Natives
Shining a Spotlight on Local Flora
The 2-acre educational garden at Roanoke’s Virginia Western Community College welcomes its newest addition: the Sunny Meadow Native Garden. The carefully curated space, transformed from a former conifer patch, showcases Southwest Virginia’s native plant species. After extensive research and planning, students, staff, and volunteers brought the vision to life in spring 2024, creating a vibrant […]
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A New Experience at the Virginia Scenic Railway
Virginia Scenic Railway Adds Dome Car for Spectacular Valley Views The popular Virginia Scenic Railway just upped its game with a vintage dome car offering breathtaking 360° views of the Shenandoah Valley. The “Shenandoah”—built in 1948 as the “Silver Palace” for the California Zephyr—now gives passengers an unmatched vantage point on three-hour excursions from Staunton. […]
Mom Hiked the Appalachian Trail with 13 Kids in Tow
Nikki Bettis stood on the jagged summit outcrop of Shenandoah National Park’s 4,011-foot Stony Man, awed by westward panoramic views. Her heart swelled with emotion as she turned to watch her 13 kids shoulder their loaded backpacks and fall into a clamorous single-file line heading back to the Appalachian Trail (AT). “We were in an […]
World’s First Grid-scale Nuclear Fusion Plant in Chesterfield
Chesterfield is making history as the future site of the world’s first grid-scale commercial nuclear fusion* power plant, with a goal of delivering power in the early 2030s. Commonwealth Fusion System (CFS), a spin-off of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will independently finance, build, own, and operate the facility at the James River Industrial Park. […]
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