West Virginia - Wild and Wonderful

About West Virginia

West Virginia is noted for its mountains and diverse topography, its historically significant logging and coal mining industries, and its political and labor history. It is one of the most densely karstic areas in the world, making it a choice area for recreational caving and scientific research.

Business

West Virginia is full of opportunity for any business with a growing economy and a highly dedicated workforce. Whether you are running an existing business or thinking of starting a new business you can find all of the information you need throughout this business section.

Education

West Virginia is fortunate to have a tremendous education system with a high standard of excellence. Please use the information provided here to learn more about the wealth of educational opportunities in our great state.

Employment

West Virginia is home to one of the finest workforces in the country based on our hard work and commitment to quality. Whether you are looking for new job opportunities, enhancing your job skills or researching future employment trends you can find all of the information you need throughout this employment section.

Family

West Virginia offers the perfect balance of a rural and urban setting that suits a variety of lifestyles. This is a state where you can go whitewater rafting in the morning, go to an art exhibit in the afternoon and attend a concert in the evening. Whether you just moved to the Mountain State or your family has been here since it was founded, you are part of our community.

Health

Maintaining proper health is vital to ensuring the highest quality of life possible. West Virginia strives to provide one of the best health care systems in the country that is affordable and available to all residents of the state. This section contains numerous resources to assist you in accessing the health care services provided in the state.

Tourism

Exhilarate in the lasting beauty and natural wonder scattered throughout West Virginia. From unmatched outdoor recreation to world-class resorts, breathtaking scenery and a variety of cultural and historic attractions, West Virginia is an ideal spot to plan your next adventure. Discover for yourself what makes West Virginia wild and wonderful.

 Wild Foods Expert Edelene Wood at Pipestem State Park Nov. 28 

11/19/2008 

If you’re still thinking about food the day after Thanksgiving, wild foods expert Edelene Wood has some suggestions that she’ll share during a special event at Pipestem Resort State Park in Summers County. Wood will be a featured speaker at Pipestem November 28 at 1 p.m. at the Pipestem Resort Lodge. There is no charge to attend. This is the 35th year Wood has presented her wild foods program.

“She is quite the character and teacher,” according to Jim Phillips, naturalist at Pipestem Resort. “Her devotion in sharing her interests and educating people about edible and medicinal plants in the wild is with no less energy than when she organized the first wild foods weekend at North Bend State Park some four decades ago. We are tickled to death to have her back at Pipestem. This program comes at an appropriate time, Thanksgiving, when food preparation is a priority; but with Edelene, it’s all about plant use and game found in the wilds.”

Edelene Wood organized the first wild foods weekend at North Bend State Park in 1968.  Her guest speaker was Euell Gibbons, who had just published a book, “Stalking the Wild Asparagus.” Gibbons was ahead of his time in touting organic gardening and cultural-based food preparations and that weekend started a network of wild food enthusiasts who still gather annually 40 years later. Edelene Wood, like Gibbons, is considered by many to be a charting new thinking about organic and wild food preparation.

In addition to her role as organizer and president of the National Wildfoods Association, she is an avid vitrolite glass collector and historian. Wood is a resident of Wood County, W.Va.

For more information regarding events and activities at Pipestem Resort State Park, call (304) 466-1800, visit www.pipestemresort.com or 800 CALL WVA and ask for Pipestem Resort State Park.

Contact Information

Jim Phillips 
304-466-1800 
jimphillips@wvdnr.gov