The Naturalist's Corner: Godzilla meets Barbi
Pandemonium had engulfed Shoal Creek by the time authorities arrived. One fisherman sat, dazed, on a boulder, rocking back and…
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Jockeying for space on the Nantahala: Outfitters and summer camps spar over control of river traffic
Rafting outfitters in the Nantahala Gorge have arrived at a compromise with summer camps and colleges vying for the chance…
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Want more bike lanes? This survey is for you
If you like to bike, but don’t like how few bike lanes there are in your community, now’s the chance…
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Motorcycle maps make parkway sidetrips a breeze
A new series of maps designed for motorcycle riders chronicle the side trips and excursions along the Blue Ridge Parkway.…
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New mountain bike trails at Jackrabbit
After years of hard work by the mountain bike community, a new system of trails at Jackrabbit Recreation Area on…
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Plott Hound exhibit hits the road
Anyone who missed the historical exhibit on the Plott Hound at Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Center has through April…
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Agritourism no longer a newfangled venture
Farmers interesting in tapping the potential of agritourism can attend an all-day workshop on Thursday, Jan. 27, at Cataloochee Ranch…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Triple play
Crawl out of your igloo and take a look around. We had kind of assumed a “snow” mentality here at…
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Logging for cash versus long-range forest health
Logging in national forests might take on a radically different look in coming years. The forest service might be moving…
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Shooting range sidelined by opposition
The U.S. Forest Service has backed off a proposed shooting range in Clay County following public opposition. The forest service…
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Group training runs kick off this week for new half marathon
Runners who need a little inspiration to stay in shape this winter can now look toward a new half marathon…
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WildSouth facilitates wildlife meeting
The non-profit grassroots conservation organization WildSouth sponsored a meeting last week to discuss complaints and questions from the public regarding…
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Frog Awareness Program Offered at the Cradle of Forestry
A February program at the Cradle of Forestry will explore how frogs come out of their hiding places to find…
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Downhill racing season heats up at Cataloochee
The ski racing season kicked off at Cataloochee Ski Area last week. More than 200 skiers and snowboarders from middle…
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After-school ski program includes a ride to Cataloochee
An after-school ski and snowboard program for middle school students will be held Thursday afternoons starting Jan. 27 and running…
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Study shows growth in recycling jobs
The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources released a study this week showing strong growth in recycling jobs in…
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Haywood Waterways honors water guardians
Tom Anspach wrestled 1,020 pounds of trash out of the Pigeon River around the Canton Recreation Park over the past…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Dead birds, dead fish, dead crabs, oh my!
If there was any lingering doubt that the apocalypse was, indeed, scheduled for 2012, it has been erased. The totally…
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Farming the woods for forest crops
A one-day workshop called “Does Your Forest Talk Money?” will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the Stecoah Valley…
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Green Drinks series to highlight chestnut restoration
A talk called “Forest Majesty: Bringing back the American chestnut tree” will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19,…
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Ski area to offer after-school program
Cataloochee Ski Area is offering after-school programs for elementary, middle and high school kids to learn to ski or snowboard…
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Waynesville rec center now offers spin classes
Cyclists aiming to stay fit during winter or those looking for a change of pace in their workout should check…
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Donation sets the stage for protection of Headwaters tract
The quest to protect the 8,000-acre Headwaters tract in Transylvania County — one of the last undeveloped tracts of its…
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Bear license plate support projects the Smokies
Special license plates sporting a black bear have proliferated across WNC, raising $356,000 in 2010 for Friends of the Smokies,…
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Anglers offer fly-fishing class for beginners
Fly-fishing wannabes can learn the basics and try their hand at casting a line this winter thanks to an ongoing…
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The Naturalist's Corner: A soggy record
The twin banes of birding, wind and rain, combined to help set a new record low for the eighth annual…
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The great white quiet
Doug McFalls spent last winter as caretaker at LeConte Lodge in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The lodge is…
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Holiday recycling hits Haywood
Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans throw away 25 percent more trash than any other time of the year,…
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Swimming lessons to start in the new year
The Aquatics Department of Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center will begin the 2011 group swim lesson lineup with the…
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Fees waived and free screenings at HRHFC
Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center is waiving the usual initiation fee on six-month memberships as a holiday gift to…
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Viticulture conference coming to Candler
The North Carolina BioNetwork BioBusiness Center in Candler will host the first annual North Carolina Conference on Sustainable Viticulture on…
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The Naturalist's Corner: 2010 through the Naturalist’s Corner’s window
Correction: Last week’s story regarding the Balsam CBC stated that dinner after the count would be at the Sagebrush. Wrong!…
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More Blue Ridge Parkway viewshed protected
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) recently protected Blackrock Ridge in northern Jackson County, a striking and important component of…
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National Audubon’s 111th Christmas Bird Count
Tis the season to be counting. The National Audubon Society’s century-old citizen-science prototype — the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) —…
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Appalachian Trail guide debuts 33rd edition
The legendary Appalachian Trail grew by 1.9 miles in 2010. Every December, the latest mileage and shelter information for the…
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Forest health takes teamwork
The University of North Carolina at Asheville and the U.S. Forest Service are joining forces to boost awareness and understanding…
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Learn to garden organically at UNCA
Early registration is now open for the 2011 Organic Growers School Conference on March 5-6 on the campus of the…
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Wildlife Advocates to meet at Lake J
The Western North Carolina Wildlife Advocates will meet from noon to 3 p.m. on Jan. 7 at the Lake Junaluska Conference and…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Invasion of the PUFIs
Don’t worry, PUFIs won’t harm you. They won’t even take you up to the mothership to probe and prod you…
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Cataloochee group raises more than $10,000 for chestnut restoration projects
A local group has raised more than $10,000 to support local, state and national efforts to bring back that mighty…
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Houck Medford steps down from Foundation
Dr. Carolyn Ward of Asheville was recently named as head of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Ward replaces Dr. Houck…
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Casada takes home writing awards
A Swain County native now living in South Carolina has won several writing awards from the South Carolina Outdoor Press…
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Smokies fish expert, Steve Moore, earns national recognition
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Supervisory Fisheries Biologist Steve Moore was recently recognized with two national awards for his leadership…
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Cataloochee collects coats, food for the needy
Cataloochee Ski Area continued a long tradition of holiday giving to the local community recently with its 9th Annual Can-U-Ski…
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Foothills ‘missing link’ set for 2015 completion
The so-called “Missing Link” of the Foothills Parkway in east Tennessee is now scheduled for completion by 2015. Officials with…
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The Naturalist's Corner: A heartfelt thanks to the Stanbacks
I received an email last week from Ida Phillips, communications director for Audubon North Carolina, announcing that Lea Island, a…
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Mixing business with birding
A recent program brought together business owners and outdoor enthusiasts who shared a common desire — to promote birding while also…
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Support your local farms this winter
Harvests of sweet corn, tomatoes, and other produce wrapped up weeks ago, but Haywood County farmers still have plenty to…
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35th annual “Festival of Christmas Past”
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will hold the 35th annual Festival of Christmas Past celebration from 9 a.m. to 4…
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Cataloochee’s 50th season off to a great white start
Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley is off to another strong start to its season. “We’ve been open since Nov.…
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