Cullowhee students get creekside dose of science and math
A section of Cullowhee Creek in Jackson County will turn into a laboratory — with elementary school students as its…
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Hike 100 miles of Smokies trail in 2016
Smokies Superintendent Cassius Cash has issued a challenge to all hardy souls wishing to join him in celebrating the National…
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Date set for Smokies Half Marathon
The Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon will send runners all around Waynesville on Saturday, May 14 — and for…
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Reflections on walking the Camino Primitivo
An avid local hiker will share the story of her pilgrimage along the 208-mile Camino Primitivo in Spain at 7…
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Falcons, wolves and bears, oh my!
An exhibition highlighting the return of North America’s wolves and peregrine falcons from the brink of extinction will be on…
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Gallery: A winter wonderland
When I transplanted myself from Wyoming to North Carolina, I assumed that part of the deal would be relinquishing access…
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Rewards offered for poaching tips
A new program rewarding people who turn in poachers aims to crack down on illegal wildlife harvest. “Despite our constant…
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Beat you to the bottom: Race night offers competition and community at Cataloochee
As the sun goes down on the snow-covered mountain at Cataloochee Ski Area, anticipation spikes among the enlightened few who…
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Power plant plans to be discussed at public hearing
A public hearing on Duke Energy’s plan to build two new power plants to replace its soon-to-retire Asheville coal plant…
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Work beginning on access trails along the Chattooga
Work has started on new trails and signs along the Chattooga River aimed at improving access for paddlers.
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To hunt or not to hunt: Elk season proposal debated at public hearing
Should North Carolina start thinking about a hunting season for elk? If the crowd that turned out to the N.C.…
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CBC double-dipping
They say great minds think alike, and who am I to argue with “They?” The Franklin Bird Club and Carolina…
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Program to prepare preschoolers for sports leagues
A sports development league aiming to teach preschoolers the skills they’ll need to succeed in the world of athletics is…
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New Mountains-to-Sea guide available
A new trail guide covering the Balsams section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail is out, meaning that the trail’s route through…
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Learn to use a stand up paddleboard
People wanting to get in on the stand up paddleboard craze will have a chance to learn the basics at…
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LTLT name change becomes official
The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee started off the new year with a new name, officially launching its new…
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Dairy farmers to vote on mandatory sales contribution
Haywood County dairy farmers may soon be required to give a portion of their proceeds for dairy-related education, research and…
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Ban on poultry shows and sales lifted
A state ban on poultry sales and shows in place since August was lifted a week earlier than anticipated, as…
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One park at a time: WNC hiker explores the South’s natural and human history through national parks
For Danny Bernstein and her husband Lenny, trips south to visit Lenny’s family in Miami Beach are a regular feature…
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Appalachian Trail use breaks records in 2015
The number of Appalachian Trail hikers passing through the trail’s “psychological midpoint” in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, hit an all-time…
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Smokies plates raise $800K in 2015
Sales of license plates supporting the Friends of the Smokies were strong in 2015, with sales in North Carolina and…
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N.C. national forests get new supervisor
North Carolina has a new U.S. Forest Service forest supervisor in Allen Nicholas, who currently works as forest supervisor for…
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Funds for open spaces cut by half
A federal fund that supports parks and open spaces across the nation has been spared, but was reduced to half…
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Plateau land trust conserves record number of acres
With more than 400 acres of land conserved through purchase and conservation easements in 2015, the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust is…
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Emissions from new vehicles decreasing, report says
Vehicles are getting greener, according to a pair of reports recently released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In model…
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Charting the future: Wildlife Commission proposes hunting season on elk
Fifteen years ago, a herd of 52 elk set foot in their new home — the Great Smoky Mountains National…
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DOT looking for N.C.’s best trails
A new map to feature North Carolina’s most loved trails is now in the development stage, and the N.C. Department…
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Appalachian Farm School returns
The Appalachian Farm School at Southwestern Community College will return for a second year starting Jan. 12, thanks to a…
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New maps out for DuPont Forest
People wanting to explore DuPont State Forest now have three new tools at their disposal to navigate through the forest’s…
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Farmland conservation preserves views, lifeways in Madison
A new conservation agreement on a 318-acre farm in Madison County through the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will help the…
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Students learn about chemistry, fish and water quality through trout raising project
When the holidays wind down and schools go back in session, kids in some Western North Carolina classrooms will have…
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WNC health planning gets recognition
A project aiming to help Western North Carolina communities consider health needs when doing long-term planning revealed that issues such…
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Wildlife officer connects kids and vets to the outdoors
A Macon County man was presented the 2015 Governor’s Award for Excellence, the highest honor a state employee can receive,…
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New acreage added to Pisgah National Forest
The Pisgah National Forest will see the addition of 178 acres in the Mills River area of Henderson County thanks…
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Step into the robot zoo
An exhibit using mechanics to show how real animals work is open through Jan. 3 at the N.C. Arboretum in…
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State emissions control plan out for comment
A state plan to comply with federal rules for controlling carbon emissions is now out for public comment, but the…
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License plate grants open for A.T. projects
A total $30,000 in grants for Appalachian Trail related projects in North Carolina is up for grabs thanks to proceeds…
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A double-edged sword: Rising visitation in the Smokies brings challenge and reward
Lynda Doucett and her staff at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park were pretty excited to move into the new…
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Things that go peent! in the dark
I think Lewis Carroll could have just as easily warned of the Timberdoodle as the Jubjub bird in the “Jabberwocky,”…
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N.C. Arboretum lights up for the holidays
More than 200,000 LED lights will illuminate the gardens of the N.C. Arboretum starting Nov. 20 for the second annual…
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Lawsuit claims Wildlife Service not doing enough for wolves
A lawsuit alleging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is falling down on its job to protect the world’s only…
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Fire ant quarantine expands to Macon and Graham counties
A state quarantine to prevent the spread of the imported fire ant has expanded to include Macon and Graham counties,…
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Possible timber thinning project takes comment
The U.S. Forest Service is considering a timber project on 117 acres of the Nantahala Ranger District of the Nantahala…
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Groups agree on recommendation for forest plan
A collection of environmental and recreation-oriented groups has come out with a recommendation for two new recreations areas to be…
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Tobacco growers OK required contribution for tobacco research
A referendum vote asking whether tobacco growers wanted to keep giving a portion of their sales to tobacco research and…
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Cherokees and rivers: Water a centerpiece of Cherokee culture
Just like Haywood County’s watershed, fed by springs that all have their start inside county borders, Cherokee mythology surrounding places…
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WCU shoreline study program lands grant
A $483,000 National Park Service grant will allow Western Carolina University to map shoreline storm vulnerability in 12 costal parks…
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Restrictions in place for Staire Creek Trail
Equestrians and bikers who enjoy the Staire Creek Trail in the Big Ivy Area of the Pisgah National Forest will…
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Haywood stream cleanup logs big numbers
Nearly two tons of trash were removed from Haywood County waterways this year thanks to Haywood Waterways Association’s Adopt-A-Stream Program.
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Great Smoky Mountains Association names new director
The Great Smoky Mountains Association, a nonprofit that provides millions for visitor programs, conservation and special projects in the Great…
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