Goats who stare at trees
They not only stare at them, they eat them. Well, maybe not all trees, but woody browse in general. Hopefully,…
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America’s Great Outdoors Initiative
Not even the looming shadow of the nation’s worst environmental disaster in two decades could spoil the mood at the…
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WATR hosts walk ‘n talk
The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River will host a “Walk ‘n Talk” in the Deep Creek area of the…
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Imperiled fish returns to the Cheoah River
Stocking a river with one of the nation’s rarest fish is a slow and gentle process. On a recent summer…
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Elk Foundation banquet to celebrate milestones
The Great Smoky Mountains Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will throw its annual banquet at 5 p.m. Saturday,…
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Trail volunteers needed in Smokies
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting for volunteers for the Adopt-a-Trail program. A mandatory training program will be…
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Yellowroot, kingfishers and waterstriders
The upland waterways of the southern highlands provide one of the region’s most interesting natural areas. Unlike most upland habitats…
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Outdoor Mission Camp englightens and empowers city youth through wilderness adventure
Ruffin Shackelford led a group of boys, referred to his program by a juvenile court judge, deep into the Shining…
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Missing section of Mountains to Sea Trail gets shorter
Volunteers continue knocking out a new section of the Mountains to Sea Trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Waterrock…
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Park ranger programs offer window on Smokies
Before summer slips by, take in one of the many ranger guided programs in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,…
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Lake Logan offers cool venue for hot race
Triathletes from across the country will descend on Lake Logan in Haywood County Aug. 7 and 8. The weekend line-up…
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Talk to highlight convergence of art and nature
George and Elizabeth Ellison, the artist and naturalist husband-wife team from Bryson City, will give a talk called “Blue Ridge…
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Program to ponder the mystery of Masa
George Masa was one of the greatest landscape photographers of Western North Carolina, but where he came from and what…
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Bird’s the word
Are you a fledgling birder? Would you like to learn more about the feathered flocks that visit your feeder and…
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Ornithologist unravels mysteries behind song sparrow personalities
Last Thursday morning was atypical for song sparrow IR-IF. While defending his territory from the song of an intruding male,…
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State leaders fund land conservation despite tight budget
After a tenuous state budget debate, The Farmland Preservation Trust Fund emerged with $2 million in funding for the upcoming…
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Green spaces — good places
We were in Rock Hill, S.C., this past weekend enjoying our annual Fourth of July ritual of visiting my little…
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Smokies gala a success
Smokies gala a successFriends of the Smokies raised $20,000 to support special projects in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
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Bear country tutorial uses new medium to reach hikers
A new video podcast called “Day Hiking and Wildlife” has been created to educate hikers in the Great Smoky Mountains…
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Into the wild at Mountain Wildlife Days
Mountain Wildlife Days will bring a line-up of nature talks, wildlife programs and guided hikes to the Cashiers area on…
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Kick up your heels for Folkmoot 5K
A race with an international flare, the annual Folkmoot 5K, will be held on Saturday, July 31, in Waynesville. The…
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Parkway’s glories honored by Congress
A resolution commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Blue Ridge Parkway is slated for passage by Congress. “The Blue Ridge…
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Jackson farmers roll out the welcome mat
A staggering 15 farms and gardens will open their fields and greenhouses to the public during the Jackson County Farm…
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Blue Ridge Breakaway to bring cyclists to Haywood County
The mountains of Western North Carolina are rapidly becoming the top destination for serious cyclists east of the Mississippi. The…
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New toilets in Cataloochee Valley
Cataloochee Valley, a popular section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Haywood County, finally has restrooms. Cataloochee Valley…
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Grants encourage creative use of forest resources
From bark shingles to edible mushrooms, entrepreneurs across Western North Carolina are being encouraged to tap the resources of the…
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WATR holds meeting and annual Walk ‘n Talk
The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River members and all who are interested in clean mountain streams are invited to…
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“America’s Great Outdoors” comes to WNC
Whether you’re a birder or mountain biker, paddler or hiker, photographer or hunter, now is your chance to bend the…
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The Naturalist's Corner
A sure bet I’m sure that if you belong to any environmental/conservation organization or if you have donated to causes…
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Nantahala Gorge ready for the world
“The Nantahala River has been many things to many people, but it’s never been a World Championship destination,” said Joe…
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New Bartram Trail map offers all the details
Hikers and map geeks will revel in poring over a new map of the Bartram Trail being released this week.…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Still soaring after all these years Eagle Lady Doris Mager enjoyed a “rock star” reception last Friday (6/18) at the…
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Coastal Crusaders
When asked how he felt about the catastrophic BP oil spill, Robert Young paused for the first time during the…
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Exploring Sylva’s secret garden
Jay Coward is no stranger to Pinnacle Park. When the work day ends, Coward often trades in his attorney’s suit…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Skulker of the tangles The other morning at 6 o’clock at Hickey Fork in the Pisgah National Forest’s Shelton Laurel…
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The Naturalist's Corner
uddling – a kaleidoscope adventure Maddy (my 4-year-old) and I had been in the woods at Harmons Den checking on…
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The answer’s still blowin; but the times may be a’changin’
I was heartened recently by two op-eds I read in area newspapers regarding industrial-sized wind turbines in the mountains of…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Bird Lag Last weekend (5/21-5/23) was a blur of birds, bears and blooms — a combination of work, friends, fellowship…
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Weekend fish kill on Jonathan Creek a mystery
The cause of a fish kill on an isolated stretch of Jonathan Creek in Maggie Valley last Saturday is eluding…
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Cataloochee Ranch plants seed for mighty tree to thrive once more
A collaborative effort between The American Chestnut Foundation and the Coker family has put Cataloochee Ranch in Maggie Valley on…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Perks of Adult ADD The other morning I was in the wilds of the Cheoah Ranger District below the Cherohala…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Murky waters – Louisiana in limbo The giant oil slick (reported to be the size of Puerto Rico) sliding around…
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Flying saucers hit the links
On a sunny Friday afternoon, I shanked my flick Hyzer into Copperhead Row in the company of the Doctor, Yoda,…
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Farm preservation tour a lesson in community conservation
North Carolina’s farmland is rapidly disappearing. The state has lost more than a million acres of it since 2007, and…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Why we do it “You’re getting up when?” “You’re going out in this weather?” People who have a passion for…
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Alcohol banned at recreation sites
The US. Forest Service has banned alcohol use at 11 recreation sites in the Nantahala National Forest. The sites include:…
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A hub for all things outdoors
For the outdoors lover, stepping into NOC’s Great Outpost in Gatlinburg is like being a kid in a candy shop.…
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The Naturalist's Corner
A little spring cleaning It was a busy weekend and there’s a busy weekend coming up, so I’m going to…
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