Virginia

From May to August of 2008, Blue Ridge Earth First! will be hosting volunteers in Virginia to work on the Mountain Justice campaign to end mountaintop removal coal mining. Currently the main focus of our work in Virginia is in challenging Dominion Power's proposed coal-fired power plant in Wise County. Other issue foci include the sustained efforts to pressure Bank of America and Citi to pull their funding out of coal and holding solidarity actions against Richmond-based Massey Energy for their endless MTR, sludge, labor and human-rights assaults on our friends in West Virginia and Kentucky. Our state is also currently dealing with proposed expansions to a nuclear power plant and a corporate and government interest in mining Uranium in the southern central part of the state.

Activities will include:

• demonstrations and direct actions. (such as small-scale things like banner drops and Bank of America protests as well as larger-scale non-violent direct actions targeting Massey and/or Dominion.)
• gardening and dumpstering
• cooking and eating together
• organizing and promoting educational events (speakers, movies, etc.)
• fundraising
• participation in the planning collective for the Southeast Climate Convergence (site scouting and prep, outreach and promotion, logistics)
• ongoing workshops
• making stuff (stuff for rallies, stuff for fundraising, stuff for just being alive)
• renovating a house (campaign house in Appalachia)
• building a cob house (Appalachia)
• working on sustainable farms
• and other ideas as well (such as yours)

Activists in Blacksburg, Harrisonburg and Appalachia (also a town, not only a region) are prepared to host volunteers. In all these communities lodging will be camping in the backyard or on nearby public lands (national forests, etc.). Appalachia will potentially have some house space as well. We have no budget for food but we will be able to grow and dumpster much if not all of what we need. There is no fee for participation in Mountain Justice Summer 08 in Virginia but folks are expected to contribute to group expenses such as travel and food according to one's own capacity. (Upon contacting us we can have a more extensive discussion about funds and other details of Mountain Justice Summer projects.)

Ideally we would like a commitment of two and a half to three months, culminating with the Southeast Convergence for Climate Action in central Virginia at the beginning of August and calming down a bit thereafter.

We have a particular need for folks who can bottom-line gardening projects with the goal of feeding ourselves and our allies.

For more interest or if you're already sure you want to come spend some time with us, contact BlueRidgeEF@yahoo.com and let's talk.

Virginia Mountain Justice Allies:
Blue Ridge Earth First!
Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards (SAMS)