WNC Fly-Fishing trail adds trophy trout water in Cherokee
The Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail has added a new stop on the map for anglers — the Raven…
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New standards to shine light on WNC air quality
New federal standards for ozone will be issued by year’s end, and the verdict will determine whether Western North Carolina…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Spring’s a buzzin’ Mom was a little concerned the other day as she helped Izzy find a butterfly net to…
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Franklin enjoys symbiotic relationship with AT hikers
For years, Appalachian Trail thru-hikers have been stopping in Franklin for supplies, rest, and Internet access, but last week the…
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Meet the thru-hikers
It’s a sure sign of spring for Southern Appalachian communities along the Appalachian Trail: hikers loaded down with backpacks hitchhiking…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Pug catcher Early last week, we were inundated with small gray moths. You couldn’t open a door without two or…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Scientist-science Paige Barlow is a University of Georgia PhD candidate working out of the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in Otto, outside…
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Buffer buyout launched along Pigeon River
A trail alongside the Pigeon River may materialize between Canton and Clyde, but recreation will not be its primary purpose.…
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U.S. Open brings paddlers to Nantahala gorge
The best of USA Canoe/Kayak’s whitewater team will descend on the Nantahala River this weekend intent on making a clear…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Invited for tea I opened the door around 7 a.m. last Saturday and spring hit me square in the face.…
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Franklin becomes an Appalachian Trail Community
The town of Franklin has been officially designated an Appalachian Trail Community. A new program of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy…
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Iconoclast hiker conquers Mountains to Sea Trail
Scot Ward isn’t a missionary, but he does have a burning message. An experienced thru-hiker who carries a copy of…
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The Naturalist's Corner
White Nose Syndrome just miles from WNC The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) announced in mid-February that two bats from…
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Learning to treat injuries in the wild
What can you do with a foam pad, rain pants, sleeping bag and an old T-shirt? A whole lot apparently,…
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The Naturalist's Corner
ake J eagle Not a winter has passed in the last four years or so that a bald eagle —…
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Federal bill aims to save Parkway views at risk from development
A bill before Congress could help save views along the Blue Ridge Parkway by setting aside $75 million over five…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Bird’s the word North Carolina’s state parks and Audubon North Carolina have joined together to celebrate the “Year of the…
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Gun ban in national parks lifted
Loaded guns are now legal in national parks. The new rule is two years in the making. Previously, guns had…
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Take a gander along the Smokies Scenic byway
The stunning beauty that surrounds U.S. 441 through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside Cherokee draws thousands of tourists…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Snow Day! Enough already with the “Enough already!” I know it’s snowing again. Yep school is closed again. I’ve got…
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Cataloochee grows racing tradition
No one expected Franco Rossi. The Italian, raised in Milan in the shadows of the mighty Dolomites, stepped off the…
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Fatal disease for deer and elk detected in neighboring state
Chronic wasting disease, a deadly disease that affects deer, elk and other hoofed animals, has been detected in white-tailed deer…
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AT license plates fund mini trail grants
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will hand out mini-grants for projects in the region that benefit the long-distance hiking trail. Grants…
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The Naturalist's Corner
The good; the bad and the ugly The good Ben Morrison, compiler of the Wilmot, Ohio, Christmas Bird Count, contacted…
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The Naturalist's Corner
On the road to recovery Friends of the Western North Carolina Nature Center unveils its New Winter Speaker Series on…
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Virtual fieldtrip brings park into classrooms
Three Cherokee Middle School students starred in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park live field broadcast via the web to…
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The Naturalist's Corner
And the dam - came tumblin’ tumblin’ The Dillsboro Dam story is as twisted and convoluted as the Tuck itself.…
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Smokies not pleased with Wildlife Commission stance on elk
The North Carolina Wildlife Commission is at odds with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park over the status of the…
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New club nurtures growing interest in bees
A beekeepers association has formed in Haywood County. The club meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month…
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The Naturalist's Corner
And then there were none Atlee Yoder’s purple martin houses are in storage, out of the raw Ohio weather, awaiting…
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A snowflake by any other name
It was one of those rare winter mornings when Haywood County Schools were on a two-hour delay. Izzy, my second-grader,…
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Bankrupt development conserved for future state park
A failed megadevelopment in the Lake Lure area around Chimney Rock has been conserved at a fire sale price, but…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Birrrrrding the big chill The annual Balsam Christmas Bird Count was scheduled for last Saturday (Jan. 2). However, scary weather…
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Elk could be booted from state species of special concern list
Elk could lose their status as a species of special concern under a new rule change proposed by the N.C.…
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The Naturalist's Corner
2010-to be continued Will 150-foot long fiberglass wands magically spin electricity from mountaintop zephyrs across Western North Carolina in the…
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Worthy of support
Western North Carolina has a plethora of environmental groups, making it easy to find the one that best matches up…
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Skiing the Blue Ridge: A newcomer’s tale
So the snow is coming down in sheets Friday, and Bethany says, “Do you think it’s going to be real…
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Naturalist's Corner
One less whooper Cayuga, Ind. – Wildlife Officials announce arrest. Enforcement agents for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and…
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Holiday gear guide
Nobody knows their way around the gear section of an outfitter store better than the people who work in them…
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SCC gaming management program takes off
Wanda Morris walked into uncharted territory when she started teaching Gaming Management Technology three years ago at Southwestern Community College.…
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Putting Panthertown on the map
Every hiker has likely named a trailside feature or two in their day. Ferns sprouting from the banks of a…
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Five miles of Parkway views preserved
A 1,488-acre tract along the Blue Ridge Parkway in McDowell County has been protected from development thanks to a conservation…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Tessentee birds Bob Olthoff and I took advantage of last Sunday’s (Nov. 29) Indian Summer weather for a couple of…
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The Naturalist's Corner
The omnibus stops here Reliable, undisclosed anonymous sources tell this reporter that the Fiscal year 2010 Omnibus Bill expected to…
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UNC students conduct research while in Highlands
University students conducting environmental fieldwork and research at the Highlands Biological Station have spent the past semester delving into the…
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Master plan underway for Sylva’s Pinnacle Park
Pinnacle Park, a favorite recreational haunt in Sylva that was once home to the town’s watershed, will benefit from a…
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The Naturalist's Corner
The hunter is back Orion the hunter, one of the most noted and most recognizable constellations in the heavens is…
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Nantahala headwaters tract protected
A 248-acre tract known as Rainbow Springs at the headwaters of the Nantahala River in Macon County has been protected…
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Franklin students’ hard work helps greenway
Franklin High students became active volunteers in a service-learning program this fall to improve the ecosystem along the Franklin Greenway.…
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Parkway right-of-way battle hard-fought through Cherokee
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians played an integral role in the creation of the Parkway. The Parkway was envisioned…
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