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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WNC Alliance director appointed to MRC
The executive director of the Western North Carolina Alliance has been appointed to the state’s influential Mountain Resources Commission (MRC).…
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Pittillo to speak at Franklin meeting
Retired Western Carolina University professor and well-known regional fall color prognosticator Dan Pittillo will be the speaker at 2 p.m.…
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Grants available for renewable energy
Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation and Development is accepting applications from Western North Carolina farmers interested in generating renewable energy on…
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Why pitch in? One trail volunteer shares her story
Trail maintenance has an obvious benefit: it’s darn good exercise. But for Becky Smucker, a volunteer trail crew leader in…
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Friends of the Smokies receives $10K from REI
Moving mountains is no easy task, but volunteers and trail crews hauling boulders, digging waterbars and otherwise rehabilitating trails in…
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NOC wins prestigious outdoor award
The Nantahala Outdoor Center has been bestowed with the 2012 Outdoor Industry Association Outdoor Inspiration Award. It is the outdoor…
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Work continues on the French Broad River Paddle Trail
A volunteer work day to work on campsites for the French Broad River Paddle Trail will take place from 10…
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Watershed plan subject of Jan. 12 meeting
The Macon County League of Women Voters of Macon County will host a program on a newly completed study on…
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Whoopers and hoodeds
Cranes are cool. These big beautiful graceful birds jolt the souls of non-birders and birders alike. At five feet tall,…
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Hikers voices wanted: National forests ask trail users to step up and join the conversation
More than 5 million people hit the trails in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests last year — a number…
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Volunteer crews troll the forests to keep trails clear
Next time you hike a trail, pause a minute and give silent thanks to the legion of trail volunteers who…
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Garden seed ordering set for this month
The fourth-annual Group Seed Order will take place at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Jackson Street in Sylva on Saturday,…
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Calling volunteers for trail work at Gorges Park
Volunteers are needed at Gorges State Park in Sapphire to help build and maintain trails, with work parties scheduled weekly…
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Smokies’ partners renovate their final trail shelter in park
Volunteer organizations have donated labor and money to improve cooking and sleeping quarters for campers, while also reducing potential problems…
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Night hunting now legal for wild hogs
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission now allows hunting of feral swine and wild hogs at night — but hunters need…
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DVD of national fly-fishing competition available for sale
Learn topnotch, competitive-level fly-fishing techniques via a filmed fly-fishing competition that took place last year here in Western North Carolina.…
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AT Bald Trail permanently protected
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy transferred 35 acres to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service to protect…
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WCU students help children with autism
A local fly-fishing guide and recreational therapy students at Western Carolina University teamed up recently to provide a fly-fishing outing…
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Rain for wind
This year’s ninth annual Balsam Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held Friday Dec. 30. As I was driving home from…
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Slope bound: Snow, let alone skiing, proves a novel experience for some first-timers
Living in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it is hard to imagine never seeing snow — but Elizabeth Comberg…
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The ethics of conservation in your own backyard
A program called “Land Ethics: Reconnecting with the Natural World” will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12 at…
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HCC a national model of sustainable practices
Haywood Community College’s hard work to build a sustainable campus is featured on a campus sustainability case study database. The…
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Farm and forest land eligible for tax breaks
If you have 10 acres or more of agricultural land or five acres of horticultural land and make a gross…
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Help the environment farming, the feds might help you
Farmers are eligible for grant money to help with projects to make their operations more environmentally-friendly through the USDA’s Natural…
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Group runs to inspire half-marathon hopefuls
If the holidays resulted in a few extra inches to your waistline and you’re determined to get fit, a free…
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Mount Mitchell gets new superintendent
Bryan Wilder, a veteran state park ranger, has been promoted to superintendent of Mount Mitchell State Park. Wilder takes over…
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A Wild Week in the Wilderness
The 22nd Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week is scheduled for Jan. 7-14 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. This year’s Wildlife Week boasts…
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