Environment
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Here’s the Latest on Severe Thunderstorms in Georgia
Severe thunderstorms that have been pummeling the middle of the country have reached Georgia, which could lead to heavy rainfall, flooding, damaging winds and brief tornadoes. The storm started midday Sunday in North Georgia and is expected to end Monday after 6 p.m. Most areas will get between one to…
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From California to Georgia: Importance of Proactive Wildfire Management
The devastation serves as a reality check,” says Jacqueline Gewert, a 21-year-old psychology and biology student at the University of Georgia from Calabasas, California. She is talking about the ravaging California wildfires she witnessed from a distance this past January. Gewert was already back in Athens on Jan. 7, 2025…
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Q&As Reveal Community’s Sense of Hope, Worries for 2025 and Beyond
Reporting I students set out to learn more about Athens-Clarke County and their beats — business and consumer news, city-county government, diversity, local music, sustainability — by conducting research and interviews with business owners, community officials, advocates, musicians and students. The nearly 180 students in the course, which consists of…
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Athens Land Trust: Creating Community, Battling Food Insecurity
Food insecurity, the lack of reliable access to affordable, nutritious food, is a pressing issue in Georgia and Athens-Clarke County is no exception to the growing challenge. According to Feeding America, the food insecurity rate in Athens in 2022 was 16.8%, which is higher than the national average. Many local…
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Frost, Floods and Droughts: Georgia Farmers Grapple with Climate Extremes
The chirping of crickets and katydids echoed through the dense fields of vegetables, flowers and fruits at Diamond Hill Farm, patiently waiting for harvest. Carolyn Shew, communications manager at the farm, marched through the rows of produce, pointing out crops along the way. “We have blueberries here… they don’t produce…
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Community Store: Reducing Textile Waste with Fashionable Pieces
Clothing and textile waste are one of the most significant sources of pollution worldwide, nationally and in Northeast Georgia. While it might be hard to imagine, there is an estimated total of 92 million tonnes of textile waste generated globally each year. In Georgia alone, textiles make up the seventh-largest…
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Georgia’s Trout Face Growing Threats from Climate Change, Habitat Loss
When the clear feeder creek behind John Lee Thomson’s home and the fish hatchery he works at turned muddy after a quick rain, he knew there was a problem. Thomson started to hike upstream to find a clear-cut lot missing all of its trees. Red mud spilled into the once-clear…
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Athens Tree Ordinance Helps Protect City’s Trees
A few months ago, the views walking over the bridge on Oconee Street were filled with greenery surrounding the river. Lush tree branches dangled over the water. Leaves and other plants peeked out through the railing, impeding the walking space for pedestrians. Now, the same spot is barren. Tree stumps…
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Athens Farmers Market Engages Community in Sustainability
Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at Bishop Park and from 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Creature Comforts, vendors prepare their tents with local produce, organic honey, artisanal soap and handcrafted jewelry to sell to the oncoming crowds of local Athenians. Established in 2008, the Athens Farmers Market has operated…
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Fighting food insecurity with cooking classes
Wimberly’s Roots is a community garden and kitchen located in a food desert Winder, Georgia. Wimberly’s Roots has made it their goal to increase access to healthy food in their community by offering monthly cooking lessons and cooking classes with the Boys and Girls Club. Watch the video to learn…