Standing for Environmental Justice

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I hear the crunch of gravel beneath my feet and feel the sting of mosquito bites on my legs. In my reverie, I see my brother and me launching walnuts, and I laugh at how lucky we were Grandma didn’t catch us when our aim went awry and hard green shells assaulted the mailbox instead. The farm in my daydream is Dysart Woods’ Farm, which is owned by Ohio University and encompasses 400 acres of farmland and 50 acres of virgin forest.

Dysart Woods is one of the last remaining examples of old-growth forests in Ohio. It is not just a precious childhood memory. It is also a catalyst for my belief in environmental justice in Appalachia. When my dad entered sixth grade my grandfather transferred to Ohio University Eastern to help initiate the teacher education program and also serve as caretaker of Dysart Woods. His decision was fortuitous for his grandchildren, allowing our intellects to be cultivated by the abundant resources of the forest and surrounding farmland.

I grew up knowing the coal beneath the woods in my grandparents’ backyard was a lucrative substance owned by Ohio Valley Coal. And I understood what happens to water tables of trees when mining machines burrow underneath them. During my adolescence I witnessed long wall mining operations inch towards Dysart Woods and other farms lining the fruitful coal seam. It didn’t take long for me to understand the barges on the nearby river pushed lumps of dusty energy extracted from our county’s land to places I had never been. Watching the beauty of our foothills become ensnared by water contamination, loss of forest ecosystems and damage to homes helped me to understand what my community gave up to keep the lights on in other places.

Environmental Justice has many aspects. On is the examination of how local environments are connected to global needs. Another is the recognition that extracting a resource like coal deeply affects both land and people. Recently Doris Terry Williams of the Rural School and Community Trust focused on rural education issues and their connection to place-based education when addressing faculty and students at Ohio University. She said people in rural communities cannot count on others to improve their quality of life. “Nobody is going to come and save us,” she pointed out.

Instead Williams believes we should encourage students in rural areas to become advocates for their communities. This can be done in part by writing letters to representatives in Congress, visiting tracts of land like Dysart Woods and allowing students to lead projects that focus on changes they would like to see.  

All students can get involved. Educators can use primary sources such as documentaries, blogs, and published texts—or secondary sources such as newspaper articles and newscasts—to help students associate the resources they use with the communities those resources come from. It is essential that teachers and students discuss how resources are connected to communities of people. Environmental justice emphasizes giving people a voice to everyone affected. That is why we all must engage in the discussion.

Yahn is a middle school language arts teacher in Ohio.