LTLT seeks steward to buy conserved farm
The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee recently purchased a historic 130-acre farm in northern Macon County and is looking…
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Zee wolves must go, by Kuteeng Satire
The Naturalist’s Corner dispatched its chief investigative reporter, Kuteeng Satire, to the land of Dudley Doright to bring you the…
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The queen of local beekeepers
As the weather cooled this past weekend, Kathy Taylor’s bees were nowhere in sight; sheltering themselves within their manmade, wooden…
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Blue Ridge Breakaway wins critical acclaim
The Blue Ridge Breakaway was recently named the 2011 Ride of the Year by blogger Aaron West of StepClimbs.com. The…
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Sixth-grader explores the science of water quality
Waynesville Middle School student Jed Messer designed a project about water quality for the regional science fair. The project was…
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Women’s and girl’s sports day
Women and girls can learn about a variety of activities that will inspire them to lead active, healthy lives at…
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The Osborne Boundary Oak gets historic designation
With several centuries under its belt, the Osborne Boundary Oak on N.C. 110 in Haywood County’s Bethel community has long…
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Lace up your boots and hit the Walhalla Trail
A hike on the Walhalla Trail at Cataloochee Ranch is set for Saturday, Feb. 11, a postponement of an earlier…
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Order those fruit trees and berry bushes
The Swain County Cooperative Extension is now taking orders for 3- to 4-foot tall apple, pear and peach trees, plus…
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Beekeeping class being held this month
An introductory beekeeping class will be held this month in Haywood County from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday,…
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Shiitake mushroom workshop in Swain
Learn how to grow your own shiitake mushrooms through the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service and the Master Gardener Association from…
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Grab the binoculars and get ready to count
The Great Backyard Bird Count, an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to…
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Punxsutawney Phil was right
I think the shrewd rodent hedges his bet a bit. I mean if you think about it, the difference between…
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By foot or by bike: New running and cycling clubs hit their stride in Cherokee
Anyone can run or bike. And if any two people could testify to that, it’s Gerri Grady and Hugh Lambert.…
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Wildlife Commission taps social media
Hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts can now receive the most up-to-date information about the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission via social…
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Foundation Grant underpins Trust’s work
A three-year, $225,000 grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation will help the Conservation Trust for North Carolina accelerate land…
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GSMNP appoints new board member
The Benton MacKaye Trail Association elected Ernest Engman, of Maryville, Tenn., as a board member and maintenance coordinator for the…
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Backyard Naturalists program launched for kids in Highlands area
The Highlands Biological Foundation has received a $25,000 grant from the Eckerd Family Foundation to create “Backyard Naturalists,” an after-school…
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Time to talk gardening in Sylva
A program on Straw Bale Gardening will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7, in the Fellowship Hall of…
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A unique way to explore ‘your’ Smokies
A new program called experience Your Smokies is a different method now in place to get to know the Great…
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Calling for nominees in Green Oscars
Wild South’s Roosevelt-Ashe Society is seeking nominations for its annual conservation awards, with winners recognized next month in Asheville. Nominations…
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Winter hike at the Needmore tract
Meet at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 3, to take part in a winter walk along the Little Tennessee River at…
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Fitness Expo coming to Haywood Health & Fitness Center
MedWest Health & Fitness Center in Haywood County will hold a Fitness Expo from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 18…
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Better eat … or rather, grow your broccoli
Researchers need organic farmers to help them test-grow broccoli to determine the best varieties for the mountains. The majority of…
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Nearly half of all N.C. legislators score a “zero” on the environment
The annual Environmental Scorecard is now out that ranks how friendly or unfriendly state legislators are to the environment, and…
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Slip-sliding away
Dateline 1999: David Kullivan a forestry/wildlife student at Louisiana State University, tells faculty that while turkey hunting in the Pearl…
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NOC does eco-friendly refit of outfitter’s store
Nantahala Outdoor Center is celebrating the company’s 40th anniversary by giving its flagship outfitter’s store in the Nantahala Gorge an…
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Hikers’ cars hit by thieves: Trailhead safety becomes focus after recent “car clout” convictions
Three Tennessee residents are headed to prison for breaking into a slew of cars at trailheads in Haywood County during…
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Bike race coming up at Fontana Village
The Icycle Mountain Bike Racing Classic will return to Fontana Village Resort on January 28. The race is packed with…
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Guided hike to be held at Cataloochee Ranch
A 4.4-mile hike on the Wallhalla Trail at Cataloochee Ranch in Haywood County will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday,…
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National forest seeking trail allies
Learn about the U.S. National Forests’ Trail Strategy initiative at a Thursday, Jan. 26, workshop in Franklin, from 6 p.m.…
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Getting bears out of backpacker food fare
The specialty Appalachian Trail license plates have raised money to help backpackers safeguard their food from roving black bears along…
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Despite late spike, Smokies visitation slips for the year
Overall visitation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in the nation, was down overall last…
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Adult swim lessons available MedWest
It’s truly never too late to learn how to swim, and the MedWest Health & Fitness Center in Haywood County…
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Indoor soccer kicks off in Waynesville
Get ready to play indoor soccer through the Haywood County Recreation and Parks Department, which starts the winter playing-season this…
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Historic Highlands-area trail gets a half-million dollar facelift
Dry Fall Trails in Macon County will see a $446,000 restoration project to stabilize the historic trail and reconstruct the…
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Outdoor camp in Maggie Valley helps troubled youth
A grant from Healthy Haywood has helped launch an Outdoor Mission Camp for court-involved kids. Positive Community Connections is designed…
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Land surrounding Judaculla Rock now protected
Jackson County resident Jerry Parker has entered a conservation agreement on 107 acres to help protect the ancient petroglyph Judaculla…
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Cold-weather wimps
No, I’m not talking about those of us who stay in the warm confines at Cataloochee, nursing Ninja porters, while…
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Trust in mother nature: Balsam center provides hands-on experiences
Enter Balsam Mountain Trust’s nature center and you’ll come face to face with bobcats, skunks, black bears, maybe even a…
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Shiver in the River fly-fishing tournament coming to Cherokee
Wet those lines, anglers, and you could get your hooks into $10,000 in prize money during Shiver in the River…
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Get all the dirt on growing grapes
A viticulture conference focused on how to grow grapes in a sustainable manner in Western North Carolina will be held…
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Arboretum celebrates trails and tales with two-day event
“Books and Boots,” a two-day event celebrating the beauty and bounty of the natural world will be held at the…
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Franklin now has AT “ambassador”
Mary Bennett has been chosen to serve as the volunteer ambassador for the designated Appalachian Trail Community of Franklin. Bennett…
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Camp in Maggie Valley helps troubled youth
A grant from Healthy Haywood has helped launch an Outdoor Mission Camp for court-involved kids. Positive Community Connections is designed…
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Growers discover benefits of mob farming
Farmers, want-to-be farmers and anyone willing to pitch in at local farms are forming “mobs” to help farmers. These mobs…
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Get involved with Tuckasegee watershed group
The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River will hold a public planning meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan.…
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Learn, talk about the Clean Water Act
A discussion about the Clean Water Act, which environmentalists assert is under assault as industries attempt to rollback federal protections,…
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By land and by water: Conservation merger will have positive ripple effect on Little Tennessee
Two of Western North Carolina’s most storied conservation groups, both based in Macon County, merged this month into a single…
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Northern Pintail
Thanks to a head’s up from Tim Carstens last Sunday morning (1/15), I saw a drake northern pintail, Anas acuta,…
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