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Clean Water and Community Voices: Looking Back on the Evarts Water Resilience Forum
On January 12, 2026, residents of Evarts, Kentucky, gathered at the Evarts Free Pentecostal Holiness Church Fellowship Hall for LiKEN Knowledge’s Community Water Resilience Forum. We had 19 community members in attendance, and I truly appreciate each and every one who took the time to be there. As a born-and-raised Harlan Countian, I appreciated seeing people show up, ask questions, and take an active role in supporting their community’s water story.
February 11, 2026
LiKEN Recap 2025: Listening to the Land, Learning from the People
In 2025, LiKEN deepened our commitment to building livelihoods of care across Appalachia, along the coast of Louisiana, throughout the diverse cultural and geographic regions across the United States, and around the globe. Guided by community needs, we expanded our team, strengthened cross–sector partnerships, advanced intercultural climate and water research, and continued to build resources that improve local livelihoods. LiKENeers gathered at Experience Learning in Spruce Knob, WV this...
December 31, 2025
Christmas in the Appalachian Mountains
What is an Appalachian Christmas? In years past, I remember how joyful Christmas was in my youth. Not so much for the monetary value of presents, but for the feeling that came with the deep, cold snows that would cover the mountains in a soft, white, peaceful, calming blanket.
December 31, 2025
No Community Without “U:” What CECs Mean to LiKEN
LiKEN Knowledge is an organization that doesn't just want to invest in communities, but one that wants to be rooted in all communities. Without our strong, empowering, knowledgeable, and passionate CECs, none of these opportunities would be possible.
November 26, 2025
![A family of deer standing in snow in West Virginia in April 2011. Photo by ForestWander . Introduction : From 300 Thousand to 30 Million Deer White–Tailed Deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) are a common sight across Kentucky, being prevalent in both open fields and dense forests. They are widely hunted both for their meat and as trophies. Their population is great enough that, despite their value, they can be a nuisance, with heavy browsing of crops, vehicle collisions, and rampant diseases. This huge population, though, has not always been present, and is in fact a recovery from near-extinction at one point. When European settlers first arrived in North America, they found an abundance of wildlife. Kentucky was no exception, with dozens of “long hunters” storming the territory well before it was a state. Like Indigenous people for centuries before them, they were drawn to Kentucky for hunting. Ironically, though, the abundant deer fueled myths of Kentucky being an empty land, even despite fierce competition for both game and land with Indigenous peoples, especially the Shawnee and Cherokee, throughout the long hunters’ time because of shared pull factors into the region ( Kentucky Heritage Council ). Among the abundance of wildlife species present were huge numbers of white–tailed deer, with populations estimated to have been as high as 62 million ( Hanberry and Hanberry, 2020 ). An image from famed hunter William T. Hornaday's The American Natural History: A Foundation of Useful Knowledge of the Higher Animals of North America, Volume II (1914). Text around the image reads, "At this date deer-hunting is not permitted at any time in Indiana, Illinois, lowa, Nebraska, and Kansas—where there are no wild deer; or in Rhode Island, Conneticut, Delaware, Tennessee, or Kentucky [where populations still remain]." Click this link to read the original book that this image was downloaded from! By the 1800s, unregulated over-hunting had reduced this population to 12 million, and by 1900, because of an increase in commercial hunting practices, as few as 300,000 white–tails remained, and the deer had vanished from much of their historical range. By the year 2000, though, things had changed. The passage of the federal Lacey Act created regulations for the trade of illegally harvested wildlife, and penalties for violating these regulations. This effectively destroyed the commercial hunting trade, which was already facing challenges after decades of uncontrolled harvest. Because of such regulations put in place by both federal and state wildlife management agencies, as well as aggressive reintroduction and management efforts, this deer population had rebounded to an estimated 30 million deer ( New Hampshire Fish and Game Department ), and again are a widely–hunted game species. Odocoileus virginianus , commonly called the white–tailed deer, is an ungulate in the family Cervidae. It is an extremely widespread species, ranging over most of eastern and central North America, and as far south as the northern reaches of South America. In recent decades, warming temperatures have even allowed them to expand their range farther north, into boreal forests ( Dawe and Boutin, 2016 ). They feed by browsing on a wide variety of plant life, from the herbaceous plants and flowers, to the leaves and stems of woody plants and trees, to seeds and nuts such as acorns. This browsing practice can have negative impacts on agriculture, as deer do not distinguish between wild plants and domestic ones ( UK Forestry ). This only helped to make them the perfect prey then, and with the rebounded population of the present, it is a returning issue. Modern Harvesting: White–Tailed Deer Seasons of Today and Tomorrow Presently, white–tailed deer are a widely hunted game species across most of their range. They are primarily hunted for their meat as well as for trophies. In Kentucky alone, during the 2024–2025 deer season, 149,868 were harvested ( KDWFR Harvest Report ). Deer hunting season in Kentucky begins in early fall, usually early September, and lasts through winter, typically ending in early January. That larger yearly season breaks down into several smaller, weapon–specific ones: archery season is the longest going from early September to the middle of January; crossbow season also runs from September to January but with a slightly shorter window; modern firearm season lasts around two weeks in November; and muzzleloader season comes first for a weekend in October and again for just over a week in December ( KDFWR ). For more detailed information on season dates, as well as rules and regulations surrounding deer hunting in Kentucky, visit the Kentucky Departments of Fish and Wildlife Resources web page about deer hunting . For those who want to attract deer to their properties for hunting season, there are some habitat management factors that need to be considered. First, you should consider the plant communities on their property, as this helps determine the cover (shelter from predators and adverse weather) available to deer. Is it largely forested, largely open ground, or a mixture of both? What tree and plant species are present on site, and what condition are they in? Answering these questions can help determine what kind of cover and forage is available to deer on the property, and how appealing they would be ( Purdue Forestry ). It is important to provide for a deer's habitat needs on a year–round basis, as they are more likely to remain within an area longer if all their needs are met year–round, rather than just for a season. If you own property that is completely forested, with a thick canopy, then implementing a Forest Stand Improvement, or FSI (also called a Timber Stand Improvement or TSI), could help introduce more light by eliminating less desirable or unhealthy trees, while encouraging the growth of more desirable tree and plant species like oaks, blackberries, and other mast producing plants. The creation of early successional habitats, such as fields and forest openings, can provide deer with both an abundance of food and cover. For more detailed on–site help, you can contact your local private lands biologist , who is often available for free through your state's wildlife agency . They can provide technical advice, and organizations like the Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN) can help you learn about and navigate the federal cost–share opportunities available in the region. These opportunities include the USDA's Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for new conservation practices and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for expanding on existing efforts. For help in choosing among these programs, and for more information about forest management, visit LiKEN’s Community Wealth page here . Failing from Too Much Success: CWD and HD in Modern White–Tailed Deer A deer visibly showing signs of CWD in Wyoming, where it is much more common, in 2000. Photo by Terry Kreeger. While the recovery of white–tail from the brink of extinction is undoubtedly a good thing, it hasn’t come without consequences. Chief among these is the rising prevalence of disease among deer populations, and there are several diseases that are commonly associated with deer that hunters should be aware of. The most well known of these are hemorrhagic diseases (HDs), commonly called “blue tongue,” and Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Hemorrhagic diseases are caused by viruses, typically the bluetongue virus or the epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus ( KDFWR ). These diseases are spread to deer through biting midges (small flying insects), whose populations rise in summer and fall off as temperatures begin to drop. Symptoms can vary, but include swelling of the head, neck and tongue, difficulty breathing, depression, and fever. Fever can lead the infected deer to drinking water, in an attempt to cool themselves; as a result, many deer who die from HD are found near, or even in, streams and ponds. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological disease found in many members of the cervid family. It is caused by misfolded proteins called prions, similar to mad cow disease, and is always fatal to infected deer. It is spread through the bodily fluids of infected deer, such as saliva, blood and urine, either through direct deer-to-deer contact, or indirect contact with these fluids in the environment. Once the prions from these fluids are introduced to soil and water sources, they can remain there for years ( US CDC ). Symptoms include weight loss, drooling, drooping ears, loss of coordination, and a lack of fear of humans. A CWD sampling station in Stearns County, Minnesota. To date, this disease is far more common in the northwest than southeast, but it is appearing in Kentucky more frequently. Photo by Tony Webster. Monitoring and testing for CWD is a major concern for many state fish and wildlife agencies, as if left unchecked it could spread further and have a lasting impact on deer populations. As of 2024, it has been detected in 34 US states. In Kentucky, a wild deer killed by a hunter in Ballard County was found to be infected, and in Breckinridge County a number of captive deer were found to have died from CWD ( KDFWR ). A second wild case was detected in Pulaski County in October 2025. Kentucky’s CWD response plan includes a surveillance zone, which includes the counties of Ballard, Breckinridge, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Marshall, McCracken, Meade, Union, and Webster ( KDFWR ). These counties have additional regulations for deer hunting, including a requirement that all deer harvested in these counties are sampled for CWD. In counties outside the surveillance zone, locations may be set up for hunters to drop off the heads of harvested deer for voluntary sampling, and biologists often take samples from road–killed deer to test them for CWD. While there is currently no evidence that humans can contract CWD, caution should still be taken with animals that are found to carry the disease. The recovery of America's White–tailed deer population—from being lost in much of its historic range, to flourishing to the point of nuisance—is a remarkable illustration of the importance of regulation and enforcement practices, and is a victory for conservation efforts. This recovery has not come without issues, such as the prevalence of disease among populations and the impacts they can have on crops. Keeping these factors in mind while managing them through disease monitoring and forest management practices can help ensure that people continue enjoying their interactions with deer, whether that be through hunting or simple observation.](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/635817_d69d2a8d64ac4eb7af60b34c2707abb7~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_265,h_265,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/Image-empty-state.jpg)
On the Rebound: A Tale of White–Tailed Deer in Kentucky
By the 1800s, unregulated over-hunting had reduced this population to 12 million, and by 1900, because of an increase in commercial hunting practices, as few as 300,000 white–tails remained, and the deer had vanished from much of their historical range. By the year 2000, though, things had changed. The passage of the federal Lacey Act created regulations for the trade of illegally harvested wildlife, and penalties for violating these regulations. This effectively destroyed the commercial hunting
November 20, 2025
Tire-Fighters: Reflecting on Kentucky River Cleanup Week’s Successful Conclusion
Of course, it was far from a picnic in the park. We grunted and did quite a bit of primal screaming, but it was all worth it to have made the difference! To quote volunteer Katie Bowling Johnson, “Doing a battle cry while lifting a 600 lb tire with your childhood bestie brings out some primal Appalachian pride!”
November 11, 2025
Toxic Tires in the Kentucky River's South Fork
We think of tires as mostly an unsightly nuisance, but the problem is not just an aesthetic one. Not only are tires unsightly, they are dangerous to our health. Tires pose an incredibly alarming source of toxins to our environment and drinking water. When tires break down, they leach toxic chemicals into our waterways. They are in fact: SILENT KILLERS.
November 6, 2025
Where the Pawpaws Grow: Finding and Conserving Kentucky’s Banana
Just as it is with human Papaws, the name of the game is sit around and wait. I waited through the seasons and each phase of the growing cycle, waiting first on the flies and beetles to germinate the flower in early spring and then for the zebra swallowtail butterfly to lay her eggs under the leaves in the summer.
October 23, 2025
It Was the Berries: Fighting Autumn Olive's (Elaeagnus umbellata) Invasion in Appalachia
Unfortunately, large-scale plantings of autumn olive on these mine lands, with extremely low plant diversity on top of low levels of nitrogen in the soil, allowed autumn olive to grow quickly. Its invasion dominates the landscape by suppressing native regrowth. In addition, its high mast production allowed it to spread rapidly, with seeds being spread by animals that feed on the shrub’s berries.
October 23, 2025
A Season of Growth: LiKEN’s Summer Highlights
Summer is always a busy time for LiKEN, and this year has been no different. From creek clean ups and youth paddle camps to Tribal-led...
September 11, 2025
Blackberry Pickin’ Time and My Grandma's Blackberry Dumplings
It is a time of early morning dew glistening in the sunlight as it brings to life the cool feeling of anticipation of the new warmer seasons arriving. It is a time of adventure and excitement with walks in the deep woods of Kentucky. You can almost feel the anticipation in the air. It is a time of bare feet walking along the cool paths of the earth beneath and the feeling of memories and days of times past. It is a forever-connection to how it feels to grow up in the mountains.
August 28, 2025
The Road through Hell-For-Certain; Paved with Good Intentions
To put a positive spin on the saying about a “road to hell,” however, I believe we need a “road through hell” here. Because hell does not have to be the endpoint—it is not too late for us to sit back, reflect, take stock of everything, and be proactive toward longer term systemic change—even if it feels like the house is burning down around you.
August 26, 2025