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Trailblazer to Changemaker
Jennifer Pharr Davis is using the same strength that saw her hike the 2,197-mile Appalachian Trail in 46 days to make the world a better place, including relentless Hurricane Helene recovery help in her native Western North Carolina.
When Hurricane Helene thundered into Asheville, North Carolina, last fall, the Category 4 storm destroyed municipal infrastructure, leaving thousands without clean drinking water. But mountain native Jennifer Pharr Davis had a solution.
Having lived in the region her entire life, Davis knew that many mountain folk could access streams and creeks, “especially in the more rural areas where the water wasn’t tainted by chemicals,” she says. The only challenge was that the water needed to be purified before consumption.
April 15, 2025
Lauren Stepp
I'm a writer from Southern Appalachia who covers everything from sixth-generation farmers to eco-friendly burial methods. I'm not picky. I just want to tell good stories. My work is featured in magazines such as Blue Ridge Outdoors, Bold Life, Capital at Play, Carolina Home + Garden, The Laurel of Asheville, and more.
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