The Naturalist's Corner
They’re back Actually they’ve been back for a while and now their bags are packed and they’re ready to go.…
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New boating ramp opens on Cheoah Lake
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has opened a boating access Area and Public Fishing Area on the bank of the…
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Students recreate modern Lewis and Clark expedition
Western North Carolina high school students bicycled 300 miles to the nation’s capital on one trip and canoed along the…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Bats make good just in time to salvage outing “Oh lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.” That refrain from…
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When the Park becomes a classroom: From real life science to a trip back in time, the Smokies provides fertile ground for learning
While most national parks serve as conduits for science, the Smokies is a window on history as well. Churches, schools,…
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Junior bids farewell to forest service
Harry “Junior” Ward, Jr. recently retired from the North Carolina Forest Service as the Haywood County Ranger. Ward was a…
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Facing unpleasant changes in aftermath of hemlock die off
As if the death of hemlock trees across the Southern Appalachians wasn’t bad enough already, forest researchers believe the loss…
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North Toe River freed of crumbling dam
A decrepit dam is being torn down along the North Toe River near Spruce Pine this week, clearing the way…
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Outfitters brace for early end to season
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Whitewater releases from the Nantahala Lake dam will be suspended in October, forcing rafting…
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The Naturalist's Corner
You say to-mah-to, I say to-ma-to At least Avram and I are talking. Want to join us? If we could…
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Conversation – what conversation?
Regular readers of this column probably already know that I’ve run afoul of many regional environmental groups by questioning the…
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Local authors proud of fishing trail map
Ask any fisherman what their favorite stretch of stream is and you may as well be asking for directions to…
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WNC Fly Fishing Trail lures new anglers to Jackson streams
Alex Bell can’t resist striking up a conversation with fellow fishermen he encounters on the Tuckasegee. But lately, he’s had…
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Tunnel greenhouses fend off winter’s grip
A workshop on how to build a simple greenhouse will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30, as part…
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Thoroughly modern millipedes
By Jim Janke Every summer one or two people bring samples of ugly little insects into the plant clinic and…
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Hard-to-get taxonomists could make or break ATBI’s future
As the inventory of every living species in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park trudges into its tenth year, it…
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Life in the richest place on earth
When Jim Lowe strikes out on his twice-monthly foray to check insect traps in the Smokies, he never knows just…
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Volunteers keep the Smokies ticking
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park boasts more volunteers than nearly any other park. Last year, 2,780 volunteers logged a…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Up in the air Western North Carolina senators Joe Sam Queen, Martin Nesbitt and John Snow might be wishing they…
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The Naturalist's Corner
PETA - Cherokee bears part deaux I have been watching the story in Smoky Mountain News regarding PETA and the…
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Threats on all fronts
Only the most farsighted and intuitive of those who labored for the creation of the Smokies could have foreseen the…
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Cherokee youth re-enact ancient fishing practice
As 10-year-old Dayini Lossie stood on the shore eyeing the wide shallow waters of the Tuckasegee River last week listening…
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The Naturalist's Corner
A note of interest The US Fish & Wildlife Service has extended the public comment period on its John H.…
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New map leads the way to Haywood farms
Local residents and tourists have a new resource to help them support the farms and farmers of Haywood County. A…
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Rainforest style eco-adventure comes to the Nantahala Gorge
The Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tour will debut this month with a half-mile series of forest-enveloped ziplines, where people hang from…
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Jackson farm and garden tour has it all
Farmers and gardeners in Jackson County are inviting the public to traipse through their garden rows during the third annual…
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The Naturalist's Corner
New neighbors I have always had a good number of neotropical migrants nest every season in the woods around my…
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Hearing set for Little Tennessee discharge permit
A public hearing over a sewer discharge permit into the Little Tennessee River will be held on Tuesday, July 7,…
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The Naturalist's Corner
WNS impacts western Carolina caving The USDA Forest Service issued an order on May 21 closing all caves and abandoned…
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In search of hidden lookout towers
The line-up of hikes in the Lookout Tower Challenge spans Western North Carolina. Seven are located in the Nantahala National…
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Carolina Mountain Club challenges hikers to seek views from the top
By Peter Barr • Guest writer The Carolina Mountain Club is challenging hikers to seek out some of Western North…
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Maggie festival embraces all things trout
Maggie Valley will celebrate the trout heritage of the Smoky Mountain region with its annual Trout Festival, held from 9…
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Casino donates money to national park non-profit
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino has donated $10,000 to Friends of the Smokies in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Great…
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Garden records
By Jim Webb Don’t you wish you kept good records? I sure do. Those Elvis Presley 45’s, purchased the first…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Birds of a feather Yep, they’ll be flocking June 25 at 10 a.m. at the North Carolina Arboretum, 100 Frederick…
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Culture and history to take rightful place in new visitor center
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held this week for a new visitor center at the main North Carolina entrance to the…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Goodbye to a native son A light has dimmed in the universe. It was a light that shone with gracious…
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A race against time
While it’s hard to imagine as one gazes at the vast wilderness of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, more…
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Gorge outfitters debate direction
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer A year ago, a group of more than 40 rafting outfitters gathered to discuss…
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Ivy covered walls
By Jim Janke When our house was being built it became obvious that we needed to hide two 40 feet…
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Study shows Gorge economic impact significant
The Nantahala Gorge contributes $85 million to the local economy each year, and is the primary reason many tourists make…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Stop and smell the flowers Sure, we all hear it and we all think, “I’m gonna do just that as…
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Research outpost engages scientists and students under backdrop of the Smokies
There are few places where scientists probing the mysteries of the natural world would rather be. The sweeping vistas of…
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Hiking and heritage converge in new trail guide
A new hiking book on Western North Carolina puts the regions trails in a new perspective. It weaves together the…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Crepuscular by nature The sun knows the secret. Beginning and end Are the beautiful times. The soft warm And sensual…
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Under siege: Saving the sequoias of the East
Jesse Webster consulted his GPS and eyed the tangle of rhododendrons stretching out of sight up the mountainside. Somewhere beyond…
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Smokies relies on outside support to maintain what makes it special
When Steve Woody and Barney Coulter got a mysterious call from Smokies Superintendent Randall Pope in the early 1990s asking…
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Do you have a gardening question?
By Jim Janke The purpose of Master Gardener programs is to increase the knowledge of horticulture among home gardeners. Master…
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The Naturalist's Corner
What’s that buzzin? “Daddy, daddy, there’s a yellowjacket in the bedroom!” cried Izzy. And somehow, the dusty old synapses fired…
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School serves as model for dealing with runoff
Innovative techniques for dispersing runoff and protecting neighboring streams will be highlighted during a program at 6:30 p.m. Monday, May…
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