Upcoming summer camps
Smokies summer camp near Cherokee Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hosting a three-day camp, “Smokies Summer Science Investigations,” for…
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Bringing the classroom outside
Highlands Middle School became home to a new outdoor classroom earlier this month.
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A hangover of hoverers
As we turn to bask in the full glow of the summer sun, mornings begin to heat up quickly. As…
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Triathlons aim to make treachorous lake swims safer
The swim leg of a triathlon is notoriously daunting. Of the sport’s three heats — swimming, biking and running —…
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Bringing back the brookie: Successful restoration paints bright future for native trout
In the early 1900s, Florence Cope Bush, author of Dorie: Woman of the Mountains, described native brook trout as being…
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A record-breaking weekend of birding
Last week, we set the stage for the 29th annual Great Smoky Mountains Birding Expedition (GSMBE). The group starts at 9…
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Going toe to toe with Mother Nature
It is said that humans are fickle creatures, and if that is true, then the weather must be at least…
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Hit Mast General to help conservation
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will get a boost on Saturday, June 1, when Mast General Store locations in Waynesville…
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More recycling bins for WCU
Western Carolina University received 75 new recycling bins through the Alcoa Foundation Recycling Bin Grant Program and have begun placing…
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Max Patch restored, off-roaders pay
The off-roaders responsible for causing damage to the popular Pisgah National Forest hiking spot Max Patch have reached a plea…
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Calling on volunteers for bird monitoring
Volunteers are needed to assist in a breeding bird monitoring and education program throughout the spring and early summer at…
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Plant a row for the needy
United Christian Ministries of Jackson County is asking gardeners to plant an extra row in their plots this year to…
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Environmental forums start up
A forum on community and environmental change will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at…
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Visitors need to plan ahead to see fireflies
The Elkmont synchronous firefly viewing will take place June 6-13 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Every year, thousands…
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Waterfall trail looking for sweat donations
Volunteers are needed in Panthertown Valley during Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, May 25, to help complete a new section…
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Youth soccer camps
The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department is offering British and Brazilian soccer camps for youth this summer. The Brazilian soccer…
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Book turns hikes into scavenger hunts
A book that aims to make hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park fun and educational for kids, Scavenger…
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Win a gem at the Ruby Run
The Ruby Run 5K and 10K will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 1, in Franklin. The annual race…
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Star gazing event at Purchase Knob
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is hosting a star gazing event at 8:30 p.m. Friday, May 31, at the…
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A biological journey through history down the Little Tennessee
A guided trip down the Little Tennessee River aims to teach paddlers about the area’s cultural and biological history and…
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A record-breaking weekend (part one)
What could be more fun than a weekend of fellowship and great birding? Maybe setting a new record for total…
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Segway tours make debut in Waynesville
The train was the first to arrive in Waynesville back in 1886; then, the rise of the automobile; but, this…
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Advocates want to save little-known old growth pockets
Hidden among the expanse of forestland in Western North Carolina are little-known pockets of trees that are several centuries old.…
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Park releases new species of predator beetles
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is planning to release two new predatory beetles to stop the spread of the…
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Haywood soccer season kicks off
Haywood County is now signing up players for its adult summer soccer leagues.
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Volunteers needed at Pisgah wildlife center
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking volunteers to help at its Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education to accommodate a…
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Azaleas in full bloom in Stecoah
The azalea garden at Stecoah Valley Center is in full bloom, but will only be for the next few weeks.…
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Water cents
What falls freely from the sky, rumbles, swooshes, rolls, trickles across the planet; seeps into the earth beneath our feet…
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Fishing class conjures images of Brad Pitt and leaping carp
Ever since I first watched Brad Pitt fly fishing in the film “The River Runs Through It,” I knew I…
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Get ready for 12 hours of Tsali
A grueling, 12-hour mountain bike race will be held from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at the…
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French Broad trail map comes online
For paddlers looking to master the French Broad River, a new map is available online detailing the river’s paddle trail.…
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Market vendors get shelter form the storm
The Haywood County Health Department pitched in and gave away tents, tables, coolers and other equipment to vendors at area…
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Park reopens trails damaged by tornado
Two trails that have been closed since 2011 after receiving extensive damage from a tornado in the western end of…
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When it rains – the tough go hiking
We’ve had a good run in the watershed. The Town of Waynesville has sponsored spring and fall guided hikes in…
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Smokies offers Mountains-to-Sea Trail hike and presentation
Folks interested in hiking a section of the Mountains to Sea Trail and learning a bit more about the storied…
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Land trust earns top honors
The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust has received national accreditation for its work in protecting treasured lands.
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EcoFest to put ‘green’ living at your finger tips
Haywood County is about to experience its newest festival: EcoFest, an ode to sustainability, agriculture and the environment. This year…
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Macon enviro group applauds local recyclers
Macon Pride, a county-based environmental organization, has recognized Caterpillar Precision Seals in Franklin for what it deems an exemplary recycling…
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Calling recruits to the bugle corps
Can you make it in the corps? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park needs volunteers to join the Elk Bugle…
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WCU one of the greenest colleges in country
For the third consecutive year, Western Carolina University has been listed by The Princeton Review as one of the most…
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Backpackers cautioned to keep food away from bears
As spring and backpacking season returns to the mountains, so does bear danger in the woods. A recent bear encounter,…
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Get your green on
EcoFest will showcase more than four dozen demonstrators, vendors, information booths and organizations sharing tips and practical advice on how…
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Winter floods close some Smokies trails, repairs pending
A section of the Noland Creek Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be closed to hikers and horseback…
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Homecoming
The blue-headed vireo sang to me of spring sometime around the first week of April. Blue-headeds are generally the last…
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Have what it takes to be a junior ranger?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will celebrate the National Junior Ranger Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday,…
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Be a responsible ramp picker this spring
Spring means ramp season in Western North Carolina, but the ramp population in Southern Appalachians is being hurt by over-harvesting.
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Races, paddling, music and more at NOC
Visitors to the Nantahala Gorge this weekend can take in a full lineup of freestyle paddling competitions, outdoor activities, film…
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Honeybee disappearance baffles experts
Beekeepers in Western North Carolina were hit especially hard this winter by a mysterious rash of bee disappearances. Amateur Haywood…
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Sign up for the WNC trail event of the decade
A national convergence of Appalachian Trail fans and hiking enthusiasts will descend on Western Carolina University this summer for the…
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Bugle Corp recognized for their volunteerism
In honor of National Volunteer Week, Friends of the Smokies is recognizing the work of the Elk Bugle Corps. The…
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