Kelly Coffey

I am the author of all the articles that appear on this website. If you are interested in the stories, I figure you probably want to know something about my background and credentials. I am an 8-generation native of the Blue Ridge mountains here in Watauga County, North Carolina.

I have a master’s degree in history and geography from Appalachian State University, and a bachelor's degree in political science, with a minor in philosophy and religion. While there I took several courses in Appalachian studies.

Since 1998, I’ve been a planner at High Country Council of Governments, helping the local governments in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yancey Counties with special projects. I previously taught history and geography at the college level for six years.

I had a role in the founding of Blue Ridge Conservancy, and served on the board for 20 years; several of those years as president and vice-president. I remain actively involved as a committee member. For the past several years I have served on the board of the North Carolina Daniel Boone Heritage Trail. I’ve volunteered as a docent at Fort Defiance since the late 1990s.

I am a self-taught naturalist, applying the research skills I learned in the social sciences to the natural sciences. I own and operate a small farm where I grow vegetables for market. Since I was a child, I’ve been interested in folklore, collecting stories and herbal remedies from the older people in the community.