New Friends of the Parkway chapter to form in WNC
A new Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway chapter is forming in Western North Carolina, and everyone interested in learning…
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Strong leaf season predicted
This autumn should yield vibrant fall colors in the mountains, according to Western Carolina University’s fall color forecaster Beverly Collins.
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Report pine snake sightings
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wants to know about pine snake sightings in North Carolina, found mostly in the southwestern…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Aster-risk*
Blue, white, lavender and purple corymbs, racemes and panicles will glow from shadowy woods and blaze from sunny meadows from…
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Purchase will protect Canton water quality
A newly conserved 139 acres in Haywood County will connect the Town of Canton’s Rough Creek watershed property to other…
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Gardening shot a win for Lake J
The Lake Junaluska landscaping department finished third in a national gardening photography contest sponsored by the gardening supply company Kinsman…
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Clean Water money to conserve WNC land
The latest round of awards from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund totals $14.3 million, with nearly $3 million of…
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Wildlife students earn scholarship
Haywood Community College fish and wildlife management technology students Parker Grandy and Andrew Jones have won the 2019 Dave Dudek…
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Federal, state agencies to collaborate on land management
North Carolina and federal agriculture agencies will be better able to collaborate on land management following establishment of a new…
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Macon youth hit the target
Macon County youth recently placed in an archery and sharpshooting completion that included 380 4H members from across the state.
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Haywood swimmers dominate state meet
Four Haywood County swimmers scored at the Senior Games state swim meet this fall, held Saturday, Sept. 21, at the…
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HCC Lumberjacks dominate
The Lumberjack Team at Haywood Community College took first place at the 24th annual John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet,…
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Outdoor economy efforts continue
If the United States’ outdoor recreation industry were its own country, it would be the world’s 25th largest economy. And,…
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Tessentee Bottomland Preserve grows
An additional 43 acres has been added to the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve owned by Mainspring Conservation Trust in southern Macon…
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Wildlife ambassadors available for school programs
This summer’s Mountain Wildlife Days event in Sapphire was one of the most successful ever, and Mountain Wildlife Outreach will…
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Conservation purchase will protect elk, other wildlife on I-40
A 187-acre conservation purchase in Haywood County will allow for wildlife grazing and movement near Interstate 40.
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Youth learn life lessons from bees
Students in the HIGHTS program, which works with vulnerable youth and their families in Western North Carolina, learn about more…
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Environmental analysis complete for national forest’s Buck Project
The U.S. Forest Service has completed an environmental analysis for the Buck Project on the Nantahala National Forest’s Tusquitee Ranger…
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Work will soon begin on I-26
Widening work will begin on Interstate 26 in Buncombe County this fall, a project that will include replacing the Blue…
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Two killed in Smokies car crash
Two people died during a three-vehicle collision at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Drought arrives in the mountains
A ban on backcountry fires in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was announced Sept. 26 following the release of…
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Park recognizes first African-American naturalist
Florida resident Dr. Joe Lee earned recognition recently for his role as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s first African-American…
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Virginia Parkway section closed indefinitely
A section of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Virginia portion that has been closed since September will continue to be closed…
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Family Heirlooms return to the Smokies
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park recently received a priceless donation of Cades Cove artifacts to the museum collections when…
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Gift of the Mountains: Rooted in the Mountains connects Cherokee past and global future
It was an hour and a half after sunrise, and the day’s first rays had not yet touched Judaculla Rock,…
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The Naturalist's Corner: A tale of two monarchs
I was on the Blue Ridge Parkway last weekend scouting for an upcoming Alarka Expeditions trip, “Migration Celebration” which will…
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More land conserved at Highlands of Roan
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has purchased 62 acres at Doll Branch in the Highlands of Roan, an acquisition that…
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TVA: No new floating home construction on the water
It’s been about three years since the Tennessee Valley Authority tried to remove all floating homes on its 49 lakes.
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The Naturalist's Corner: Climate change brings more challenges
WNC Climate Action Coalition’s screening of David Weintraub’s new documentary “Guardians of our Troubled Waters” is both a history lesson…
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To the moon and back: Astronaut discusses the Space Age’s past and future at WCU
There are a few moments in history that every American alive at the time remembers in crisp detail. The assassination…
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Delayed Harvest waters to close for trout fishing
Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations will go into effect in 20 Western North Carolina counties on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
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Nature center lands grant for school outreach
A $4,500 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation is helping the Highlands Nature Center support its school outreach program.
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Webcams give round-the-clock Smokies views
Webcams recently installed at Newfound Gap and Clingmans Dome will give visitors nearly real-time access to weather conditions and views…
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Conserving for clean water: Project protects 710 acres in Maggie, with 1,350 more to come
Conservation leaders from across the state and nation gathered in Maggie Valley earlier this month to dedicate a land protection…
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Forest Service land closed in the Nantahala Gorge
Until further notice, public access to U.S. Forest Service lands in the Nantahala Gorge is closed due to hazards created…
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Nantahala Gorge reopens for national forest users
The Nantahala River in the Nantahala Gorge is now open to the public for all uses for the first time…
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Fear of collapse causes shelter closure
A beloved shelter on the Appalachian Trail near Roan Mountain is closed until further notice due to structural damage.
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Taylor to retire from Mainspring
After 18 years with Mainspring Conservation Trust and five years as its leader, Sharon Fouts Taylor will retire on Feb.…
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Outdoor economy efforts wins WCU award nomination
An outdoor economy initiative at Western Carolina University has been selected as a finalist in the University Economic Development Association’s…
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Race to honor UNC Charlotte hero: Mighty Four Miler will raise money for Riley Howell Foundation Fund
Hometown hero Riley Howell’s legacy will live on in the form a 4-mile race through the streets of the town…
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Smokies species count reaches 20,000
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reached a biodiversity milestone with the discovery and documentation of 20,000 species of…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Santee surprise
During our annual summer beach trip to Isle of Palms, I often manage to sneak away one morning to visit…
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The fungi forager: Franklin man develops a passion for wild mushrooms
Beneath the woodsy world of tree trunks, ferns and leaf litter is another, hidden realm. It’s the world of fungi,…
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Schooled in ag: School gives students a hands-on education
With a new school year just begun, the 300 students who participate in Waynesville Middle School’s robust agriculture program now…
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The untold story: Smokies seeks to showcase history of African-Americans in the park
Many plotlines weave through the story of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but if the park were a book,…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Could the environment be, once again, a game changer?
I ran into a fellow at Ingles just the other day. Regrettably, I don’t remember his name, but I run…
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HCC student places in national competition
A Haywood Community College student recently took fourth in a national timbersports competition held in Wisconsin.
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Man dies at Deep Creek
A Georgia man was pronounced dead in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Thursday, Aug. 22, following a cardiac…
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Working the watershed: Forest Stewards lays out plans for Waynesville watershed’s future
Nearly four decades ago, vast swathes of the 8,600-acre Waynesville watershed were laid bare, the trees timbered for profit and…
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Cradle Association gets new director
The Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association has a new executive director in Natalie Britt.
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