Tessentee Bottomland Preserve grows
An additional 43 acres has been added to the Tessentee Bottomland Preserve owned by Mainspring Conservation Trust in southern Macon…
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Wildlife ambassadors available for school programs
This summer’s Mountain Wildlife Days event in Sapphire was one of the most successful ever, and Mountain Wildlife Outreach will…
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Conservation purchase will protect elk, other wildlife on I-40
A 187-acre conservation purchase in Haywood County will allow for wildlife grazing and movement near Interstate 40.
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Youth learn life lessons from bees
Students in the HIGHTS program, which works with vulnerable youth and their families in Western North Carolina, learn about more…
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Environmental analysis complete for national forest’s Buck Project
The U.S. Forest Service has completed an environmental analysis for the Buck Project on the Nantahala National Forest’s Tusquitee Ranger…
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Work will soon begin on I-26
Widening work will begin on Interstate 26 in Buncombe County this fall, a project that will include replacing the Blue…
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Two killed in Smokies car crash
Two people died during a three-vehicle collision at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Drought arrives in the mountains
A ban on backcountry fires in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was announced Sept. 26 following the release of…
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Park recognizes first African-American naturalist
Florida resident Dr. Joe Lee earned recognition recently for his role as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s first African-American…
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Virginia Parkway section closed indefinitely
A section of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Virginia portion that has been closed since September will continue to be closed…
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Family Heirlooms return to the Smokies
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park recently received a priceless donation of Cades Cove artifacts to the museum collections when…
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Gift of the Mountains: Rooted in the Mountains connects Cherokee past and global future
It was an hour and a half after sunrise, and the day’s first rays had not yet touched Judaculla Rock,…
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The Naturalist's Corner: A tale of two monarchs
I was on the Blue Ridge Parkway last weekend scouting for an upcoming Alarka Expeditions trip, “Migration Celebration” which will…
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More land conserved at Highlands of Roan
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has purchased 62 acres at Doll Branch in the Highlands of Roan, an acquisition that…
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TVA: No new floating home construction on the water
It’s been about three years since the Tennessee Valley Authority tried to remove all floating homes on its 49 lakes.
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The Naturalist's Corner: Climate change brings more challenges
WNC Climate Action Coalition’s screening of David Weintraub’s new documentary “Guardians of our Troubled Waters” is both a history lesson…
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To the moon and back: Astronaut discusses the Space Age’s past and future at WCU
There are a few moments in history that every American alive at the time remembers in crisp detail. The assassination…
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Delayed Harvest waters to close for trout fishing
Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations will go into effect in 20 Western North Carolina counties on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
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Nature center lands grant for school outreach
A $4,500 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation is helping the Highlands Nature Center support its school outreach program.
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Webcams give round-the-clock Smokies views
Webcams recently installed at Newfound Gap and Clingmans Dome will give visitors nearly real-time access to weather conditions and views…
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Conserving for clean water: Project protects 710 acres in Maggie, with 1,350 more to come
Conservation leaders from across the state and nation gathered in Maggie Valley earlier this month to dedicate a land protection…
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Forest Service land closed in the Nantahala Gorge
Until further notice, public access to U.S. Forest Service lands in the Nantahala Gorge is closed due to hazards created…
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Nantahala Gorge reopens for national forest users
The Nantahala River in the Nantahala Gorge is now open to the public for all uses for the first time…
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Fear of collapse causes shelter closure
A beloved shelter on the Appalachian Trail near Roan Mountain is closed until further notice due to structural damage.
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Taylor to retire from Mainspring
After 18 years with Mainspring Conservation Trust and five years as its leader, Sharon Fouts Taylor will retire on Feb.…
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Outdoor economy efforts wins WCU award nomination
An outdoor economy initiative at Western Carolina University has been selected as a finalist in the University Economic Development Association’s…
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Race to honor UNC Charlotte hero: Mighty Four Miler will raise money for Riley Howell Foundation Fund
Hometown hero Riley Howell’s legacy will live on in the form a 4-mile race through the streets of the town…
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Smokies species count reaches 20,000
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reached a biodiversity milestone with the discovery and documentation of 20,000 species of…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Santee surprise
During our annual summer beach trip to Isle of Palms, I often manage to sneak away one morning to visit…
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The fungi forager: Franklin man develops a passion for wild mushrooms
Beneath the woodsy world of tree trunks, ferns and leaf litter is another, hidden realm. It’s the world of fungi,…
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Schooled in ag: School gives students a hands-on education
With a new school year just begun, the 300 students who participate in Waynesville Middle School’s robust agriculture program now…
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The untold story: Smokies seeks to showcase history of African-Americans in the park
Many plotlines weave through the story of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but if the park were a book,…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Could the environment be, once again, a game changer?
I ran into a fellow at Ingles just the other day. Regrettably, I don’t remember his name, but I run…
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HCC student places in national competition
A Haywood Community College student recently took fourth in a national timbersports competition held in Wisconsin.
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Man dies at Deep Creek
A Georgia man was pronounced dead in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Thursday, Aug. 22, following a cardiac…
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Working the watershed: Forest Stewards lays out plans for Waynesville watershed’s future
Nearly four decades ago, vast swathes of the 8,600-acre Waynesville watershed were laid bare, the trees timbered for profit and…
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Cradle Association gets new director
The Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association has a new executive director in Natalie Britt.
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Man dies following cardiac event in park
A man died in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last week following a cardiac event near the Greenbrier Ranger…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Speak up
If you want the opportunity to have knowledge about and input on actions, policies and/or decisions affecting property you own,…
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New WNC trail wins national award
Weed Patch Mountain Trail, which opened last year in the town of Lake Lure, has been recognized as one of…
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A new state park: Funding and opening Pisgah View State Park will be years-long process
A new state park has been created in Buncombe and Haywood counties following Gov. Roy Cooper’s signature on a state…
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Girl Scouts complete Smokies service
A group of Girl Scouts recently completed 80 hours of service in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as part…
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Rainstorm causes death in the Smokies
Extremely heavy rainfall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park caused rockslides, downed trees, flash flooding and a fatality on…
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Man found alive after four days lost in the Smokies
After spending four nights lost in the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, searchers found 58-year-old Kevin Mark…
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The Naturalist's Corner: “There is a singer everyone has heard…”
Robert Frost names that singer in the title of his 1916 sonnet “The Oven Bird.” The ovenbird is a large…
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Deadly bat disease spreads to more N.C. counties
There’s more bad news for bats following winter surveys that detected the deadly-to-bats white nose syndrome in four new counties…
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Park Service seeks information regarding man’s death
Investigators with the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch are trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of David…
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Floral delight: Native plants expert leads Parkway tour in search of rare species
“When we get out, we’re going to walk across the street and I’m going to show you the most sacred…
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HCC wildlife club wins award
The Haywood Community College Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society recently received the Forrest E. Jarrett Wildlife Conservation Award, an…
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Smokies Stomp raises $84K for national park needs
The second annual Smokies Stomp Barn Party raised more than $84,000 for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this year,…
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