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

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

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

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!

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

@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

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

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:

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

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

🎉 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!

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:

#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.

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!

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

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!

And now for some hopeful news! Thanks to VP Clinton Jones for helping make this Louisiana Illuminator coverage possible!

Last Friday, Volunteer Pilot Clinton Jones flew representatives of @earthjustice.org and @healthygulf.bsky.social above the Garden Island Bay leak and other significant sites. You can view Healthy Gulf's flight pictures here:

We'd like to offer a welcome to new Volunteer Pilot Clinton Jones! Clint has hit the ground, or the skies, running and has already flights to support critical coastal reporting and education, including for the Garden Island Bay leak off the coast of Louisiana. Thanks, Clint!

"We don't want money in exchange for our lungs or in exchange for our lives. We want clean air. We want clean water, clean soil. Just like everybody else." - KeShaun Pearson Honored to partner with Southern Environmental Law Center protecting Memphis. Thanks NBC News for coverage! buff.ly/kX4r2fx

We had a blast at our Fly-In a couple of weeks ago! Huge thank you to everyone who helped make the event special, from sponsors and door prize donors, our AMAZING speakers Justinn Overton @coosariverkeeper.bsky.social and Dr. Treva Gear @dogwoodalliance.org, and of course all the volunteer pilots!

Today is #GiveNOLADay and it's your chance to support SouthWings' work in the Gulf! Every donation, no matter the size, makes us eligible for bonus funds. Join us in our mission for a cleaner, more just world!

SouthWings flights help uncover the truth: Rumors alleged that xAI facility was running gas turbines without proper permits. @selc.bsky.social obtained aerial photos that clearly showed 30+ gas turbines, while the pending permit application only included15 turbines.

1970: thousands of people came together to demand action for a cleaner, safer environment, and by the end of that year, we had the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air Act Let's not forget what we can achieve when we come together 💪 📷 by Will Parson #EarthDay2025 #OurPowerOurPlanet

#Gloster's win brings hope! MDEQ carefully reviewed—and DENIED—a wood pellet #biomass permit, thanks to strong community voices. A true win for regulatory fairness & community organizing. Thank you all! Read more: buff.ly/wD8Z1XF

What is it like to fly for SouthWings? #VolunteerPilot Hap Endler tells you about his experience in this short video: vimeo.com/299296523 Want to become a volunteer pilot? Give us a shout! www.southwings.org/pilots/be-a-... #generalaviation #PIChours #volunteer

SouthWings flights help to hold polluters accountable: "The presence of the turbines was revealed in aerial photos acquired by environmental pressure group @selc.bsky.social with support from SouthWings."

Titanium Dioxide is the substance that makes things white, from paint to food. The production is the source of toxic emissions including dioxin, mercury, chromium, and lead. This plant produced ten percent of the world's supply of TO2. Many thanks to @southwings.bsky.social for flight support!

Join AOPA's 2025 National Pause for GA Safety: By participating, you are joining thousands of other GA pilots who have committed to sharpen their focus in areas relevant to how they fly. www.gasafe.org #generalaviation #volunterpilots #safety #continuingeducation

Spring is in the air🌸 Get your orders in for fresh SouthWings gear. Orders ship at the end of the month 📦 buff.ly/VU0JFp1

Our insatiable desire for 'new' pollutes our earth with immeasurable amounts of waste. Nevertheless, we are doing all we can to avoid recognizing the impact our modern world has on the environment. Many thanks to @southwings.bsky.social for flight support!

Could your environmental initiative benefit from an aerial perspective? SouthWings coordinates pro bono flights with our volunteer pilots across the Southeast and Gulf regions. Submit a flight request, and we'll get in touch! buff.ly/I2lNBnJ #generalaviation #environmentaljustice

Join us in celebrating International Women's Day! Women's leadership and expertise are needed to solve the climate justice and environmental justice issues in the Southeast & Gulf regions we work in, and around the globe. #ForAllWomenandGirls #climatejustice buff.ly/Fc2oAvD

It's still #BlackHistoryMonth and we are celebrating all month long! Today, we invite you to listen to an interview with Kamora Freeland - who became an FAA-certificated private pilot in February 2024, making her one of the youngest African American female pilots in the US: https://buff.ly/435MP7M

Our times are full of headwinds for those of us who care about the future of the climate and of the livability of our planet. But it is also not without hope. SouthWings remains steadfast in our commitment to be among the helpers. Take a look back at last year's flights: