National outdoor economy groups to meet in Cherokee

 The fifth annual Outdoor Economy Conference in Cherokee will serve as the backdrop to a convening of the Confluence of…
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Spend an evening in the garden

ArborEvenings is back at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville, offering opportunity to spend Thursday and Friday evenings strolling through the…
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On the fly: new Maggie Valley shop debuts fly fishing festival

Shannon Young has no trouble identifying the exact moment he fell in love with fly fishing. 
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New trail opens near Old Fort

A new trail is open in the Old Fort area, an important milestone in an ongoing 42-mile trail expansion project…
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Experience history in Cosby

A series of community programs celebrating the natural and cultural history of the Cosby area will be offered Fridays June…
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Survey seeks input on Ocoee Whitewater Center future

The formal process to determine the future of the Ocoee Whitewater Center after the facility was destroyed in an April…
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Celebrate National Pollinator Week

Visit a hub of nature exploration and interactive programs focused on pollinators 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 24,…
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Microplastics researcher to speak in Highlands

Learn about plastic pollution and the threat it poses to freshwater and marine ecosystems during a free lecture at 6…
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Notes from a plant nerd: World, lose strife

For the past few years, whenever I encounter the whorled loosestrife growing along a trail or roadside I have been…
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Up Moses Creek: Snapper, Part II

(Editor’s note: The first installment of this story was published in the May 10 issue of The Smoky Mountain News…
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Celebrating a century

Book details Carolina Mountain Club’s 100-year history 
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Fish On The Farm: Tour Highlights Importance, Challenges Of Mountain Aquaculture

Whenever Wes Eason runs across a potential customer who’s hesitant about eating farm-raised fish, he points to the picture on…
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Arboretum donates truckloads of flowers

Following its Bloom with a View event, the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville donated flowers and plants to various organizations in…
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Apple growers to vote on assessment
 

Apple growers to vote on assessment

North Carolina apple growers will vote Tuesday, June 27, in a referendum conducted by the N.C. Apple Growers Association regarding…
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Campground closed in Cherokee National Forest
 

Campground closed in Cherokee National Forest

Horse Creek Campground in the Cherokee National Forest near Greeneville, Tennessee, is closed until further notice due to increasing bear…
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Smokies podcast miniseries wins national award

A podcast of the Great Smoky Mountains Association, the miniseries “Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music” won the award for…
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Panthertown guidebook publisher donates to stewardship nonprofit

Panthertown Map Association, non-profit publishers of Burt Kornegay's “A Guide's Guide to Panthertown,” has made a $7,500 donation to Friends of…
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May finished cool and dry in N.C.
 

May finished cool and dry in N.C.

North Carolina saw its 26th coolest May in the last 129 years, with the National Centers for Environmental Information reporting…
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Bill seeks National Scenic Trail status for Benton MacKaye Trail

A bipartisan bill seeking to designate the Benton MacKaye Trail as a National Scenic Trail has been introduced into the…
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Zahner lecture series kicks off in Highlands

The Highlands Biological Foundation will kick off its annual Zahner Conservation Lecture Series at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 15, with…
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Bilingual books on display along Smokies, Gatlinburg trails

Through Aug. 31, three Storybook Trail of the Smokies displays featuring pages in English and Spanish will be open in…
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Max Patch work earns national partnership award
 

Max Patch work earns national partnership award

The Carolina Mountain Club and U.S. Forest Service received the 2023 Public Lands Partner Award, honoring “exemplary partnership” and “stunning…
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Notes from a plant nerd: Put that in your pipe, but don’t smoke it

Plants and butterflies have a long history of evolution and interconnected relationships. Plants serve as food for caterpillars who eat…
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Get the scoop on septic systems

Learn more about septic systems during an event 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, June 5, at the Haywood County…
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Sierra Club program to contemplate the future of the French Broad
 

Sierra Club program to contemplate the future of the French Broad

A lively conversation on the history of the French Broad River corridor’s transformation — as well as the opportunities and…
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Parkway services open for the season

Campgrounds, picnic areas and visitor centers on the Blue Ridge Parkway are now open with full services for the 2023…
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Barn party sets Smokies fundraising record
 

Barn party sets Smokies fundraising record

Friends of the Smokies raised more than $400,000 for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during its 25th annual Greenbrier…
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Comment deadline extended for Laurel Falls EA

The deadline for public comments on an Environmental Assessment examining the impact of proposed changes associated with the Laurel Falls…
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Get inspired by hiking writer Jen Seymour
 

Get inspired by hiking writer Jen Seymour

International hiker and writer Jen Seymour will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at the Macon County Public Library…
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Park Service releases updated ‘Green Parks Plan’
 

Park Service releases updated ‘Green Parks Plan’

This spring, the National Park Service released its third edition of the Green Parks Plan, setting refreshed goals and objectives…
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Bethel students win state hunting skills tournament

A team from Bethel Middle School in Haywood County took top honors at the 2023 Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament.…
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HCC opens new Dahlia Ridge Trail System

When A.L. Freedlander issued the 1966 fundraising challenge that birthed the Haywood Community College campus in Clyde, he envisioned a…
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Play pickup soccer
 

Play pickup soccer

Starting Thursday, June 1, adult soccer pickup games will be held weekly at 6:30 p.m. at the Cullowhee Recreation Park…
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Summer starts at Highlands Nature Center

The Highlands Nature Center kicks off its summer season on Memorial Day weekend, with extended hours noon to 4 p.m.…
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Exhibit to celebrate bonsai as fine art

The ancient art of bonsai will take center stage during the “Bonsai as Fine Art” exhibition June 2-11 at the N.C.…
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Future of the forest

Mill closure looms large in discussion of challenges facing WNC forests  The familiar challenges of climate change, invasive pests and…
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Women’s Paddlefest returns to NOC

Nantahala Outdoor Center will hold its Women’s Paddlefest Friday, June 2, through Sunday, June 4, hosted by inspirational paddler Anna…
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Up Moses Creek

Snapper, Part I  Snapping turtles have been on my mind this spring after one showed up in our pond. Its…
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Enrollment open for grassland conservation program
 

Enrollment open for grassland conservation program

Agricultural producers and private landowners have until May 26 to sign up for the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program, a federal…
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Riddle your way through Highlands

The ‘Kids Hike Highlands’ trail passport program is back, with a refresh for the 2023 season. 
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Meet the lightning bugs of the Appalachians
 

Meet the lightning bugs of the Appalachians

Experience the “Appalachian magic” of lightning bug season with a series of walks planned throughout the spring and early summer…
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Students recognized for Parkway contributions

Students from The Christ School in Asheville have won one of five annual awards given by Blue Ridge Parkway managers…
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Team effort fixes water system at Cullowhee Community Garden

When Western Carolina University registrar Larry Hammer began working a garden plot with his family in the Cullowhee Community Garden,…
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Mayapple of my eye

I love coming across a large patch of mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) while walking in the woods in the spring. They are…
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Red wolf litter born in the wild

A new litter of red wolf puppies has been born in the tiny wild population in eastern North Carolina.
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One thousand peonies

Each May, Crabtree couple invites the public to drink in field of blooms  Ricardo Fernandez Battini and his wife Suzanne…
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Dive into the interconnected world of birds and insects
 

Dive into the interconnected world of birds and insects

Explore the love-hate relationship between birds and insects during a talk from Balsam Mountain Trust Executive Director Michael Wall at…
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Connect to the spirit of the Smokies
 

Connect to the spirit of the Smokies

The University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School has announced a new slate of programs for 2023, offering adults who…
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William Nealy exhibit on display in Johnson City
 

William Nealy exhibit on display in Johnson City

Adventure-themed artwork by the late William Nealy on loan from Nantahala Outdoor Center is on display through June 9 at…
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Highlands Biological invests in undergrad field work program
 

Highlands Biological invests in undergrad field work program

Since 2021, the Highlands Biological Foundation has invested $300,000 in its University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Highlands Field…
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