Climate change activist makes stop in WNC
 

Climate change activist makes stop in WNC

A leading national activist in climate change will visit Asheville as part of the Climate Reality Project at 7 p.m.…
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Support a good cause and celebrate the holidays
 

Support a good cause and celebrate the holidays

A holiday celebration benefiting Friends of the Smokies will be held at the Classic Wineseller in Waynesville starting at 5:30…
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Help turn the wheels toward a regional bicycle plan
 

Help turn the wheels toward a regional bicycle plan

A kick-off meeting for developing a regional bicycle plan for Haywood, Jackson, Swain, Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania counties will…
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Animal experts on hand for programs
 

Animal experts on hand for programs

Learn about wildlife by tapping into Wild South, which offers a wide range of educational wildlife programs through school presentations…
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Help recognize outstanding wildlife-diversity contributors
 

Help recognize outstanding wildlife-diversity contributors

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking nominations through Jan. 30 for the seventh annual Thomas L. Quay Award. The…
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Land protections see an increase
 

Land protections see an increase

Voluntary land protections have increased by 27 percent over the five-year period from 2005-2010. The first census of land trusts…
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New wells tapping more landfill gas in Jackson
 

New wells tapping more landfill gas in Jackson

Four new landfill gas extraction wells are being drilled at the Green Energy Park in Jackson County, with the resulting…
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A new twist on backyard habitats
 

A new twist on backyard habitats

There are butterfly gardens and wildlife-oriented gardens, so why not reptile and amphibian gardens, too? For people looking to make…
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Deja vue all over again
 

Deja vue all over again

Friends of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge just finished waving goodbye to the Navy, its fighters and their outlying landing…
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One ski at a time: Anyone can learn how, says Cataloochee’s new ski school director
 

One ski at a time: Anyone can learn how, says Cataloochee’s new ski school director

Mark Rozof sat behind a beat-up white desk surrounded by skis, walkie-talkies, snow jackets and other sundry gear strewn about…
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Open for skiing
 

Open for skiing

Thanks to cold temperatures, Cataloochee Ski Area began cranking out the snow last Thursday night and by Saturday, the first…
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Generating Christmas cheer for our troops
 

Generating Christmas cheer for our troops

Christmas tree growers from across Western North Carolina are donating Christmas trees as part of the nationwide Trees for Troops…
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American chestnut makes a return
 

American chestnut makes a return

A ceremonial planting of a potentially blight-resistant chestnut took place earlier this week on the grounds of the North Carolina…
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Horticulture and landscaping classes with Master Gardener
 

Horticulture and landscaping classes with Master Gardener

The Haywood County Cooperative Extension Center is now accepting applications for the popular Master Gardener program. The Master Gardener training…
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Mingus Mill hike and visitor center tour
 

Mingus Mill hike and visitor center tour

Hiking enthusiast and author Danny Bernstein will lead a four-mile hike along the Mingus Creek Trail in the Great Smoky…
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Conference to focus on socioeconomic uses of Appalachian Forests
 

Conference to focus on socioeconomic uses of Appalachian Forests

The Southern Appalachian Man and the Biosphere conference will be held November 15 to 17 in Asheville, bringing together the…
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Conservation award goes to benefactor
 

Conservation award goes to benefactor

Grant wizard Bruz Clark was honored at the Land Conservationist of the year by The Land Trust for the Little…
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Trot off that turkey before the big meal
 

Trot off that turkey before the big meal

The Rotary Club of Sylva will hold the United Community Bank 5k Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day beginning at 9…
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The 500-pound gorilla
 

The 500-pound gorilla

I don’t remember exactly what I was doing when he came into the room. It was cool, so I had…
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Head over heels: New wave shaper comes to the Nantahala River
 

Head over heels: New wave shaper comes to the Nantahala River

When Phil Watford traded in his paddle for a tool belt, giving up his far-cooler job as a kayak instructor…
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Tour to highlight Cherokee connections to the land around WCU
 

Tour to highlight Cherokee connections to the land around WCU

A walking tour and discussion focused on the natural and cultural resources of the Cullowhee Valley area is set for…
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Waterways director to give guest program
 

Waterways director to give guest program

 A Live and Learn program featuring Eric Romaniszyn, executive director of the Haywood Waterways Authority, will be held at 2…
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Talk to link Appalachian Trail sites with Civil War
 

Talk to link Appalachian Trail sites with Civil War

The author of Hiking through History, a hiker’s guide to Civil War and Underground Railroad sites along the present-day Appalachian…
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Environmental writing contest now under way
 

Environmental writing contest now under way

The Southern Environmental Law Center is accepting submissions for the annual Phillip D. Reed Memorial Award for Outstanding Writing on…
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National Geographic does the AT
 

National Geographic does the AT

A National Geographic film about the Appalachian Trail will be shown at the Carolina Asheville at 10:30 a.m. on Nov.…
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Grants for farm diversification, local agriculture groups
 

Grants for farm diversification, local agriculture groups

Small farmers needing help might just find the financial boost they need through WNC Agricultural Options. The group this year…
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Program to showcase forest research
 

Program to showcase forest research

The experimental national forest service site, Coweeta Hydrologic Lab, will be the subject of the next League of Women Voters…
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U.S. Wetlands losses are slowing
 

U.S. Wetlands losses are slowing

A recent report assessing wetland habitats in the U.S. shows a slight decline from 2004-2009, according to the federal Fish…
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Bikers dig in to give Tsali trails a hand
 

Bikers dig in to give Tsali trails a hand

About 40 volunteers, some from as far away as Florida and Virginia, recently helped improve drainage on trails at Tsali…
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Nabbed ‘sang poachers to serve jail time
 

Nabbed ‘sang poachers to serve jail time

Four Western North Carolina men have been sentenced in separate cases in Federal court for poaching ginseng from the Great…
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Foggy Tessentee
 

Foggy Tessentee

Last Saturday afternoon was a gorgeous autumn afternoon across Western North Carolina. Last Saturday morning, however, when Bob Olthoff and…
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Making Haywood more bike friendly
 

Making Haywood more bike friendly

Haywood County is one step closer to getting a defined bike route traversing the county and improved cycling amenities. The…
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Into The Wild: Canoeing the Mississippi, America’s most iconic river
 

Into The Wild: Canoeing the Mississippi, America’s most iconic river

Ryan Emerson’s pack was stolen and his cell phone now resides at the bottom of a river. His biggest hurdle…
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NOC launches shop inside Grove Park
 

NOC launches shop inside Grove Park

Nantahala Outdoor Center opened the doors late last month on a retail and outdoor activity concept shop, NOC Asheville, inside…
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Fishermen land first place in national tourney
 

Fishermen land first place in national tourney

Paul Bourcq of Franklin and Chris Lee of Bryson City won first place in the 26-team Rumble in the Rhododendron…
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Hit the Jack Rabbit on guided mountain bike trip
 

Hit the Jack Rabbit on guided mountain bike trip

You can escape the confines of pavement for a fast-paced adventure along wooded trails and past lakes and mountains on…
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LTLT celebrates year of accomplishments
 

LTLT celebrates year of accomplishments

The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee’s annual fall celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday,…
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Suffer crop losses? Farmers can get help
 

Suffer crop losses? Farmers can get help

Sign-up for 2010 crop-year losses begins Monday, Nov. 14, through your local USDA Farm Service Agency. “Producers across North Carolina…
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Hiking series to explore national forests
 

Hiking series to explore national forests

A series of hikes through next year will take hikers to each of the 41 areas identified as “Mountain Treasures”…
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Farming history of WNC boiled down to 90 minutes
 

Farming history of WNC boiled down to 90 minutes

The history of agriculture in these mountains will be explored at one of three upcoming programs by Curtis Wood, an…
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A picture's worth a thousand words
 

A picture's worth a thousand words

The seventh-annual Autumn Juried Group Exhibit of the Carolinas’ Nature Photographers Association has opened at the Biltmore Estate’s Deerpark Inn,…
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Call of the watershed
 

Call of the watershed

The annual fall hike in the Town of Waynesville’s 9,000-acre watershed took place on Saturday Oct. 29. Around 25 stalwart…
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State nixes plate designs: Smokies, Parkway lament loss of money-making license plate designs
 

State nixes plate designs: Smokies, Parkway lament loss of money-making license plate designs

Dr. Jessica Ange of Sylva enjoys sporting on the back of her Subaru Outback the colorful black and green Great…
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Human-animal interactions subject of book discussion
 

Human-animal interactions subject of book discussion

The Jackson County Public Library will host WCU Psychology Professor Hal Herzog for a talk about his book, Some We…
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Job corps gives Smokies’ trails a hand
 

Job corps gives Smokies’ trails a hand

Students and staff of the Oconaluftee Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center helped with a trail restoration project on the popular…
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Explore “Road to Nowhere” on guided hike
 

Explore “Road to Nowhere” on guided hike

There’s no costumed ghouls or pre-recorded shrieks on the Friends of the Smokies’ November hike, but you will trek along…
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NOC opens The North Face Summit Shop in Gatlinburg
 

NOC opens The North Face Summit Shop in Gatlinburg

Nantahala Outdoor Center has opened a retail concept shop from The North Face located inside NOC’s outfitters and retail store…
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Paddling club sets first outing
 

Paddling club sets first outing

The first Smoky Mountain Paddling Club outing will be Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. on Bear Lake in Jackson County,…
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Kick up your heels for the Power of Pink
 

Kick up your heels for the Power of Pink

The fifth-annual Power of Pink race will be held Oct. 29 at MedWest Health and Fitness Center on the campus…
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Watershed group aids Cherokee basketmakers
 

Watershed group aids Cherokee basketmakers

As clay is to the potter and stone is to the sculptor, river cane is the vital raw material to…
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