Learn from Leopold
Aldo Leopold and his writings are cornerstones of modern environmental ethic, and a program teaching how to use his work…
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Winter on the ridge: Wintry conditions cause Parkway closures despite warm temps at low elevations
Though a mixture of rain and ice pelted the windshield as I headed toward the Balsam Gap access of the…
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New museum to celebrate Fontana Dam’s 70th
A community museum and learning center at Fontana Village along Fontana Lake will commemorate the 70th anniversary of power production…
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More land conserved around Waterrock Knob
A 10-acre tract along the Blue Ridge Parkway and a new section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail in Jackson County will…
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Grant allows kids hiking trails to expand
Trail adventures for kids will expand in North Carolina over the coming years, thanks to a $921,000 grant from the…
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National park wraps up three years of stream mapping
A three-year stream-mapping project in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now complete, revealing new information about the park’s…
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The open water: Improved access, mapping set to spur water recreation in WNC
It’s shaping up to be an exciting year for water-lovers in Western North Carolina. After more than a decade of…
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Sylva man reflects on televised Alaskan survival experience, the adventure lifestyle
Scott McCleskey didn’t really know what he was saying yes to when he boarded the plane to Alaska, pack of…
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The uncommon common goldeneye
The best way I know of to get a rare bird to fly the coop is to write about it.…
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Hike the Dirty Dozen
Looking for a new way to explore the wilderness? Check out the Dirty Dozen Wilderness Hike Challenge.
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The A.T. just got a little longer
The Appalachian Trail has a new official length. It increased by 3.9 miles from last year to 2,189.2 miles due…
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Venus flytrap poachers caught
Four men, ages 22 to 49, were arrested with 970 Venus flytraps in their possession earlier this month at the…
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Access on Lake Emory gets better
A new canoe portage around the Lake Emory dam is expected to open in Franklin sometime in late spring.
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Couple conserves private tract in Jackson
A new conservation agreement finalized by the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee will protect 104 acres in Cullowhee from…
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Smokies visitation tops 10 million
For the first time in more than a decade, Great Smoky Mountains National Park saw more than 10 million visitors…
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Smokies makes must-see list of World Heritage sites
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is part of a new online travel itinerary from the National Park Service that…
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Clean Water Fund awards $1.3 million to land conservation in western counties
Projects in Haywood and Swain counties will benefit from an additional $4.5 million of Clean Water Management Trust Fund dollars…
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Insect wars hoped to take a bite out of pests
Pitting insect against insect, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission released predator beetles last month on the Sandy Mush Game Land,…
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Bird count catalogues avian diversity in WNC
Birders turned out throughout Western North Carolina — and the globe — to participate in an avian enthusiast’s favorite winter…
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Community support delivers new kitchen to Outdoor Mission Camp
Outdoor Mission Camp in Maggie Valley, an affiliate of Youth for Christ USA, is being outfitted with a new kitchen…
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Dog fight in the forest: Woman crusades for legal change after hunting dog attack
Kadie Anderson was packing up camp after a night in the backcountry with her two Australian shepherds when the peace…
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Double the fun
I had the pleasure of participating in two Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) this past weekend. The first was the Balsam…
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Blue Ridge Biofuels expands
Blue Ridge Biofuels, an Asheville-based biodiesel company, is planning to expand to a new facility in Catawba County.
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Dig in to the white-collar side of farming
Learn the business side of farming with the Appalachian Farm School, a pilot agricultural business training program for farmers in…
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Haywood Waterways invites you to take the plunge
There’s something alluring about plunging into icy midwinter water — enough so that it spawns polar plunge fundraisers for sundry…
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Sparrowing at Kituwah
A quest for sparrow sightings will commence during the morning of Jan. 14 at Kituwah, an area of about 300…
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Land trust gets new executive director
Land Trust for the Little Tennessee has a new executive director in Sharon Fouts Taylor, who will move into the…
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Wildlife commission roles out proposed hunting and fishing regs
A public hearing on proposed changes to hunting, fishing and wildlife management regulations will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday,…
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School on the slopes: Cataloochee’s expanded kids program spreads the joy of sliding
Rain was beginning to set in on a fog-ridden day on the slopes when Annie Dephouse gave her 5-year-old charge,…
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Forest Stewards honored for conservation forestry
A Cullowhee-based forest management group was recently recognized for its work by Root Cause, a regional initiative to raise awareness…
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Haywood Waterways does good work
Editor’s note: The following is a submission from Haywood Waterways Association reflecting on the organization’s work to protect and improve…
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Roan Mountain viewsheds protected by land trust
A 76-acre tract along the Appalachian Trail on Roan Mountain has been permanently protected thanks to the Southern Appalachian Highlands…
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Trending in nature: WNC outdoors enthusiasts talk about trends in outdoor rec
When Jim Brendle put together the first Smoky Mountain Relay in 2009, it was a pretty small affair. With only…
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Sounds in the night
By Burt Kornegay • Contributing writer It was around 10:30 p.m., just as we were going to bed, when my wife…
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Golden poster-bird
It seems like the golden-winged warbler (GWWA) has become the non-game poster bird for everything from clearcuts to shelterwood cuts…
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Nantahala Brewing supports the A.T.
Nantahala Brewing Company in Bryson City celebrated the Christmas season with a generous donation to Friends of the Great Smoky…
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Forest Service wins public engagement awards
U.S. Forest Service employees in North Carolina recently received a handful of awards for their work in 2014, including a…
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Women-only ski lessons launch in January
A six-session program aimed at female skiers and snowboarders will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 7, at Cataloochee Ski Area in…
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Land trust adds to wildlife corridor in Jackson County
A new conservation easement in Jackson County will provide a critical wildlife corridor, connecting three other easements and located less…
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Seasonal road closures begin in national forest
Seasonal road closures are starting to kick in for the U.S. Forest Service. In the Appalachian Ranger District of Pisgah…
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Christmas on the Chimney: Claus gears up for Christmas, spreads the joy of climbing
It was still a couple weeks till Christmas, but Santa Claus already had his boots shined and suit cleaned in…
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Extreme commenting on plan for national forests
Yogi Berra said it best — “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” When I read Holly Kays’ Nov. 12…
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Hunger initiative to build bridges with local agriculture
A $10,000 grant will go toward building up food banks in Western North Carolina in partnership with agribusiness. The award,…
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Permaculture school launches in Asheville
A 12-week permaculture school in Asheville will launch in 2015, teaching students how to create landscapes that maintain the health…
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Comment call for red wolf rules
A series of three public hearings in January will take public input on the future of protection for the reintroduced…
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Internships for Smokies fans
Five summer internship positions are available for undergraduates looking to get involved with Discover Life in America’s mission to learn…
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Alum Cave Trail restoration to close trail in 2015
Just after putting the final touches on the Chimney Tops Trail this month, the Trails Forever program in Great Smoky…
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Congressional act could expand National Parks
The National Parks System could see its largest expansion in decades after bipartisan legislation in Washington, D.C. was introduced proposing…
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Aquatic invaders found in Macon County
For the first time, gill lice have been found in brook trout in the Southern Appalachians. The parasitic crustaceans are…
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Smokies Association finishes $3.4 million investment in N.C.
The opening of the Swain County Visitor Center in downtown Bryson City this year represented the culmination of a $3.46…
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