GSMNP visitation trending upward
Visitation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is on the rise, a good sign for Western North Carolina counties…
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Appalachian Trail turns 75
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), the longest hiking-only footpath in the…
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Classic hike series heads to Mt. Cammerer
The Friends of the Smokies next “Classic Hike of the Smokies” will be to the top of Mt. Cammerer, where…
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Main Street Mile in Waynesville is Aug. 10
The third annual Main Street Mile will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 10 in downtown Waynesville. The event…
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Biking the Trail of Tears
Seven members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee and 16 members of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma recently participated in…
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From the darkness to the light – literally
Legend has it that curious fishermen watching trout seemingly disappear into Humpback Mountain back in 1822 discovered an entrance into…
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Bicycle touring light Overnight trips take the pressure off planning, purchasing
By Jack Moore • Contributor J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “Not all those who wander are lost,” and he may as well…
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Aerial assassins
Alaskan shooters are poised to take to the skies again this year to slaughter as many wolves as possible. This…
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Prehistoric plate tectonics gives rise to Smokies’ diversity
Dr. Dan Pittillo will explore the natural history of the southern Appalachians at 7 p.m. on Aug. 2 at the…
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Local produce to make its way to students’ trays
A Farm to School project will provide food awareness and better nutrition education for students and staff at five Haywood…
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Volunteers needed at Cataloochee Ranch
Volunteers are being sought for a workday at Cataloochee Ranch in Haywood County that will enhance the habitat for migratory…
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Reward for elk information upped
A $20,000 reward is being offered for information about the recent killing of three elk near the Great Smoky Mountains…
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Hear the creeks’ cry for help
While heavy rains have washed wayward trash into creeks in recent weeks, kids from Whitehouse, Tenn., helped scoured the banks…
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Get a taste of space science
Several all-day Space Science Labs for adults or kids will be held on various dates in late July and early…
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Clinic teaches horsemen to lighten their impact
Treading lightly on the land isn’t always easy if you’re sitting on top of 1,000 pounds and four stout hooves,…
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Volenteers needed to man Clingmans Dome
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to help staff the visitor contact station at Clingmans Dome through Nov.…
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Revel in rail history at the Cradle of Forestry
Learn about the early locomotives and logging railroads that once wound their way through mountain hollers and hillsides during the…
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Trapper Rob and his wolves to greet children in Jackson
Kids can get up close and personal with wolves and their owner, Trapper Rob, at the Jackson County Public Library in…
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Try your hand at backyard chickens
A class for people who have an interest in the benefits of raising their own chickens and/or turkeys will be…
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Coping with gray treefrogs
The call of, “Come see! A frog!” is one oft repeated in the Hendershot household from spring through fall as…
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Marvelous moss: Mossin’ Annie worships the lush and lovely bryophytes
By Melanie Threlkeld McConnell • Correspondent A rolling stone gathers no moss, so says the proverb, but it would if…
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A tough farming year
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer “Overall, it’s been a really tough year for farming,” said Jackson County farmer William…
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Go west yon hiker
A new hiking club has joined the ranks of an already burgeoning collection of trail trotters in WNC.
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Preserving tradition Non-profit grows plants for Cherokee artisans
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Not too long ago, the number of people who carried on the ancient Cherokee…
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Building a bridge of ideas and insight from the Smokies to Iceland
By George Ivey • Contributing writer What in the world would bring together the Great Smoky Mountains and the country…
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Homeward bound
After Jersey and the Big Apple (see last week’s Naturalist’s Corner — www.smokymountainnews.com/outdoors/item/7554-famous-nyc-offspring), it was time for a leisurely trip…
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The dam is gone, so how’s the Tuck doing?
Learn about biological changes afoot in the Tuckasegee River since the removal of the Dillsboro dam two years ago during…
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Canoe trip to explore the Little Tennessee
A guided canoe float trip down the Little Tennessee River will be held on July 19 as part of the…
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Open water swim added to the Lake Logan multi-sport line-up
The fast growing sport of Open Water Swimming has been added to the Lake Logan Multisport Festival held Aug. 4…
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Girls on the Run to increase presence in Macon County
Girls on the Run is reaching out to elementary and middle school girls in Franklin to get involved in a…
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Bringing back the native river cane
River cane, a native type of bamboo that once grew in large stands along mountain rivers, has gotten a helping…
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Venture to a unique high-elevation granite dome on guided hike
A special guided hike to the Ridges of Cedar Knob in the Highlands area will explore a high-elevation granite dome…
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Get off the eaten path with guided wild mushroom hunt
Join a renowned mushroom forager for a guided mushroom hunt from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday July 29.…
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A measure of hope for the hemlock forests?
A scientist fighting to save the dying hemlock forests of the Southern Appalachians will give a talk on ongoing efforts…
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Smokies workshop to engage teachers
An all-day workshop on July 31 will explore the ethics and ethos behind ecology and conservation in the Great Smoky…
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Land a hand for the Smokies’ historic cabins
The historic cabins, churches, school houses and farmhouses that date back to the times of early Appalachian settlers in the…
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Wild places, wild things featured at Mountain Wildlife Days
The ninth-annual Mountain Wildlife Days will be held Friday, July 20, and Saturday, July 21, at Sapphire Valley Resort near…
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Hiking the Southern Appalachians? Download this App
Hikers who want to travel smarter on trails in the Southern mountains now have access to a mobile app called…
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Take a working vacation on the AT
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is searching for volunteers to help maintain sections along the fabled footpath. No previous trail experience…
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Learn how to manage your forest land
Four workshops for private forest landowners in Western North Carolina will be held on Wednesdays and Thursdays between mid-July and…
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Fox sightings not always a cause for concern
Foxes sighted in daylight, or in urban and suburban settings are not necessarily rabid or dangerous, according to the N.C.…
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Reward offered in elk poaching case
The N.C. Wildlife Federation is offering $5,000 for information about the recent elk killings that directly leads to an arrest…
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Top supporters for national parks include local groups
Friends of the Smokies and The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation are among a select group of organizations featured as part…
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Pigeon River Fund awards grants
Seven projects received $116,300 in grants from the Pigeon River Fund of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. Grant…
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Summer doldrums? Students can volunteer in the Smokies
Students can join a park ranger in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this summer in a hands-on work project.…
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Kids camp to explore heritage farming
Kids will explore local agriculture in the 4-H Farm to Fork Day Camp in Haywood County held from 9 a.m.…
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State recognizes Western Carolina for its energy reduction efforts
Western Carolina University has gotten more kudos for lowering energy use and costs and promoting utility savings.
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Famous NYC offspring
New York City is big, bustling and in July – hot, but there are always entertaining and even educational ways…
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‘Around the World in 80 Birds’ coming to Highlands
International birder and Highlands-Cashiers resident Romney Bathurst will present “Around the World in 80 Birds” at 7:30 p.m. July 23…
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Franklin couple collaborate on outdoor books for children
In 25 years of teaching kindergarten, Cathryn Sills of Franklin read a lot of books to her young students. In…
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