Third-grader names new bike park mascot

Donovan, a spirited third-grade student from Junaluska Elementary School, is the winner of the mascot naming contest for the upcoming…
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Haywood Extension composting class

Bonnie Refinski-Knight, an N.C. State Extension Master Gardner volunteer, will host a presentation on composting. The class will include an…
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Hazardous waste collection event

The Haywood County Solid Waste Department will be holding a spring household hazardous waste collection event from 9 a.m. to…
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SAHC marks 50 years

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) is celebrating 50 years of conserving clean water, plant and wildlife habitat, farmland and scenic…
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Macon Master Gardeners to host plant sale

Come out to the Macon County Master Gardener Association’s plant sale. 
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North Carolina migratory bird seasons released

Officials with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission have announced the approved season dates, bag limits and applicable regulations for the…
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EBCI wins award for outstanding water protection

The N.C. Source Water Collaborative — a statewide drinking water protection group — has announced the winners of the Source…
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Managing invasive species: Plant removal begins in Pinnacle Park

After a botanical survey identified the location of several invasive species in Jackson County’s Pinnacle Park, work has begun to…
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Word From the Smokies: Fireflies are surprisingly diverse

For many people who grew up in the eastern United States, the soft yellow blink of fireflies drifting over dusky…
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Troxler encourages horse owners to vaccinate against mosquito-borne diseases and rabies

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is encouraging equine owners to have their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile…
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Volunteers boost Appalachian Trail preservation

The Carolina Mountain Club Remote Overnight Crew (ROC) convened near the Walnut Mountain shelter on the Appalachian Trail for a…
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Learn all about septic systems

Haywood Waterways Association and the Haywood County Environmental Health Department are hosting a workshop about septic systems. 
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Forest Service proposes recreation fee changes

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing to change fees at several recreation areas on the Nantahala and Uwharrie National Forests…
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Clean up the Pigeon River

Come clean up the Pigeon River in Haywood County. On Saturday, May 18, volunteers will gather at Pigeon River Outfitters…
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Visit the Extension Master Gardener Booth at Haywood’s Historic Farmers Market

NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteers staff a booth on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month (May through August) at…
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Word from the Smokies: Cicada emergence offers rare community science opportunity

During the summer of 2011, billions of cicada eggs hatched inside tree twigs across the Southeast. The hatchlings, called nymphs,…
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Wildlife Commission Announces CWD Surveillance Areas

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Executive Director, Cameron Ingram, signed a  proclamation outlining the state’s Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) primary and…
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Haywood waterways hosts tree identification hike

On May 18, Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood Community College will lead a moderate 6-mile hike in the Sunburst area…
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Enjoy ‘Art in the Gardens’ at Lake Junaluska

Lake Junaluska’s Artists in Residence invite the public to visit “Art in the Gardens,” now through Wednesday, May 15.
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State announces funding opportunities for weatherization training and technical assistance

The Department of Environmental Quality’s State Energy Office is accepting proposals for weatherization training and technical assistance projects, with $14.68 million…
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Help stock the Pigeon River with trout

TU-Cataloochee’s next trout stocking event is coming up Monday, May 6, along the delayed harvest section of the West Fork of the Pigeon…
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Cemetery decoration days this weekend

On Sunday, May 5, in cooperation with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the North Shore Cemetery Association will decorate…
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Memorial Day Trout Tournament

The annual Memorial Day Trout Tournament is again coming to Cherokee. The tournament is open to all ages and will…
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Throwing it down in Waynetown: First skateboard competition to be held in May

To hear local skateboarding impresario Jared Lee tell it, there wasn’t much to do in Haywood County for young skaters…
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More ranger-led programs set for 2024

The National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with Catalyst Sports, Knox County, Kampgrounds of America Foundation and Friends of the Smokies, announced the…
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More chronic wasting disease cases recorded

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is confirming 13 new cases of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) from deer samples submitted since…
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Enjoy WNC’s hiking trails

Western North Carolina is a hiker’s paradise. With so much land protected by national and state forests and parks, those who live…
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NC Arboretum names new director

University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans this week appointed Drake Fowler as the new executive director of The…
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New Building Outdoor Communities cohort named

Six new recipients in Western North Carolina have been awarded grants to participate in the MADE X MTNS Partnership’s Building…
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Jackson County hosts BirdFest

Balsam Mountain Trust announced its seventh-annual Bird Festival celebrating World Migratory Bird Day. 
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Bee swarms should not be bothered

The Henderson County Beekeepers association is reminding people that if they see a bee swarm, they shouldn’t disturb it. 
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Smokies Life celebrates ribbon cutting at new welcome center

One of the four nonprofit partners of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Smokies Life, now has a new home…
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GSMNP Superintendent talks visitation, parking tag program

Great Smokies Mountain National Park has seen new changes in recent years, from soaring record attendance placing it head and…
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WCU celebrates 40 years cleaning up the Tuckasegee River

For four decades, Western Carolina University has participated in a daylong effort of cleaning up a portion of Jackson County’s…
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‘Bloom with a View’ returns to Arboretum

The North Carolina Arboretum is heralding spring’s arrival with the return of “Bloom with a View,” May 4-19. 
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Ramsey Cascades Trail closes on weekdays

The National Park Service (NPS) will close Ramsey Cascades Trail on weekdays while trail crews finish the full-scale rehabilitation work…
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‘Square-foot gardening’ class is April 30

The Haywood County Extension Office is presenting a free class on “square-foot gardening,” a simple, versatile system that takes up…
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Lake J hosts annual plant sale

Lake Junaluska’s yearly plant sale is May 4. For sale will be a few thousand plants, including an assortment of…
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GSMNP to improve Gatlinburg entrance

Great Smoky Mountains National Park received approximately $11 million in funding from the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund to rehabilitate…
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Jackson hosts youth tennis lessons

Youth Tennis Lessons at Mark Watson Park in Sylva will begin on May 4. 
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Disaster relief available due to drought
 

Disaster relief available due to drought

Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack declared a natural disaster in North Carolina based on losses caused by drought that occurred…
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Mill Town Market back for second year at Sorrells Street Park

The season for farmers markets, with all their fresh produce, local vendors and community engagement, is right around the corner,…
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Festival of the Peonies in Bloom begins

Wildcat Ridge Farm is welcoming visitors throughout May to enjoy the peonies in bloom. 
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American Sign Language Day programs offered at Cades Cove

Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s “Signs of Spring” event celebrating National American Sign Language Day will be back for the second year…
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Green Built Alliance announces annual Earth Day 5K

The nonprofit Green Built Alliance will host the second-annual Earth Day 5K, presented by Pine Gate Renewables on April 20. 
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Parking fees generate $10 million

In the first year since Great Smoky Mountains National Park launched the Park it Forward program, the fee has generated…
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Lakeview Drive road project to conclude

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with funding from the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund, will finish the approximate $15.7…
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Jackson County announces bike rodeo

Join Jackson County Parks and Recreation for the department’s bike rodeo. 
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Smoky Mountain Beekeepers to talk pollinator gardens

The Smoky Mountain Beekeepers are welcoming N.C. Extension Agent Minda Daughtry to talk about how to support bees and other…
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Haywood County hosts the Senior Games

The senior games are coming to Haywood County beginning April 17, and adults 50 and older are invited to participate…
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