Southern Appalachia’s Resilience Hub: A Community’s Fight Against Climate Change in West Marion, NC

Editor’s note: This edition of our ‘Protect This Place’ column is produced in collaboration with the Climate Listening Project, whose short film appears below.

The Place: West Marion, North Carolina, sits in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, pronounced Appa-latch-an and known locally as the Blue Ridge Mountains. This biodiversity hotspot is where communities are still recovering from Hurricane Helene and coming together to build a Resilience Hub.

Why West Marion Matters

This region is home to the greatest diversity of salamanders on Earth, including the giant eastern hellbender. Varying elevations create unique ecosystems for more tree species than anywhere else in North America. The Appalachians also serve as a critical migration corridor for species from the North and South. As the oldest mountains in the world, the Appalachians hold deep ecological and cultural significance.

Marion is famous for its annual Bigfoot Festival, but West Marion is also a historically Black community that lost its school after desegregation and saw its connectivity severed when the new interstate was built through its center.

The Threat: Hurricane Helene and Beyond

Hurricane Helene was a devastating event, unleashing relentless rain that turned small streams into raging rivers. These waters tore through forests, destroyed homes, and fractured communities. West Marion Inc. has spent years listening to the community’s needs and is now leading efforts to build a Resilience Hub.

The new film, “Climate Change And…”, tells their story—a narrative where Hurricane Helene is just one chapter in a long history of struggle. Yet, amid these challenges, climate change and hope coexist. The community is taking action, building solutions, and caring for each other and the land they cherish.

Building a Brighter Future: The Resilience Hub

The Resilience Hub will be housed in an old school building donated back to the community. Plans also include constructing a bridge over the interstate to reconnect the town. A capital campaign is underway to fund the hub, which will serve multiple roles:

• Provide aid during climate disasters
• Function as a local health center
• Serve as a technology hub
• Host a food incubator
• Act as a community gathering space

My Connection to This Place

I lived in the Appalachian foothills for many years. After 2013 became the wettest, rainiest year on record in western North Carolina, I launched the Climate Listening Project. My first project, “Asheville Rain,” featured a scientist discussing the importance of preserving Appalachian bogs. Over time, I witnessed record-breaking rainfall from hurricanes moving inland, dumping extreme amounts of water and triggering mudslides.

Almost a decade ago, I attended my first West Marion Community Forum meeting and met inspiring women, including director Paula Swepson. Shortly after, I was invited to host a climate forum where community members gathered to discuss adaptation strategies for floods, fires, and other challenges. We focused on solutions around food security, transportation, and community health. Our collaboration has continued ever since, amplifying the voices and needs of this resilient community.