SouthWings
@southwings.bsky.social
SouthWings partners with conservation groups, community groups, media, and decision-makers to provide a unique perspective to better understand and solve pressing environmental issues in the Southeast. www.southwings.org
Wait, is that Emmy award-winning Caitlyn Greene, cinematographer Justin Zweifach, and Mardi Gras masker Walter Sandifer, III? 😲 What are they doing with SouthWings? Well, if you checked out our post yesterday, you'd sure have a hint. 😉
What do you think they were joking about? 🤔
What do you think they were joking about? 🤔
November 14, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Wait, is that Emmy award-winning Caitlyn Greene, cinematographer Justin Zweifach, and Mardi Gras masker Walter Sandifer, III? 😲 What are they doing with SouthWings? Well, if you checked out our post yesterday, you'd sure have a hint. 😉
What do you think they were joking about? 🤔
What do you think they were joking about? 🤔
Emmy award-winning Caitlyn Greene and SouthWings have been planning this flight for over a year! Walter Sandifer, III of the Mardi Gras masking tradition, was aboard for the special project!
Lucky for you, VP Eric J. is offering a sneak peek since the project is not yet released. 😉
Lucky for you, VP Eric J. is offering a sneak peek since the project is not yet released. 😉
November 13, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Emmy award-winning Caitlyn Greene and SouthWings have been planning this flight for over a year! Walter Sandifer, III of the Mardi Gras masking tradition, was aboard for the special project!
Lucky for you, VP Eric J. is offering a sneak peek since the project is not yet released. 😉
Lucky for you, VP Eric J. is offering a sneak peek since the project is not yet released. 😉
#Datacenters are popping up all over SouthWings' region, and we are working hard to support our partners in several states shedding light on these projects.
A new exhibit in Cambridge, MD showcases a photograph taken by Andrew Cohen on a SouthWings flight in 2024.
A new exhibit in Cambridge, MD showcases a photograph taken by Andrew Cohen on a SouthWings flight in 2024.
‘Vanishing Landscapes’ Captures the Loss of our Chesapeake Shores - Cambridge Spy
A deer stands in a flooded warehouse, staring at a forest on a television screen, as water rises slowly against second-floor windows. Nearby, a
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November 12, 2025 at 2:00 PM
#Datacenters are popping up all over SouthWings' region, and we are working hard to support our partners in several states shedding light on these projects.
A new exhibit in Cambridge, MD showcases a photograph taken by Andrew Cohen on a SouthWings flight in 2024.
A new exhibit in Cambridge, MD showcases a photograph taken by Andrew Cohen on a SouthWings flight in 2024.
We're proud to support the work of Rise St. James, @healthygulf.bsky.social, @lailluminator.com, and all the people who help make it possible to hold toxic polluters accountable!
Runoff from Atalco alumina refinery into Mississippi River raises environmental concerns
A cloudy, rust-colored liquid plume flowed into the Mississippi River last week out of a drainage pipe from the Atlantic Alumina refinery.
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November 5, 2025 at 2:43 PM
We're proud to support the work of Rise St. James, @healthygulf.bsky.social, @lailluminator.com, and all the people who help make it possible to hold toxic polluters accountable!
Reposted by SouthWings
I have a new series out on WHQR @whqr.bsky.social in Wilmington about industrial animal farming in NC. It's become big business across the state. Today: the view from above, with help from @capefearriverwatch.bsky.social and @southwings.bsky.social Join us for the ride! www.whqr.org/local/2025-0...
CAFO Country: Touring NC's hog and poultry operations from the air
North Carolina is a national leader with more than 8 million hogs and close to a billion chickens and turkeys in production. Most are raised on an industrial scale, in what are known as "concentrated ...
www.whqr.org
September 22, 2025 at 9:11 PM
I have a new series out on WHQR @whqr.bsky.social in Wilmington about industrial animal farming in NC. It's become big business across the state. Today: the view from above, with help from @capefearriverwatch.bsky.social and @southwings.bsky.social Join us for the ride! www.whqr.org/local/2025-0...
Reposted by SouthWings
Thanks to Southwings (@southwings.bsky.social), EPN, Etsuko Kinefuchi (UNCG), and Dr. Treva Gear (@dogwoodalliance.org) saw Georgia's largest wood pellet plants from above. On the ground, we heard from residents about the health impacts they’re experiencing. Communities are speaking out.
October 31, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Thanks to Southwings (@southwings.bsky.social), EPN, Etsuko Kinefuchi (UNCG), and Dr. Treva Gear (@dogwoodalliance.org) saw Georgia's largest wood pellet plants from above. On the ground, we heard from residents about the health impacts they’re experiencing. Communities are speaking out.
Last week, Volunteer Pilot Woody supported the @dogwoodalliance.org with flights in Georgia to view the wood pellet industy and its impacts on local forests. Thank you to Woody and partners on the ground for advocating for the protection of our Southeastern forests!
📷 provided by Dogwood Alliance
📷 provided by Dogwood Alliance
October 29, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Last week, Volunteer Pilot Woody supported the @dogwoodalliance.org with flights in Georgia to view the wood pellet industy and its impacts on local forests. Thank you to Woody and partners on the ground for advocating for the protection of our Southeastern forests!
📷 provided by Dogwood Alliance
📷 provided by Dogwood Alliance
Tune in this week to "CAFO Country" a series on WHQR Public Media by David Boraks. A flight with Volunteer Pilot Rolf Wallin and Cape Fear Riverkeeper, Kemp Burdette informed this important reporting. @capefearriverwatch.bsky.social
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📷 by David Boraks
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📷 by David Boraks
CAFO Country: As hog and poultry operations spread, so do concerns
In 2007, North Carolina permanently banned new or expanded hog farms that collect waste in lagoons and spray it on fields as fertilizer. The idea was to shift to cleaner disposal methods at these…
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September 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Tune in this week to "CAFO Country" a series on WHQR Public Media by David Boraks. A flight with Volunteer Pilot Rolf Wallin and Cape Fear Riverkeeper, Kemp Burdette informed this important reporting. @capefearriverwatch.bsky.social
buff.ly/a46EUX4
📷 by David Boraks
buff.ly/a46EUX4
📷 by David Boraks
Coal River Mountain Watch works tirelessly to keep up with mountaintop removal coal mining permits, keep the public informed, and hold the WV Department of Environmental Protection accountable.
Comprehensive reporting that includes photos and videos from a recent flight:
buff.ly/FoRyfed
Comprehensive reporting that includes photos and videos from a recent flight:
buff.ly/FoRyfed
Lexington Coal to "Show Cause" After Chronic Violations; Citizen Watchdogs Press for Accountability
WEST VIRGINIA (WOAY) - Nearly a year after state inspectors cited violations at a former mine dam, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVD
woay.com
September 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Coal River Mountain Watch works tirelessly to keep up with mountaintop removal coal mining permits, keep the public informed, and hold the WV Department of Environmental Protection accountable.
Comprehensive reporting that includes photos and videos from a recent flight:
buff.ly/FoRyfed
Comprehensive reporting that includes photos and videos from a recent flight:
buff.ly/FoRyfed
Earlier this year, we celebrated a huge win when the Conservation Fund purchased the land Twin Pines Minerals planned to mine near the #Okefenokee Swamp. However, the threat of mining near the Swamp still lingers.
buff.ly/RRgFHIt
buff.ly/RRgFHIt
The Okefenokee Swamp is safe for now, but talk of mining near it hasn’t stopped
The end of the Twin Pines Minerals project hasn’t silenced talk of mining on the Okefenokee Swamp’s doorstep.
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September 16, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Earlier this year, we celebrated a huge win when the Conservation Fund purchased the land Twin Pines Minerals planned to mine near the #Okefenokee Swamp. However, the threat of mining near the Swamp still lingers.
buff.ly/RRgFHIt
buff.ly/RRgFHIt
Check out this article on #publicbenefitflying in the FAA Safety Briefing. SouthWings offers volunteer opportunities for supporting environmental initiatives throughout the Gulf and Southeastern US & safety is always our #1 priority.
Reach out if you are interested in learning more!
Reach out if you are interested in learning more!
Philanthropic Flying
Giving Back with General Aviation
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September 11, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Check out this article on #publicbenefitflying in the FAA Safety Briefing. SouthWings offers volunteer opportunities for supporting environmental initiatives throughout the Gulf and Southeastern US & safety is always our #1 priority.
Reach out if you are interested in learning more!
Reach out if you are interested in learning more!
A big thanks to Volunteer Pilot Rick W. for taking Mobile Baykeeper's Executive Director William Strickland and Water Quality Investigator Conrad Horst above the watershed for a bird's eye view! Check them out to learn more and get involved in protecting the Bay! www.mobilebaykeeper.org
September 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
A big thanks to Volunteer Pilot Rick W. for taking Mobile Baykeeper's Executive Director William Strickland and Water Quality Investigator Conrad Horst above the watershed for a bird's eye view! Check them out to learn more and get involved in protecting the Bay! www.mobilebaykeeper.org
Reposted by SouthWings
@mycologist.bsky.social @billmckibben.bsky.social @climatehuman.bsky.social @cclusa.org @dhlovelife.bsky.social @earthjustice.org @climatecasino.net @xrglobal.bsky.social @hollergospel.bsky.social @fairshake.bsky.social @jhenryfair.com @podcastgreenred.bsky.social & thanks @southwings.bsky.social
Act at link in comments to protect 1,900 acres of lush forested Appalachian Mountains, keep 56 million tons of coal in the ground, & keep 3 miles of headwater streams from being buried by chronic violator Lexington Coal Co. LCC owes $3 million in delinquent fines. youtu.be/jv_uZmwVgw8?...
Surface mine violations by Lexington Coal Co. on Cherry Pond Mountain, WV Flyover 8/8/2024
YouTube video by Coal River Mountain Watch
youtu.be
August 22, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Reposted by SouthWings
A little thought about the folly of man.
Trying to control nature always leads to disaster.
We channel The Mississippi to keep it going past New Orleans.
But the river has decided to change course, as rivers do.
Thanks to @southwings.bsky.social
#mississippi #morgancity #louisiana #flood #river
Trying to control nature always leads to disaster.
We channel The Mississippi to keep it going past New Orleans.
But the river has decided to change course, as rivers do.
Thanks to @southwings.bsky.social
#mississippi #morgancity #louisiana #flood #river
September 2, 2025 at 12:59 PM
A little thought about the folly of man.
Trying to control nature always leads to disaster.
We channel The Mississippi to keep it going past New Orleans.
But the river has decided to change course, as rivers do.
Thanks to @southwings.bsky.social
#mississippi #morgancity #louisiana #flood #river
Trying to control nature always leads to disaster.
We channel The Mississippi to keep it going past New Orleans.
But the river has decided to change course, as rivers do.
Thanks to @southwings.bsky.social
#mississippi #morgancity #louisiana #flood #river
In June, SouthWings supported Tennesse Heartwood in showing off the clear-cutting in local forests. This news story published this weekend in the Chattanooga Times Free Press is helping spread the word: Conservation Groups challenge clear-cutting of Tenessee forests
Photo gallery:
Photo gallery:
Chattanooga Times Free Press
Chattanooga's only daily newspaper. Complete coverage of breaking news in Chattanooga, Other local, regional and national news. Classifieds and online marketplace.
buff.ly
August 11, 2025 at 4:00 PM
In June, SouthWings supported Tennesse Heartwood in showing off the clear-cutting in local forests. This news story published this weekend in the Chattanooga Times Free Press is helping spread the word: Conservation Groups challenge clear-cutting of Tenessee forests
Photo gallery:
Photo gallery:
We are so very proud of one of our very own volunteer pilots for being named "Distinguished Volunteer Pilot" in the Public Benefit Flying Awards presented by NAA and the Air Care Alliance!
buff.ly/phU4gW5
Please join us in congratulating Rolf Wallin!
📷 by J Henry Fair
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Please join us in congratulating Rolf Wallin!
📷 by J Henry Fair
August 5, 2025 at 4:43 PM
We are so very proud of one of our very own volunteer pilots for being named "Distinguished Volunteer Pilot" in the Public Benefit Flying Awards presented by NAA and the Air Care Alliance!
buff.ly/phU4gW5
Please join us in congratulating Rolf Wallin!
📷 by J Henry Fair
buff.ly/phU4gW5
Please join us in congratulating Rolf Wallin!
📷 by J Henry Fair
Reflecting on the first half of 2025, we are so grateful for the positive momentum that our volunteer pilots have helped create in our region alongside our various flight partners.
Read about the 50+ flights we've completed so far this year in our hot-off-the-press Mid Year Report:
buff.ly/5i19oPf
Read about the 50+ flights we've completed so far this year in our hot-off-the-press Mid Year Report:
buff.ly/5i19oPf
August 1, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Reflecting on the first half of 2025, we are so grateful for the positive momentum that our volunteer pilots have helped create in our region alongside our various flight partners.
Read about the 50+ flights we've completed so far this year in our hot-off-the-press Mid Year Report:
buff.ly/5i19oPf
Read about the 50+ flights we've completed so far this year in our hot-off-the-press Mid Year Report:
buff.ly/5i19oPf
🎉 Victory for the Okefenokee Swamp!!🎉
On Friday, June 20th, The Conservation Fund announced they have reached an agreement with Twin Pines to purchase 8,000 acres near the southeastern corner of the Okefenokee.
Since 2019, we have supported this fight with 13 flights!
On Friday, June 20th, The Conservation Fund announced they have reached an agreement with Twin Pines to purchase 8,000 acres near the southeastern corner of the Okefenokee.
Since 2019, we have supported this fight with 13 flights!
Historic land deal halts mining project next to Okefenokee Swamp
The move puts an immediate halt to a project that scientists and environmentalists had feared could irreparably damage North America’s largest blackwater swamp.
buff.ly
June 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
🎉 Victory for the Okefenokee Swamp!!🎉
On Friday, June 20th, The Conservation Fund announced they have reached an agreement with Twin Pines to purchase 8,000 acres near the southeastern corner of the Okefenokee.
Since 2019, we have supported this fight with 13 flights!
On Friday, June 20th, The Conservation Fund announced they have reached an agreement with Twin Pines to purchase 8,000 acres near the southeastern corner of the Okefenokee.
Since 2019, we have supported this fight with 13 flights!
Hear from our inaugual Lonestar Volunteer Pilot Award recipient on why he loves to be a volunteer pilot and one of his most exciting flights (so far)! Thanks for all you do, Scott! buff.ly/csQtHJu #americanbonanzasociety #volunteerpilot #publicbenefitflying #aviationlovers #volunteersmakeadifference
“Flying with a Purpose” in ABS Magazine — Humphries Aviation
Public benefit flying is the focus of ABS Executive Director Beth Barberree’s interview of me in the June 2025 issue of ABS Magazine, the monthly print publication of the American Bonanza Society …
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June 3, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Hear from our inaugual Lonestar Volunteer Pilot Award recipient on why he loves to be a volunteer pilot and one of his most exciting flights (so far)! Thanks for all you do, Scott! buff.ly/csQtHJu #americanbonanzasociety #volunteerpilot #publicbenefitflying #aviationlovers #volunteersmakeadifference
SouthWings flights give our partners a look at projects, often when there is a lack of transparency on proposals that could harm our environment. Read more in Sound Rivers' latest blog:
Sound Rivers checks on Blounts Creek mine progress
Sound Rivers’ staff took to the air last week to find out whether mining operations have started at Martin Marietta Material’s Vanceboro quarry.
buff.ly
May 30, 2025 at 6:17 PM
SouthWings flights give our partners a look at projects, often when there is a lack of transparency on proposals that could harm our environment. Read more in Sound Rivers' latest blog:
#CancerAlley is teeming with petrochemical facilities, "plants" have been built upon the plantation system. Several of our partners are fighting to protect their families and neighbors, as well as the graves of their ancestors who were enslaved on these plantations.
When #JohnsHopkins scientists drove their air testing van to #CancerAlley they didn’t have a lot of pre-existing studies to compare to. And the #petrochemicalindustry self-reports to the EPA. What they found astonished them. What does it mean for the people there? Go to bit.ly/3STi1AP to learn more.
May 29, 2025 at 8:19 PM
#CancerAlley is teeming with petrochemical facilities, "plants" have been built upon the plantation system. Several of our partners are fighting to protect their families and neighbors, as well as the graves of their ancestors who were enslaved on these plantations.
Reposted by SouthWings
As Edda Fields-Black and I prepare for the opening of "Picturing Freedom: Harriet Tubman and the Combahee River Raid" at the Gibbes Museum in Charleston on May 23, I'll be sharing a selection of featured images.
Many thanks to @southwings.bsky.social for flight support!
Many thanks to @southwings.bsky.social for flight support!
April 20, 2025 at 2:14 PM
As Edda Fields-Black and I prepare for the opening of "Picturing Freedom: Harriet Tubman and the Combahee River Raid" at the Gibbes Museum in Charleston on May 23, I'll be sharing a selection of featured images.
Many thanks to @southwings.bsky.social for flight support!
Many thanks to @southwings.bsky.social for flight support!
We are proud to support @selc.bsky.social in their fight for South Memphis communities, and we are grateful to our volunteer pilots who can help provide transparency on industrial projects.
Read more:
buff.ly/kmKGITl
Read more:
buff.ly/kmKGITl
Resistance to xAI's pollution builds in South Memphis
Hundreds of people are speaking out against xAI’s South Memphis data center, urging local leaders to deny the company’s request for an air permit. xAI — a company founded by Elon Musk —opened a…
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May 27, 2025 at 10:00 PM
We are proud to support @selc.bsky.social in their fight for South Memphis communities, and we are grateful to our volunteer pilots who can help provide transparency on industrial projects.
Read more:
buff.ly/kmKGITl
Read more:
buff.ly/kmKGITl
Great time this week at the Choose Clean Water Conference in Harrisonburg, VA!
It was inspiring to learn about initiatives in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
We are grateful to our volunteer pilots who provided a field trip for some of the conference attendees!
It was inspiring to learn about initiatives in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
We are grateful to our volunteer pilots who provided a field trip for some of the conference attendees!
Aviation nonprofit gives environmental advocates a bird’s eye view of local polluters
Dynamic Aviation’s small airstrip was abuzz with the sound of propeller engines as two visiting planes prepared for some special flights on Tuesday afternoon.
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May 23, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Great time this week at the Choose Clean Water Conference in Harrisonburg, VA!
It was inspiring to learn about initiatives in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
We are grateful to our volunteer pilots who provided a field trip for some of the conference attendees!
It was inspiring to learn about initiatives in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
We are grateful to our volunteer pilots who provided a field trip for some of the conference attendees!
And now for some hopeful news! Thanks to VP Clinton Jones for helping make this Louisiana Illuminator coverage possible!
'A living laboratory': An accidental delta taught Louisiana scientists how to rebuild wetlands • Louisiana Illuminator
Something hopeful is happening where the Atchafalaya River meets the Gulf. A flow of sediment from a decades-old river diversion has accidentally given birth to new wetlands.
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May 22, 2025 at 8:43 AM
And now for some hopeful news! Thanks to VP Clinton Jones for helping make this Louisiana Illuminator coverage possible!