HCC qualifies for national championship
Haywood Community College’s Bass Fishing Team recently competed in the 2016 Carhartt College Eastern Regional Bassmaster Tournament where teammates Ryan…
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Sylva earns national recognition as a green town
Sylva earned recognition for its efforts to be clean and sustainable when the travel site Expedia.com named it the fourth…
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Peregrines once again at Devil’s Courthouse
A couple of Saturday’s ago Bob Olthoff and I made a quick trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway. We were…
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Pollinate, propagate, cultivate: 2016 garden tour to show off the best beds in Haywood
When Sarah Scott first started work at Haywood County Cooperative Extension in February 2015, planning for the 2016 Haywood County…
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Keep your salamander away from my newt
I often remind everyone who reads “The Naturalist’s Corner” to remember to look up. But each spring while surveying birds…
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Stories, salad and wildflowers: Plants a passion for Bigelow
Adam Bigelow bears down on the gas pedal of his biodiesel-fueled Jetta, urging it up the steep contours of the…
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Get outside on National Trails Day
Every year, America’s hiking trails get their moment to shine with the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day. This year’s…
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Cashiers gets second farmer market
A new farmers market will launch in Cashiers this week, providing a weekly supply of local foods from 3 to…
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Trout waters open
Delayed-harvest trout waters will open for the summer on Saturday, June 4, giving anglers the chance to catch a dinner…
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WCU tops ‘best-of’ list for outdoors colleges
Western Carolina University came in on top in an online magazine poll looking for the region’s premiere outdoor adventure college.
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Get the cheat sheet to buy local
Growing season has arrived in Western North Carolina, and the new Local Food Guide from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project…
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Glad to be alive: Bear bite victim tells his story
The sun had not quite set when Bradley Veeder fell asleep in his tent May 10, feeling “tired but happy”…
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Kids get creative with waterways
Haywood County’s young artists got some recognition for the T-shirt designs they dreamed up to celebrate Kids in the Creek,…
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Local runners take top spots in half marathon
Runners from up and down the East Coast converged on Waynesville this month to try their stride at the Gateway…
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Park Service archives get new home
A new home for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s collection of artifacts and archives recently opened its doors in…
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See birds of prey up close
An up-close glimpse of creatures such as the Eastern screech owl and Northern bald eagle will show birds of prey…
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Old-time remedies explained
See old-time remedies in action with a demonstration by Smokies naturalist Ila Hatter, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May…
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NOC paddler to appear in summer Olympics
When Team U.S.A. marches into the Olympic stadium this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the Opening Ceremonies of…
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Sculpture winds through WCU trails
A nature-based sculpture project launched by Western Carolina University’s Fine Art Museum aims to feature outdoors art while promoting discussion…
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A strained relationship: Suspicion of NPS lingers among some backcountry users, parkside communities
It’s been three years since a vigorous debate about charging for backcountry camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
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Hanging Dog Campground reopens on trial basis
After two years of closure, Hanging Dog Campground in Cherokee County has reopened through a collaborative effort between the county…
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DuPont trails to close for blue ghost firefly protection
Closure of some trails will soon take effect in DuPont State Recreational Forest to protect the blue ghost firefly, a…
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Bear baiting rules loosened
Bear hunters can now use unprocessed food as bait for a larger part of the hunting season, according to temporary…
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Canucks amongst us
You’re hiking streamside through a rhododendron tangle when you hear a short, musical trill – it kind of mimics the…
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Not your average tourist: Waynesville man reflects on decades of travel in the jungles of Ecuador
When life gets hectic, most people have a vacation spot where they go to unwind — perhaps a family cabin…
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New maps ‘unlock’ Tsali’s epic trail system
Newbies to Tsali Recreation Area in Graham County will have an easier time navigating the 37-mile trail network thanks to…
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Trail mapping project earns award for tribal member
A Cherokee woman received recognition from the environmental organization Wild South for her tireless work with a project to map…
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Hot Springs fire contained
The verdict is in on a fire that had been blazing for two weeks near Hot Springs — after burning…
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Rivers and restaurants: TV crew falls for Jackson County through its trout, tables and people
The sun is lowering toward a perfect spring evening as the crew from Fox Sports’ “Anglers & Appetites” pulls onto…
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Top 100 in Smokies history named
Throughout its journey from concept to reality to regional treasure, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has drawn the support…
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Tour the best of Haywood’s gardens this summer
The best blooms and greenery in Haywood County will be on display with this year’s Haywood County Garden Tour Saturday,…
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Ozone season is here
It’s ozone season in North Carolina again, that time of year when warm weather and pollution can combine to result…
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Operation box turtle: Waynesville vet works to give baby turtles a leg up
Joel Harrington has always been a fan of turtles. Of all animals, really — he is a veterinarian — but Harrington has…
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Sylva commissioners launch cleanup initiative
A slate of monthly litter cleanups in Sylva will kick off at noon Saturday, April 30, at Bryson Park on…
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Waynesville men come out on top in Alaska motor adventure
A pair of Waynesville men are home after a third-place finish in the harrowing Alcan 5000 motor vehicle race across…
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Swain A.T. hiker raises money for kids at risk one step at a time
A Swain County fishing guide has left his rod behind to embark on an Appalachian Trail thru-hike, aiming to raise…
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Watershed moments
Elizabeth Vickery, a senior at Western Carolina University, peers into a dip net along with Cullowhee Valley Elementary School student…
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Elkmont building in Smokies burns
Nature knocked an item off the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s to-do list when a fire sparked a structure in…
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Fire danger high
Fire danger is high in North Carolina, with low humidity and lack of rain over the past few weeks resulting…
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Firefly lottery opens
A lottery to see the synchronous fireflies light up the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will open at noon Friday,…
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Whitewater club gets a boost from grants
The Nantahala Racing Club has landed nearly $45,000 in grants for the 2016 season, encouraging the Swain County nonprofit in…
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Trout Capital, North Carolina: Jackson County pushes to land unique designation
Jackson County is on its way to becoming the trout capital of North Carolina after county leaders unveiled a plan…
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Shoot the Smokies
A crash course in outdoor photography will give shutterbugs an excuse to explore the Smokies’ beauty in a four-week program…
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Overnight on the Appalachian Trail
To get a taste of trail life on the A.T., I set out on Friday afternoon with a pack, a…
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The Eagle Lady says goodbye to N.C.
After more than 20 years in the Carolina mountains, The Eagle Lady — also known as Doris Mager — is…
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Clean the Tuck
Western Carolina University students show off the bags that they will soon fill with trash from the Tuckaseigee River during…
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State looks to combat aquatic invasives
With nuisance species steadily invading North Carolina waters, state officials have approved a plan designed to curb their onward march.
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Smoky birds
I just finished four wonderful days of birding in the Smokies, helping out with the 66th Annual Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage.…
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Hike your own hike: A.T. hikers aim for Maine after crowded start
It’s 4 p.m. on the Appalachian Trail, and while the sun will be awake for hours yet, “hiker midnight,” which…
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