Bioregional Profile of Salem, VA
The Tutelo land is that of many trees, powerful rivers, and mountains.
Salem is in the traditional land of the Tutelo tribe .
People have been living on this land since approximately 8000 B.C..
While at first indigenous people would only come here to hunt, they soon decided to grow crops here after discovering that the land was ideal for growing food like beans and corn.
The first European people to arrive here were two explorers named Batts and Fallam. They visited the Tutelo village in 1671 along the river.
Due to European people bringing with them diseases and violence, the number of indigenous people in the area plummeted. By the mid 1700's, there were none left. At this point, Europeans came in swaths to settle the area for themselves.
It is up to every person who lives here to acknowledge their privilege, and understand the fact that they weren't here first- the Tutelo were. To be a good citizen of this place, one must acknowledge those who experienced this place before us, and we need to honor their legacy by learning about their culture, honoring their memory by talking about their past presence, and donating to causes that help indigenous people in our area.
This sunny, forested, mountainous place is home to lots of natural beauty. It is so important that residents practice good environmental citizenship by treading lightly. People should be planting native plants, protecting their forests by picking up litter and protesting urbanization. This is the land of trees, so cutting them down should be a last resort.
Now let's talk about specific species.
Salem is home to many native plant and animal species. These include foxes, deer, sunflowers, crabapple trees, birch trees, black bears, goldenrod plants, strawberries, and oak trees.
As with most regions, all of these species face the threat of urbanization. They also face the dangers of mountain top removal due to the building of pipelines through this beautiful place, and river pollution .
In order to protect this place as citizens of this bioregion, we all must work to keep the land healthy and unharmed. This can be done through picking up litter along the river, holding local companies accountable if they are found dumping contaminants in the water, and making sure to not leave behind our own trash when we are enjoying the natural places here.
How would one go about eating local here?
This is a rich place for growing food. Everything from corn to broccoli to cauliflower to peppers to watermelons grow here in this valley. There are so many local farms that specialize in various produce , and it's also very easy for residents to grow their own food themselves as well.
It's so important to eat seasonally, to reduce one's carbon footprint. Residents should support local farms when possible, as well as eateries that buy from local farms and attempting to grow one's own food if land is accessible.
Salem is Known for Many Industries.
These industries are mainly in healthcare due to the local hospital and V.A. center, but General Electric also calls Salem home.
Residents can participate in the local economy by purchasing goods from local stores downtown. This ensures that there remain plenty of options for people to have so that they don't have to buy from further away, thus increasing their carbon footprints.
How Does Salem Handle Resident Waste, Water, and Electricity?
Salem operates its own systems. It handles the city's water, electric and sewage on its own.
Residents' water comes from the Roanoke River , locally. It is first treated by the Salem Water Treatment Plant to ensure sanitation. That is also where the waste goes to be treated.
A small portion of the electricity in Salem is hydropower, but otherwise the power comes from American Electric Power.
Meridian Waste handles our trash and such, located nearby.
To contribute towards a cleaner and more eco-friendly way of handling these issues locally, residents should be trying to live as low waste as possible. They should be trying to minimize their trash output, and working to aim for producing as little waste as possible.
