Environment
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Klassy Kats: Working Toward Solutions That Are Cat, Community Centered
Citizens of Butts County are no strangers to seeing animals dropped off on the side of the road or strays living on backroads. Butts is a rural county that is constantly dealing with overpopulation of animals. Over halfway through 2025, 497 cats had been taken in solely by Butts County…
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Going Green: Impact of Being Sustainable in College
While some practice sustainability subconsciously as part of daily life, others directly devote their time to getting involved. This is particularly common among college-age students, and at the University of Georgia, the campus and surrounding community offer a multitude of ways to get involved with the cause. College campuses that…
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Wings of Change: Oconee River Land Trust Supports Biodiversity on Middle Oconee River
At first glance, the Middle Oconee River winding through Athens might be dismissed as just a murky stretch of water. However, it is a habitat that supports a critical ecosystem, one containing opportunities for discovery and study. The Oconee River Land Trust (ORLT), a nonprofit organization aiming to conserve land…
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Face To The Food: Winterville’s Friendly Mushroom Farm
At a time when produce can travel thousands of miles before reaching consumers, it can be challenging to know who is producing the food that reaches tables in Northeast Georgia. However, the rise in demand for locally grown goods through programs such as farmers markets or community-supported agriculture has signaled…
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How One Man’s Hobby is Helping Reduce Waste in Athens
It was the combination of frequent trips to resale shops mixed with his tennis burnout that led Athens resident David Ragsdale to his new hobby: cast iron restoration — the process of searching for, stripping down and seasoning decades-old cookware to give it a new life. “My lady likes Pyrex,…
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Where Did the Electric Go? UGA Transportation Includes More Diesel Buses in Fleet
The University of Georgia received a $10 million grant in spring 2019 to purchase 20 Proterra Catalyst E2 electric buses and began using them in the fall semester. As part of their sustainability plan, this grant allowed the university to step forward in reducing carbon emissions and provide alternative transportation…
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Sustainable Merch Finds a Home in Athens’ Music Scene
In Athens, a town known for its DIY approach to music, local bands and students are rethinking a critical part of the music industry: merch. Right now, streaming accounts for 84% of recorded music revenues in the United States. The thing is, musicians aren’t earning the majority of their revenue through collecting…
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Push for Change: Northeast Georgia Organizations Pursue Environmental Justice
Hurricane season is here, and Athens received its share of downpours over the past month. The heavy rain has left low-income communities vulnerable to flooding throughout Northeast Georgia, and this is not the only problem. “There’s also a very big issue with regards to flooding as well. So flooding and…
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Athens Water Festival creates awareness for water conservation
Area children splashed and adults learned more about the water they use everyday at the annual Athens Water Festival on Sept. 6. The event, held at Sandy Creek Park, aims to teach people more about where their water comes from and water conservation. “I’m really glad that we get to…
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From Farm to Food Bank: Watkinsville Couple Brings Fresh Produce to Those in Need
When Dennis Mason and Eleanor Walker, a couple living in Watkinsville, heard there was a need for food at the local food bank, they knew they wanted to do something, even if only on a small scale. It began as a small garden that Mason would tend to in his…