to put the health of the

Appalachian people as their top priority with future generations in mind. Mountain Justice is not simply one group of people connected with only one organization, instead it is a close knit family of several organizations coming together to teach about different issues and to share what they are doing in their own areas. Since the tragic death of Jeremy Davis, a toddler killed by a boulder from a strip mine ten years ago, Mountain Justice has vowed to protect the people with each summer camp focusing on educating people about the true costs of energy extraction.
                We joined folks on the stage such as Ben and Dawn Hooper and Jeff and Charmin Chapman-Crane to tell our stories, to let those who were being introduced to mountain top removal for the first time know the human impacts of coal mining. I joined women from around the region on a panel talking about Appalachian women and the environmental movement. I also attended some of the workshops they were holding at the camp including Dave Cooper’s Mountaintop Removal 101 talk teaching about what it is and its impacts. Dave has been giving his talk for many years so I felt maybe I could learn how to create a shortened version without losing the seriousness of the subject.

                After two great days of reconnecting and re-energizing our effort, we left Mountain Justice and made our way to Charlottesville, Virginia where we stayed with a good friend whom we met at the Heartwood Forest Council, Ernie Reed. During our stay, Ernie told us of a proposed natural gas  We gave our presentation at the Haven in downtown Charlottesville which was set up by our friends at Appalachian Voices, and now prepare to head off to our next destination on our tour.

pipeline that is to go through the Shenandoah National Park, crossing the land of several residences in multiple counties in Virginia. The destruction of land and pollution of water is not worth this pipeline being put in. The easy part about this tour is visiting great people and learning of struggles as well as ways people are being sustainable. The harder part is telling our story. It is the harder part because we know that not long afterward we will be leaving behind the friends we have made.

                Great people are everywhere; great people who care about what happens in our world and are working to change those things that need changing. People who realize that if things don’t change then generations yet to come will not have a future.