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ISSUE 7, 25 NOVEMBER 2025
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Welcome back to The Bend!
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The Bend follows a simple rhythm each week. The Eddy Line opens with a one-line thought or
observation, something short enough to remember but worth thinking
about. What the Current Pulled Toward dives a
little deeper into where the previous week’s energy went, whether that’s
a project, a partnership, or a personal lesson learned. Signal Fire highlights a person, place, or initiative
that deserves some attention. And One Thought Worth
Sitting With closes things out with a brief reflection or quote
that will hopefully help guide you through whatever you may be dealing
with.
It’s part journal, part field note, and hopefully
something that makes you pause for a moment before diving back into the
current.
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“Resilience doesn’t wait for smooth water, it learns
to navigate the rocks instead.“
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What the Current Pulled Toward
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This week, the current
pulled toward resiliency.
In the
public and nonprofit sectors, especially in the areas of conservation
and recreation, resilience isn’t optional. In addition to tight budgets
and regulatory pressures, it oftentimes feels like the terrain changes
faster than planned.
Oxbow was
recently awarded a project that will allow for the building of a
Resiliency Network across the central Appalachian region (NC, VA, TN,
KY, WV) to help agencies and organizations share best practices, pool
resources, and recover stronger when disruptions hit. It’s my hope that
this initiative will recognize how many folks are doing so much more
than just responding, but also building systems that allow communities
to recover smarter.
When you begin
that kind of work, you realize that bouncing back is just one piece of
resilience. The full package includes foreseeing change, creating
support structures, leaving the ego at the door, and accepting that
sometimes what’s ahead will be harder than what you’ve already been
through. The key, of course, is the commitment to still show
up.
For me personally, this means
drawing on every chapter I’ve lived so far. I spent over two decades in
local government, where resilience was often the difference between
“getting by” and “getting through.” It also means listening to regional
partners who are stretched thin yet still finding creative ways to serve
their communities.
The truth is, this
work isn’t neat or clean. It’s layered, it’s imperfect, and it’s
occasionally overwhelming. Okay, maybe more than occasionally. But the
messy parts force us to adapt and recommit to why we started in the
first place.
To me, resilience means
letting the challenges shape us without hardening us.
- Mike.
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The New River Conservancy is all in
on resilience. Their work to protect, restore, and engage communities
around the ancient New River watershed is built around long-term
recovery and adaptation.
For example,
their River Builder program has planted more than 1 million trees and
shrubs across 150 miles of river corridor in NC and VA. Their public
access and recreation campaign (PARC) is geared toward building new
parks, engaging communities, and creating riparian buffers that serve as
“last lines of defense” for watershed health along the North Fork of the
New River. After Hurricane Helene, they mobilized debris removal and
recovery grants to help communities rebuild.
Their focus is on more than
surviving the next disruption, it’s on building a healthier, more
resilient system for the long haul. That kind of mindset strengthens
both the watershed and the people across our region who are working
toward the same future.
If you’re interested in contributing to their work, follow
the link below.
Donate
here.
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One Thought Worth Sitting With
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This week’s theme: Resiliency.
“It’s not the strongest of the species that survive,
nor the most intelligent,
but the one most responsive to change.”
- Charles Darwin
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Let’s Go to Germany and Austria!
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This time next year, Oxbow is heading overseas, and
you’re invited. We’re partnering with
EF Adventures for a guided
multi-adventure journey
through Germany and Austria, exploring Bavaria, Tyrol, and Salzburg
by foot, bike, paddle, and rail.
It’s part cultural immersion and part active escape,
with alpine trails, lakeside yoga, village cafés, and the kind of views
that make you forget your phone exists. This isn’t a tour bus vacation;
it’s a chance to travel intentionally, move through landscapes at a
human pace, and connect with a group that values
curiosity
as much as comfort.
If you’ve ever wanted to explore Europe beyond the
postcards, this is your moment.
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Follow Oxbow on Social Media
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