Grab your waterfall calendar and support WNC
Seasonal images of Western North Carolina’s most exquisite waterfalls adorn a newly published calendar set to raise money for the…
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Take the 100-mile challenge
A statewide challenge to knock out 100 miles of hiking, walking, running, paddling, skating, horseback riding or rolling a wheelchair…
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Burn project proposed for Jackson County
A 956-acre prescribed burn is being proposed for the Nantahala National Forest in southeastern Jackson County, aiming to reduce wildfire…
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Mapping the Tuck: ‘Blue’ Trails project kicks off along the Tuckasegee River
Western North Carolina is rife with trails and maps to facilitate exploration of the mountain landscape, but an effort is…
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Failure to communicate?
Well it seems there was one and I’m sure it could have been my fault. Smoky Mountain News reporter Holly…
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Elk Bugle Corps gets a boost
A $3,500 grant from the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority will help enrich the elk viewing experience in the Cataloochee…
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New, free maps show the Smokies in greater detail
New U.S. Topo maps are out, and the quadrangles covering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park now display trails, campgrounds,…
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Environmental, economic leaders converge at WCU
More than 100 leaders from across Western North Carolina came together at Western Carolina University this month to talk about…
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Map publisher donates to maintain Tsali trails
A new map of Tsali Trails not only creates a better guide to the nationally known trail system on the…
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Smokies celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
The Smokies came to the Latino communities of Knoxville this month in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, with more…
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Locals make strong showing in grueling trail race
Local athletes figured prominently in the top places for the Naturalist Epic 25K/50K race held Oct. 8, a grueling undertaking…
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Daughters of the American Revolution brings forgotten forest to light
The sun had barely risen over the Pisgah Ridge, but the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Devils Courthouse pull-off was teeming — mainly…
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Western Carolina recognized for energy savings
Western Carolina University was among the 18 public colleges and universities recently honored by the state for leadership in reducing…
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Judge orders Fish and Wildlife Service to halt red wolf plan
A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to halt its plan to transfer the reintroduced population…
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Congressman sits down with wilderness supporters
Congressman Mark Meadows (R-Cashiers) and a room of 30 wilderness supporters spent two hours discussing everything from ecology to U.S.…
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You’re going the wrong way – not
When you’re out chasing fall migrants and you either have a good internal compass or you’re somewhere it’s pretty easy…
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Grant dollars protect Haywood farmlands
Local acres were among those covered by $3.8 million the N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund recently awarded…
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Locals take top spots in Harvest Half
Local runners came out high in the rankings with completion of the Cherokee Harvest Half Marathon last weekend.
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Livestock you love: Bethel man carves out a life among alpacas
A cadre of curious animals gathers at the gate as Joe Moore, owner of Indian Springs Farms in Bethel, approaches…
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Protect your beehive
Mosquito spraying for Zika virus in other states has led some North Carolina beekeepers to ask what they can do…
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Red wolf reintroduction to cease in southeast N.C.
Red wolves will be removed from the majority of the five-county area of eastern North Carolina where they now exist…
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Parks and Rec master plan seeks input
Area residents who avail themselves of Waynesville’s recreational facilities and programs have a chance to shape their respective futures —…
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Big and wild
Big and wild can’t be big and wild if your mind and heart are small. A “real” public meeting —…
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Grant supports Cherokee-infused environmental education
Classroom lessons focusing on Cherokee culture and ecology of the Great Smoky Mountains will expand to schools in seven Western…
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Explore N.C. wildlife online
A revamped website is allowing people to discover North Carolina’s natural heritage in new ways through the N.C. Natural Heritage…
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Sales strong for Smokies plates
Sales of North Carolina Friends of the Smokies license plates brought in $118,240 to support the Great Smoky Mountains National…
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Woman dies following fall in the Smokies
A woman perished following a fall at the Newfound Gap parking lot in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last…
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Dreaming of Toyko: Following competition in Rio, NOC paddler sets sights on 2020 Olympic medal
Much of America spent Aug. 5-21 with eyes glued to a television, cheering on athletes from all corners of the…
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Dreaming of Toyko: A conversation with Michal
Since the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Michal Smolen has been hopping continents to finish out the post-Rio racing season,…
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Park, tribe work to institute plant gathering privileges for tribal members
A meeting between leaders of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians brought tribal…
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Fall color forecast a waiting game
September temperatures will make or break fall color quality this year, according to Western Carolina University’s new fall foliage forecaster…
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Emerald ash borer found in the Pisgah
An infestation of destructive emerald ash borers has been confirmed in the Appalachian Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest…
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Hiking for Hope: Robbinsville man raises $70,000 for children with A.T. hike
It was nighttime in the White Mountains, and Steve Claxton was pretty sure he wouldn’t make it till morning. Rain…
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Must have been an omen
When I checked my email Friday morning (9/9), I had a message from Chris Kelly, mountain wildlife diversity biologist with…
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Carbon offsets program starts
A relaunched carbon offsets program will give business, organizations and individuals in Western North Carolina a way to turn their…
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Homebuilding company wants to sell Plott Balsam tract for conservation
High in the Plott Balsams, there’s a swath of property riddled with panoramic views, sparking waterfalls and high-elevation solitude that…
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The value of a view: Thousands of acres added to the Parkway for Park Service centennial
It’s not unusual for Waterrock Knob, which boasts some of the best views on the Blue Ridge Parkway, to see…
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Telethon for the Smokies
Friends of the Smokies raised $205,562 at its 22nd annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon last week, with the hundreds…
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New education chief comes to the Smokies
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a new chief of resource education in Nigel Fields, who Superintendent Cassius Cash…
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Can’t see the forest for the webs
From what I gather from Facebook and overhear in the checkout line, the view I encounter every morning on my…
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Get your gleaning on
The harvest is coming in, and for a contingent of growers and volunteers in Haywood County, that means gleaning season.
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Species mapper unveiled in the Smokies
Anyone with an internet connection can now pull up a map showing where they might encounter any of 1,800 Smokies…
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Cherokee students become Smokies experts
Students at Cherokee Middle School have spent the last two years digging deep into the ecology, culture and history of…
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Speaking for the trees: Waynesville launches arboretum effort
As manager of Waynesville’s urban forest, it’s safe to say that Jonathan Yates likes trees. So when Diane Kornse of…
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Locals succeed in Lake Logan races
Nearly 1,000 athletes converged on Lake Logan this month, pushing for a finish in challenging half-ironman and triathlon competitions at…
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A real can of DNA worms
A new whole-genome (the entire genetic makeup) study published in Science Advances on July 27 is giving the already muddied…
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Ma Nature doesn’t see things the way we do
The red-cockaded woodpecker (RCWO) is a small – cardinal-sized – woodpecker native to eastern pine forests. It once ranged from…
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Forest Service evaluates potential wilderness areas
The cadre of groups helping the U.S. Forest Service work toward a new management plan for the Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest…
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Meteors galore are on the way
A high-intensity meteor shower will light up the sky next week, and the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute will host an…
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Messages to the future: Park Service, outdoor camp work to mold diverse new generation of outdoor enthusiasts
The air on the Cataloochee Divide Trail is heavy with humidity and the promise of an afternoon storm, but the…
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