Storyteller and folklorist Anndrena Belcher entertained music teacher Cathy Qualls' classes at Powell Valley Primary School last Thursday.

Belcher, who lives in Scott County, enlisted students and teachers to help bring her skits to life.
Belcher calls her presentation of folk tales, personal narrative, poems and original and traditional songs "Anndrena Belcher for Old Time's Sake."

Belcher is a child of the 1950s migration of people from the Appalachian region to northern industrial cities, and her tales reflect her familiarity with two worlds.

"My family migrated from east Kentucky (Pike County) in the 1950s when the coalfields were mechanized," Belcher said in an interview before her presentation at Powell Valley Primary. "Three million people moved out. We wound up in uptown Chicago, which at that time was considered one of the nation's most diverse, multi-ethnic ghetto communities."

"Out of 90,000 people, 70,000 of us were from Appalachia and the rural Deep South," Belcher said. "It was called 'Hillbilly Heaven.' We were one of the families that came home to these mountains once a month on a weekend."

"A lot of what I ask about is what it means to live in two worlds, and to have the power of a personal story to help define a human experience and give a positive identity," she said. "That's why I do what I do."


Source: Glenn Gannaway, The Post, December 15, 2011.

Dear Anndrena,
Thank you for coming to our class and telling us stories about your upbringing! It really made me think about how alot of people come from the same background, even though it's different countries or areas. It also was a great example of how hardships bring people together. I hope it helped some people realize why it's not okay to judge others. It was very enjoyable.
 
                        Kayla Miller, Eastside High School.

Students at Powell Valley Primary School in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, helped Anndrena Belcher tell the tale of "The Two Gals" last Thursday.

Anndrena explained: "It is my adaptation from an old folktale found in the Leonard Roberts collection of tales called, Greasybeard: A Tale From the Cumberlands. This story tells of one little girl who goes to fetch a bucket of water. She falls in the well because the bucket is soooo big, and she is sooo little. She finds a different world at the bottom of the well, and meets a talking log, a talking apple tree, a talking sheep and cow as she explores this new place and finds ways to survive. All kinds of lessons about relationship to environment here!"

Thank you to Music teacher Cathy Quall for sharing her photos.

CREC, Appalachian Regional Studies Center, Honors Academy, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts recently partnered to fund a For Old Times Sake performance by Anndrena Belcher in Dr. Ruth Derrick's Radford Folklore class.

Dr. Derrick wrote, "I assigned a response log to my students with three questions, and they could choose which question to write on.  Most of them wrote about [Anndrena], and their responses were all very positive. I typed up a few statements, and I thought you would enjoy reading them."

• Anndrena has talent and passion that is immeasurable

• She not only breaks the stereotype but help others be proud of their language, heritage and themselves.

• In my opinion she is a beautifully painted portrait of an Appalachian historian mixed with a highly educated, heritage filled Appalachian activist.

• Anndrena Belcher is […] a very intelligent, outspoken individual in a country tune.

• She was walking, talking folklore, and it was definitely an experience to see such a character in person.

• She preached the importance of valuing where you come from and the culture that makes up who you are as a human. This inspires me to find out different narratives and stories from my own family and culture and share them with others so that they can be passed on through the generations.

• Anndrena Belcher is a walking wonder. […] She walks with pride in her ancestor’s footsteps and speaks with a passion for her home.

• Anndrena Belcher is an amazing artist representing the Appalachian region with her folktales and music.

• When [Anndrena Belcher] came to class, I was blown away at the stories she told us, but more importantly how she told the stories. […] Anndrena is very valuable in the preservation of folklore because of her passion for it.

• Belcher did so much more than just tell stories and sing songs in her presentation. She showed that oral folklore is a true art form that should be valued and treasured here in Appalachia.

• Anndrena Belcher demonstrated the beauty of Appalachian folklore and oral tradition in an elegant, funny, and entertaining way. She was able to use storytelling and song to captivate the audience, and sometimes when she was speaking there was a poetic element to her voice.

• She no doubt has much knowledge of the region, and truly seems to enjoy what she does. That in my opinion is what really makes her a special performer.

• Anndrena is the most unique and interesting oral presenter I have ever seen.

• Anndrena Belcher is a prime example of someone who strives and thrives on keeping the folklore and tradition of her region alive.

• I personally enjoyed her version of Cinderella. Technically, it was the Appalachian Cindrella, however, it way better than the original one by Walt Disney.

• She displayed the story with such enthusiasm and with a voice, which made it clear that she cared passionately about the subject of folklore.

• Anndrena Belcher personifies the Appalachian storytelling experience.

The photos in this post are from a different recent performance, this one in Selma Alabama for the Tale Tellin' Festival.  Many thanks to Ann Thomas of ArtsRevive for sharing her photos.

"When I would hear the word "tale-tellin" it would leave a bad taste in my mouth," wrote Desiree Taylor, staff writer for the Selma Times-Journal.  However, after enjoying Anndrena Belcher's performance at Byrd Elementary, Taylor changed her tune.  She wrote:

Anndrena's October performance was part of CREC's For Old Times Sake project.  Her workshops, performances, and teacher in-service programs reintroduce young people to the Appalachian land ethic of environmental stewardship combined with leadership development.

Kids love water, but can they learn about science as they splash around?

Karen Hartsock immerses kids in hands-on science every year at Dungannon Intermediate School.  With the help of a grant from the Virginia Environmental Endowment, she built a curriculum of watershed games that capture students' interest while helping them acquire essential knowledge to be tested on the Virginia's Standards of Learning exams.

Her curriculums for elementary school, intermediate school, and high school are outlined below.

Elementary School

Project 1 – Incredible Journey

SOLs:4.5

Summary: With the role of a die, students simulate the movement of water within the water cycle.

Materials Needed: 9 large pieces of paper, copies of water cycle table, marking pens, 9 Styrofoam cubes

Source: Project Wet

Project 2 – Thicket Game

SOLs: K.6, 1.5, 3.4

Summary: Students become “predators” and “prey” in a version of “hide and seek”.

Materials Needed: blindfold

Source: Project Wild

Project 3 - Habitat Lap Sit

SOLs: K.6, 1.8, 2.5, 3.6, 4.5

Summary: Students physically form an interconnected circle to demonstrate components of habitat.

Materials Needed: none

Source: Project Wild

Project 4 – Oh! Deer

SOLs: K.6, 1.8, 2.5, 3.6, 4.5

Summary: Students become “deer’ and components of habitat in a highly-involving physical activity.

Materials Needed: marker, flipchart

Source: Project Wild

Project 5 – Deadly Links

SOLs: K.6, 1.8, 2.5, 3.6, 4.5

Summary: Students become “hawks”, “shrews”, and “grasshoppers” in a highly-involved physical activity depicting the movement of pesticides in a food chain.

Materials Needed: Construction paper, sandwich bags, labels

Source: Project Wild

Project 6 – Are You Me?

SOLs: K.6, 1.5, 2.5, 3.6, 4.5

Summary: Students will recognize various young stages of aquatic animals and match them with corresponding adult stages.

Materials Needed: Animal cards

Source: Project Wild Aquatic

Intermediate School

Project 1 – Lost River Village

SOLs: 4.8, 5.8, 6.7, LS 12

Summary: Students will associate underground karst systems with human impact on water quality creating a map of land use activities.

Materials Needed: one set of copy pages, scissors, gluestick, pencil, crayons

Source: Project Underground

Project 2 – Incredible Journey

SOLs: 4.5, 6.3, LS 7

Summary: With the role of a die, students simulate the movement of water within the water cycle.

Materials Needed: 9 large pieces of paper, copies of water cycle table, marking pens, 9 Styrofoam cubes

Source: Project Wet

Project 3 – Thicket Game

SOLs: LS 10

Summary: Students become “predators” and “prey” in a version of “hide and seek”.

Materials Needed: blindfold

Source: Project Wild

Project 4 - Habitat Lap Sit

SOLs: 5.8, 6.7, LS 12

Summary: Students physically form an interconnected circle to demonstrate components of habitat.

Materials Needed: none

Source: Project Wild

Project 5 – Oh! Deer

SOLs: 6.7, LS 10

Summary: Students become “deer’ and components of habitat in a highly-involving physical activity.

Materials Needed: marker, flipchart

Source: Project Wild

Project 6 – Deadly Links

SOLs: 6.7, LS10

Summary: Students become “hawks”, “shrews”, and “grasshoppers” in a highly-involved physical activity depicting the movement of pesticides in a food chain.

Materials Needed: Construction paper, sandwich bags, labels

Source: Project Wild

Project 7 – Migration Headache

SOLs: 5.8, 6.9, LS 12

Summary: Students portray migrating water birds traveling between nesting habitats and wintering grounds. They encounter limiting factors and predict effects of limiting factors.

Materials Needed: paper plates, flipchart pad

Source: Project Wild Aquatic

Project 8 – Wetlands Soils in Living Color

SOLs: 5.5, 6.7, LS 12

Summary: Students learn about the properties of wetland soils and classify soil types using a simple color key.

Materials Needed: pencils, three soil samples, shovel, 64 Crayola crayons, scissors, gluestick, posterboard, yardstick

Source: Project Wet

Project 9 – Something’s Fishy

SOLs: 5.8, 6.5, LS 7

Summary: Students read and discuss a story, inventing their own endings that lead to environmental action in their community.

Materials Needed: copy of story, paper, pencils

Source: Project Wet

Project 10 – Macroinvertebrate Mayhem

SOLs: 5.5, 6.7, LS 12

Summary: Students play a game to simulate the effects of environmental stressors on macroinvertebrate populations. Students then observe the riverbed, capture, identify, and release macroinvertebrates.

Materials needed: identification cards, snorkels, ice trays, net seine, flipchart paper.

Source: Project Wet

Project 11 – Watershed

SOLs: 5.8, 6.5, LS 7

Summary: Students measure the area of a local watershed, calculate the amount of water it receives each year, and discuss the varied roles of the watershed plays in human and wildlife.

Materials needed: tent stakes, hammer, two 50 ft. measuring tapes, two 100ft. measuring tapes, paper, clipboards, local maps, and flipchart pad.

High School

Project 1 – Lost River Village

SOLs: ES.9, Bio. 9

Summary: Students will associate underground karst systems with human impact on water quality creating a map of land use activities.

Materials Needed: one set of copy pages, scissors, gluestick, pencil, crayons

Source: Project Underground

Project 2 – Incredible Journey

SOLs: ES. 9

Summary: With the role of a die, students simulate the movement of water within the water cycle.

Materials Needed: 9 large pieces of paper, copies of water cycle table, marking pens, 9 Styrofoam cubes

Source: Project Wet

Project 3 - Habitat Lap Sit

SOLs: ES.9, Bio. 9

Summary: Students physically form an interconnected circle to demonstrate components of habitat.

Materials Needed: none

Source: Project Wild

Project 4 – Something’s Fishy

SOLs: ES. 9

Summary: Students read and discuss a story, inventing their own endings that lead to environmental action in their community.

Materials Needed: copy of story, paper, pencils

Source: Project Wet

Project 5– Macroinvertebrate Mayhem

SOLs: Es. 9, Bio. 9

Summary: Students play a game to simulate the effects of environmental stressors on macroinvertebrate populations. Students then observe the riverbed, capture, identify, and release macroinvertebrates.

Materials needed: identification cards, snorkels, ice trays, net seine, flipchart paper.

Source: Project Wet

Project 6 – Watershed

SOLs: Es. 9

Summary: Students measure the area of a local watershed, calculate the amount of water it receives each year, and discuss the varied roles of the watershed plays in human and wildlife.

Materials needed: tent stakes, hammer, two 50 ft. measuring tapes, two 100ft. measuring tapes, paper, clipboards, local maps, and flipchart pad.

In early spring 2011, CREC and Dungannon Intermediate School teamed up on a pilot worm bin project.  Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spearheaded the project, building the worm bin and buying worms and supplies.  Staff at Dungannon Intermediate School were extremely helpful, teaching students to separate food waste from plastic and then storing the food scraps for weekly pickup.

Between February 19 and April 27, the worm bin project saved 1,226 pounds of food waste from the landfill.  Unfortunately, the experiment was ultimately a failure for an unexpected reason --- the worms wouldn't eat the scraps!  Worms love most food scraps, but they couldn't digest much of the processed, starchy foods that dominated the school's trash cans.

For more information on the project, read the plan, the initial letter to the school, how to weigh several weeks of scraps to get an idea of the school's average output, calculating how many worms we'd need, buying worms locally, building a large worm bin, filling the worm bin, feeding the worms, weekly maintenance, initial success after one month, and eventual reasons for failure.

Dear Anndrena,

I am not sure if you remember me, but I sure remember you! I was that little Chicago girl you used to mentor in Hindman, Kentucky, at Appalachian Family Folk Week over 15 years ago.

I just wanted to drop you a hello and let you know that you continue to be a huge inspiration in both my and my brother Joseph's lives. I really am very thankful that I got to know you so early on and still think a lot about all the amazing lessons you taught me and my brother.

I've been able to do a lot of really neat things with my life so far, in part due to your inspiration. I graduated Centre College with an art degree and was then awarded a Fulbright grant to live in Vienna, Austria. I'm now working at a clinic for schizophrenics in Uptown in Chicago where I've started my own project- making art with some of the patients around here.

Well, I really just wanted to say thank you and to also let you know about how your inspiration has been carried through another generation of people. I hope that you are doing really well.

Much gratitude,
Caitlin Harper

During their first year in existence, the Appalachian Faith and Ecology Center (AFEC) connected many people of faith to the current issues impacting the ecological integrity of Central Appalachia.  The volunteer staff, Jackie Hanrahan and Susan Hedge, set up their office and then headed out into the community to share their passion.

Susan Hedge visited congregations in Florida and assisted with three seasonal rituals in Virginia as part of AFEC's goal of helping churches spiritually connect to the natural environment.  Although AFEC's staff can't visit every church in the nation, they have teamed up with the Catholic Diocese of Richmond to make a facilitator's manual --- Habits of Creation --- available for download as a pdf document from AFEC's website. 

Greening churches is another focus of AFEC's endeavors.  The staff works with churches to assess their environmental impact and then consider green changes like brown bag lunches and rain gardens.  AFEC's guide to greening church picnics will be up on their website by the end of the year.

When asked what's next, Susan Hedge explained that she plans to develop AFEC's first web-based educational program on environmental justice in 2011.  Jackie Hanrahan is hard at work planning liturgical celebrations and conference presentations.

AFEC has been grateful for the help of the Clinch River Educational Center who served as their fiscal agent in 2010 and will continue to do so in 2011, but the organization plans to eventually stretch its wings and grow into a fully self-sufficient group.

On Friday afternoon, Sept. 24, Jennifer Meade, principal of the Dungannon Intermediate School, introduced the performance of "My Story, My Voice."  She explained that Anndrena Belcher, through a partnership of the school and the Clinch River Educational Center, had worked with the students to look at the teaching and traditions embodied in the life stories of home and family.

"Everybody has a story, everybody has a voice," Belcher explained.

Fifty-three of the 77 students chose to share bits and pieces of what they learned in interviewing their grandparents and other relatives or as Belcher calls them "elders."  Some brought in archival photographs.  Others drew images of family members, home place structures and local landmark structures associated with "living memory."

Some of these stories included the "Old Black Bridge" which used to cross the Clinch River, the "Old Fincastle Church," which our young storyteller tells us is "haunted," and the "Railroad Depot," which used to sit "by the railroad tracks!" says one young man.  All were remembered in different chosen, sharing formats.

Memories of Fort Blackmore compiled by the students were "It washed away in the flood," bemoans a young male student, who lives down that way.  "There used to be a barber shop, a bank and other shops.  There was a lot going on there."

Stories about homemade cakes, brownies, salsa, candy, pear butter, apple butter, lovely hand appliqued pillowcases, embroidery, a story sung or read, a living tradition captured in a handclap game, life on the Clinch River described in a fishing story --- complete with advice as to how to "cast your line, but don't throw the rod in the water!", these and original songs along with the harmonica playing debut of Andrew Anderson, rollicking "backup" rhythm and singing by language arts and math teachers along with Natalie Adams made for a total learning celebration.

Twenty-two students decided to speak in front of the microphone at this performance.

"Speaking in front of a mic takes a lot of courage and trust in the audience and in the spirit of self," Belcher said.  "Some parents and grandparents were in attendence.  That is a big deal!"

According to the Virginia Standards of Learning, oral expression, language arts, and social studies are integrated as each student looks at his or her own "personal history."

"Everybody makes history," Belcher confirmed.  "By having students identify image and emotion around personal story they are learning to trust "living memory."  The elders have always taught by passing on skills, information, creative thinking and problem solving, through the natural day to day storytelling process.  Every bit of information is not stored in a micro chip.  Human beings possess many kinds of intelligence.  We saw that here at the Dungannon Intermediate School!"

Belcher likes to combine what she calls all the ways of learning.  She has served as a touring artist for the Virginia Commission for the Arts for the past 20 years.  The late Studs Terkel, author and oral historian, noted her importance in helping to preserve traditional family stories.

"Anndrena Belcher is one of our secret national treasures," Terkel said.  "We may have lost our tribal memory, at least for the moment.  It is an artist like Anndrena Belacher who can help us recapture it."

She will be performing at the Dungannon Intermediate School Fall Fundraiser set for Friday, Oct. 8, from 6 to 9 p.m.  Some students may share their research at the festival as well.

This Friday, Oct. 1, Belcher will be performing at Fort Blackmore Primary School at 1 p.m.  Parents and other relatives are invited.

Additional information abot Belcher can be found at www.anndrena.com or on MySpace.  To contact her for bookings call (276) 494-2163 or email anndrenabelcher@aol.com.