Appalachian Farm School returns
The Appalachian Farm School at Southwestern Community College will return for a second year starting Jan. 12, thanks to a…
Read More
New maps out for DuPont Forest
People wanting to explore DuPont State Forest now have three new tools at their disposal to navigate through the forest’s…
Read More
Farmland conservation preserves views, lifeways in Madison
A new conservation agreement on a 318-acre farm in Madison County through the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will help the…
Read More
Students learn about chemistry, fish and water quality through trout raising project
When the holidays wind down and schools go back in session, kids in some Western North Carolina classrooms will have…
Read More
WNC health planning gets recognition
A project aiming to help Western North Carolina communities consider health needs when doing long-term planning revealed that issues such…
Read More
Wildlife officer connects kids and vets to the outdoors
A Macon County man was presented the 2015 Governor’s Award for Excellence, the highest honor a state employee can receive,…
Read More
New acreage added to Pisgah National Forest
The Pisgah National Forest will see the addition of 178 acres in the Mills River area of Henderson County thanks…
Read More
Step into the robot zoo
An exhibit using mechanics to show how real animals work is open through Jan. 3 at the N.C. Arboretum in…
Read More
State emissions control plan out for comment
A state plan to comply with federal rules for controlling carbon emissions is now out for public comment, but the…
Read More
License plate grants open for A.T. projects
A total $30,000 in grants for Appalachian Trail related projects in North Carolina is up for grabs thanks to proceeds…
Read More
A double-edged sword: Rising visitation in the Smokies brings challenge and reward
Lynda Doucett and her staff at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park were pretty excited to move into the new…
Read More
Things that go peent! in the dark
I think Lewis Carroll could have just as easily warned of the Timberdoodle as the Jubjub bird in the “Jabberwocky,”…
Read More
N.C. Arboretum lights up for the holidays
More than 200,000 LED lights will illuminate the gardens of the N.C. Arboretum starting Nov. 20 for the second annual…
Read More
Lawsuit claims Wildlife Service not doing enough for wolves
A lawsuit alleging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is falling down on its job to protect the world’s only…
Read More
Fire ant quarantine expands to Macon and Graham counties
A state quarantine to prevent the spread of the imported fire ant has expanded to include Macon and Graham counties,…
Read More
Possible timber thinning project takes comment
The U.S. Forest Service is considering a timber project on 117 acres of the Nantahala Ranger District of the Nantahala…
Read More
Groups agree on recommendation for forest plan
A collection of environmental and recreation-oriented groups has come out with a recommendation for two new recreations areas to be…
Read More
Tobacco growers OK required contribution for tobacco research
A referendum vote asking whether tobacco growers wanted to keep giving a portion of their sales to tobacco research and…
Read More
Cherokees and rivers: Water a centerpiece of Cherokee culture
Just like Haywood County’s watershed, fed by springs that all have their start inside county borders, Cherokee mythology surrounding places…
Read More
WCU shoreline study program lands grant
A $483,000 National Park Service grant will allow Western Carolina University to map shoreline storm vulnerability in 12 costal parks…
Read More
Restrictions in place for Staire Creek Trail
Equestrians and bikers who enjoy the Staire Creek Trail in the Big Ivy Area of the Pisgah National Forest will…
Read More
Haywood stream cleanup logs big numbers
Nearly two tons of trash were removed from Haywood County waterways this year thanks to Haywood Waterways Association’s Adopt-A-Stream Program.
Read More
Great Smoky Mountains Association names new director
The Great Smoky Mountains Association, a nonprofit that provides millions for visitor programs, conservation and special projects in the Great…
Read More
Naturalist to give sneak peak at upcoming book
Naturalist and historian George Ellison will preview his upcoming collection of essays, Literary Excursions, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9,…
Read More
Meteors, stars and planets, oh my!
Crisp wintry weather makes for perfect sky-watching weather, and the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute in Rosman is planning a pair…
Read More
Watch Santa practice his chimney technique
Santa Claus will start training for the big day with rappels down Chimney Rock 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday,…
Read More
Wilderness — we don’t need no stinkin wilderness
Flying around Facebook pages (after all this is the age of information) is, apparently, a poll or online survey declaring…
Read More
Rare salamander found in new area
The rare green salamander had never been documented in the Highlands area before, but a September excursion to the Overflow…
Read More
Projects to close Parkway sections
A pair of tunnel closures on the Blue Ridge Parkway will impact travel and trail access beginning Dec. 1 and…
Read More
Rockslide temporarily closes 14 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway
A rockslide has kept the 14-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway between Maggie Valley and Cherokee closed for a…
Read More
NC leaders balk at federal carbon control plan
North Carolina has issued a draft plan to comply with federal carbon-control rules, but the plan falls short of federal…
Read More
Trail improvements coming to Fontana: Work begins on $380K trail project
National forest trails around Fontana Village are in for an overhaul, thanks to a federal grant that’s putting the final…
Read More
Parkway Foundation recognized for tourism contributions
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation was recently awarded the Tourism Excellence Award from by the N.C. Travel Industry Association. “We’re…
Read More
Get outside for the holidays
The Blue Ridge Parkway is supporting fresh air over shopping malls to launch the Christmas season, offering two excuses to…
Read More
Grant protects Haywood farm with easement
The Glance Cove Farm in the Crabtree area of Haywood County will keep its agricultural character for a long, long…
Read More
Coming down the mountain: Cataloochee turns attention to user experience
It’s a feeling that Chris Bates can’t shake. “Being outside, in the winter, on the mountain — there’s nothing like it,”…
Read More
Game land management plans available online
Final versions of management plans for seven North Carolina game lands, including Sandy Mush Game Lands in Madison and Buncombe…
Read More
Thanksgiving events planned at Fontana
A week of fall fun will celebrate Thanksgiving at Fontana Village, with a schedule of events including hiking, hunting and…
Read More
Half a hunert
There’s nothing I like better than mixing pleasure with pleasure. Last weekend, I got to spend three wonderful nights in…
Read More
Ski season starts at Cataloochee
Cataloochee Ski Area opened for the winter last weekend, kicking off the first run of the season at 8:30 a.m.…
Read More
Former Congressman Taylor recognized for forestry career
Former Congressman and Brevard resident Charles H. Taylor was recently named 2015 North Carolina Tree Farmer of the Year by…
Read More
Federal bill could change funding for outdoor rec projects
If a bill recently introduced to Congress passes, a federal fund used to support parks and open spaces across the…
Read More
Trout Unlimited donation will help Smokies trout
Fish habitat and the brook trout populations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park got a $19,000 boost thanks to…
Read More
Franklin wants help with bike and pedestrian planning
A survey to find out what can be done to make walking and biking in Franklin easier and safer is…
Read More
Hitting the ground running: SCC the first to host expanded training for future NPS officers
“I just don’t want to take any chances,” the hard-hatted contractor tells the officers as they get out of their…
Read More
Referendum on tobacco assessment coming up
On Nov. 19, North Carolina tobacco growers will get to choose whether to continue paying 10 cents per 100 pounds…
Read More
Take a guided hike to Chimney Tops with its trail engineer
A strenuous hike to one of the most unique peaks in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will also include…
Read More
Haywood students to get creative with trash
A competition challenging students to take their best stab at trash sculpture aims to get Haywood County teens thinking about…
Read More
Information sought in national forest vandalism
Vandalism in the Nantahala National Forest has prompted the U.S. Forest Service to offer a monetary reward for information about…
Read More
Outdoor camp celebrates its friends
A celebration for friends of Outdoor Mission Camp, based in Maggie Valley, will be held 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12,…
Read More
