Magnolia trifecta
It’s May! That means my 2019 Forest Service bird survey has begun — another six weeks of roaming the wilds…
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Professor receives honor from New York Botanical Garden
Jim Costa, executive director of the Western Carolina University Highlands Biological Station and a professor of biology at WCU, has…
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Make way for elk (and trout): Haywood, Jackson counties seek designation as state’s elk and trout capitals
If you want to see an elk, the Elk Capital of North Carolina would probably be a good place to…
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Year of the bird: Killdeer nest prompts planning shuffle for Greening Up The Mountains
Every year, Sylva’s population quadruples on the last Saturday in April as more than 10,000 people flock to the tiny…
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Crews conquer fire in Linville
The Brushy Ridge Trail near Linville Gorge reopened last week following successful containment of a 3-acre fire there April 30.
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Farm Bill causes changes for loan limits
The 2018 Farm Bill resulted in higher farm loan limits from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, among other changes.
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The Naturalist's Corner: Bald eagles, gators and manatees, oh my
It was another great Spring Break along the Gulf Coast of Central Florida. We stayed in Homosassa Springs on the…
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Facilities reopen in the Smokies
This year’s opening schedule for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now final, with most facilities having opened in…
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Flowers with stories: Nodding Trillium Garden opens in Cullowhee
No matter what scale of time you’re using, the newly opened Jean Pittillo Nodding Trillium Garden in Cullowhee has deep…
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Blue Ridge grant awards to stimulate heritage projects in WNC
The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership (BRNHA) has awarded 19 grants totaling $190,171 to support projects across the North…
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Bill aims to restore permanent funding for conservation
The U.S. Senate is considering a bill that would provide permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
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I-26 project will prompt Parkway realignment
An upcoming widening project on Interstate 26 in Buncombe and Henderson counties will impact the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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Prescribed burn proposed for Panthertown
Comments are wanted on a U.S. Forest Service proposal to burn 814 acres in Panthertown Valley, located in the Nantahala…
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Hiking through history: Little Cataloochee offers a window to the past
One hundred years ago, the parking area and campground just past the fields in Cataloochee Valley where elk often hang…
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Longtime Lake Junaluska landscaper retires
After 27 years of service, legendary Lake Junaluska landscaper Roddy Ray has retired.
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WCU takes adventure college title
For the fifth time, Western Carolina University has been voted the top adventure college in Blue Ridge Outdoors’ online readers’…
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Roadside wildflower displays win awards
Wildflower displays along Western North Carolina highways have earned local N.C. Department of Transportation offices statewide recognition.
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The Naturalist's Corner: The PR of Pittman-Robertson
Ran across this little gem of a blurb on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Facebook page: “Sports men and…
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Overlook clearing completed on the Blue Ridge Parkway
The view from the Pink Beds Overlook at milepost 410 on the Blue Ridge Parkway is looking a lot better…
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SCC’s outdoor leader gets recognized
Paul Wolf, who heads up Southwestern Community College’s outdoor leadership program, received recognition at the 2019 Southeast Regional Conference of…
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New wildflower trail to open
Nodding Trillium Garden, the Pittillo Family Nature Preserve, will hold a grand opening of its wildflower garden trail on Wednesday,…
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Farmland conservation project concludes in Haywood
A 385-acre tract of productive, scenic farmland in Haywood County has now been permanently protected thanks to efforts from the…
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Forest Service facilities open for the season
Seasonal road openings are beginning on the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests.
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Solar array complete in Murphy
A new solar project is now complete at Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino and Hotel in Murphy following a ribbon-cutting…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Breath still bated
Maybe it’s March Madness, maybe it’s simply madness, but I’m looking at the Lake Junaluska eagles and thinking “they’re gonna…
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Outdoors store opens on WCU campus
Western Carolina University once more has an outdoors store on campus following the closure of Blackrock Outdoor Company.
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Cradle of Forestry to open season with living history
The 2019 season of events at the Cradle of Forestry in America will kick off Saturday, April 6, with the…
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Founder’s grandson reopens RollsRite Bicycles
When John Mudge opened RollsRite Bicycles in 2002, his grandson Zack Moss was only 9 years old. Moss grew up…
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New relay planned for Western NC
A relay race set to debut this year will offer teams of four the challenge of traveling from Asheville to…
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‘Leader of leaders’: New Smokies chief ranger brings impressive career to America’s most visited park
After decades roving the backcountry of some of the largest parks in the Western United States, Lisa Hendy is returning…
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Conservation easement protects Parkway view
A recently conserved 50-acre property is the third conservation easement that George Rector and Joan Byrd have donated to Mainspring…
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Smokies ranger earns national award
A National Park Service ranger who has focused on the scientific and educational significance of the Great Smoky Mountains National…
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Waynesville Parks and Rec wants opinions
The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department is looking for feedback on its programs through a survey now online.
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Fly fishing museum seeks donations
Donations are wanted to help create a display set for the Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians and Appalachian…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Bated breath
I am sure I’m not the only one hoping the Lake Junaluska eagles are successful this nesting season. It seems,…
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Cullowhee gets new welcome sign
A new sign along Old Cullowhee Road now welcomes visitors and residents alike to Cullowhee’s historic center, thanks to efforts…
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Dam removal possible for Cullowhee: Draft report gives optimistic findings, but questions remain
A recently released draft report bodes well for the possibility of removing the dilapidated Cullowhee Dam without compromising the water…
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National Park visits up despite shutdown
Despite a government shutdown that lasted most of the month, visitation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was markedly…
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Parkway visitation falls in 2018
According to recently released statistics from the National Park Service, the Blue Ridge Parkway logged its lowest visitation since 2014,…
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Greenhouse gas inventory released
The Greenhouse Gas Inventory requested by a recent executive order from Gov. Roy Cooper has now been released by the…
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The Naturalist's Corner: The St. Croix chronicles
St. Croix’s adolescent hormones were coursing through his lean muscular body when the urge to leave the Black Hills of…
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Statewide wildfire response drill comes to Haywood
In the midst of an exceptionally warm, dry winter, a wildfire erupted on Mount Lyn Lowry. About 170 acres when…
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First female chief ranger hired in the Smokies
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will have its first female chief ranger following the hire of Lisa Hendy, who…
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Congress votes to reauthorize Conservation Fund
Congress voted to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund following a 363-62 vote of the U.S. House of…
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Community stewardship awards given
Everyone wants to live in a beautiful and litter-free place, and six winners were recognized for their efforts to that…
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Education program earns regional recognition
Muddy Sneakers, an outdoor science education program based in Brevard, recently won two awards in a Blue Ridge Outdoors voting…
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Smokies records highest-ever visitation
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park set a new visitation record for 2018, welcoming 11.4 million visitors to its 816…
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Arboretum to expand environmental education
A $1 million grant will allow the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville to expand its innovative K-12 science education programs to…
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Living soil: Waynesville woman digs into worm farming
Valley View Worms has an origin story that’s about as unusual as the vermiculture business itself, with plotlines hinging on…
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New state natural area achieves milestone
A recent 1,500 acre land purchase by the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and North Carolina State Parks marked acquisition…
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