Lang Hornthal is the Executive Director of EcoForesters, an Asheville-based nonprofit professional forestry organization dedicated to conserving and restoring Appalachian forests through education and stewardship.

In this episode, Lang discusses the organization’s work and how the aftermath of Hurricane Helene has reshaped the forests around us, and the way EcoForesters approaches its mission.

Lang also zooms out to talk about forestry more broadly, and his own path into this work, from running a rustic furniture company to graduate school, where he became fascinated by a simple question: why do so few private landowners have a forest management plan, and what would it take to change that?

EcoForesters
ecoforesters.org

Theme Music
The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

Kevin Westmoreland and Joe Scully are the co-owners of Corner Kitchen, a venerable restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina’s Biltmore Village that reopened this August, nearly a year after Hurricane Helene flooded the entire first floor of the restaurant.

Prior to opening Corner Kitchen in 2004, Kevin had a background in corporate operations and management roles, and Joe was a seasoned, classically trained chef. The duo met through their sons in 2001, and a friendship blossomed into a business partnership that also includes Chestnut, a restaurant in downtown Asheville.

In this episode, Joe and Kevin discuss the long road back after Helene and the emotions they felt when Corner Kitchen re-opened this August. They also recall the early days of Corner Kitchen and how they rebounded from another devastating flood that shut down the restaurant just six months after opening in 2004.

Corner Kitchen

thecornerkitchen.com

Chestnut

chestnutasheville.com

Theme Music

The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.

David Huff is an Asheville-based writer, photographer, and conservationist.

Leading at the intersection of disruption and resilience, he is the founder and chair of the George Masa Foundation, Councilor for Communications for the Carolina Mountain Club, and a trustee for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

A few weeks before the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact on Western North Carolina, David reflects on what recovery has looked like, from the economic toll on small businesses to the emotional weight carried by neighbors and families. He discusses resilience as a lived experience shaped by community, creativity, and connection.

David also shares details from an early-September outing with the Carolina Mountain Club to the Craggy Gardens area of the Blue Ridge Parkway, where the group cleared the way on the Craggy Pinnacle Trail.

David Huff’s Work & Partnerships
davidhuffcreative.com
George Masa Foundation
Carolina Mountain Club
Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation

Theme Music
The song "Goa" was written by Lyndsay Pruett and performed by the Jon Stickley Trio.