Park’s brookie population withstands drought well
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer The Southern Appalachian brook trout population is surviving through the drought that has been…
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Watershed represents diverse ecosystems
Norm Christensen told the Waynesville Watershed Advisory Board (WAB), representatives from the town and a few interested onlookers that despite…
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Day hikes along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
Balsam Gap Segment This portion of the trail runs for approximately 35 miles from Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) Balsam Gap…
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Parkway rangers work to save hemlocks
With a massive die-off of hemlock trees all but imminent in the mountains, Ranger Chris Ulrey is putting faith in…
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At the helm: New director aims to complete the Mountains to Sea Trail
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer The Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail hope its first-ever executive director will be able…
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Hits and misses
The Carolina Field Birders (CFB) conducted their sixth annual Christmas Bird Count this past Saturday (12/29.) The annual CBC count…
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Parkway views from Waynesville overlook protected
A ridgeline tract adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway overlooking Waynesville has been saved from development, thanks to the acquisition…
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A Christmas gift
Citizens of Washington County, hundreds of thousands of migrating waterfowl and Navy pilots who would have been put in harm’s…
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Hike to Pinnacle Peak
There are two ways to hike to Pinnacle Peak, which is renowned for its 360-degree views from the Plott Balsams.
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Pinnacle Park's future
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Sylva Town Board members are brainstorming for ways to manage Pinnacle Park, 1,100 acres…
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Gifts that keep giving
Looking for a Christmas present? Western North Carolina is home to many outdoors organizations, conservation groups, outing clubs, nature societies…
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The new year begins
I know, I know, it’s not Jan. 1 yet. But that’s just a date on a calendar. This year, Dec.…
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A year from the Naturalist’s Corner
“ATBI identifies 5,000-plus species — 1/10/07 I have written several columns regarding this ambitious program to document all species within…
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Preserving the giant’s rock
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer Up in the mountains along Caney Fork Road in Jackson County lies an important…
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Ingles’ “go bagless” campaign a success in Bryson
A group of eco-conscious citizens and Ingles grocery store in Bryson City teamed up last month to encourage shoppers to…
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Haywood water quality a mixed bag
Haywood County consistently has some of the best water quality in North Carolina, according to stream samples collected by volunteers…
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Christmas Past
By Kathleen Lamont I loved Christmastime when I was growing up. I came from a blue-collar family where my father…
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The winter song of the great horned owl
As cool dark nights descend upon us to signal the onset of winter, the great horned owls have commenced their…
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Local author pens best hikes with dogs
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Dogs are popular hiking companions on the trails of Western North Carolina. Now, Fido…
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Winging it
It’s that time of year again when passing fronts will mean passing visitors at Lake Junaluska. Waterfowl were riding the…
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Smokies plates lead to annual sales record
Friends of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park appear to have hit a home run with a new license plate…
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Pardon the irruption
Common redpolls have been reported in Chatham County and evening grosbeaks in Catawba County here in North Carolina. Bohemian waxwings…
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The last syrup of makers
By Brent Martin • Contributing Writer I recently met with Merritt Fouts, a multi-generational resident of Macon County, to talk…
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Snow blows at Cataloochee: Resort is once again among the first in the East to open
By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Snow is once again blowing at the Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, marking…
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Avian rescue at Central Elementary
It’s a little unsettling to hear your kindergartner’s voice when you answer the phone at midday. But I could tell…
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Saving rain makes sense
By Kathleen Lamont This month’s column was a tossup. I was encouraged by a recent article on the Haywood County…
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A life in the rapids
By Jennifer Garlesky •Staff Writer The raging Class II rapids of the Cacapon River, which flows along the eastern panhandle…
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Watershed to be clearcut – planted in tobacco
OK, now that I’ve got your attention — there has been a recent flurry of hyperbole, rhetoric and misinformation regarding…
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Spookables
It’s Halloween and goblins, ghouls, witches and vampires are wreaking havoc — and that’s before they get all that sugar…
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What to do when you meet a bear
In his younger, more naïve hiking days, Joel Zachary found himself watching in slow motion as a bear charged toward…
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Bear frenzy over acorns attracts a crowd
Sometimes Bill Stiver, a wildlife biologist in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, feels more like a social scientist than…
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Land trust branches out, helps preserve community store
The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee has taken the protection of the historic landscape one step further with the…
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The Naturalist's Corner
I’m so dizzy I tripped over the equinox and fell backwards away from the sun, and now I’m spinning so…
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Recovering a ghost
NBC News did a segment of their “Fleecing of America” on the $27.8 million proposed by the recovery plan, which…
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Wildland etiquette: The right and wrong way to view wildlife
By Kathryn Sherrard • Contributing Writer Do you like to visit a state or national park? Why? For thousands of…
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The wilderness around the corner
For the more intrepid sojourner, the word “wilderness” may conjure up visions of Death Valley, the Alaska Peninsula or the…
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Angling for attention: New fly-fishing shop hopes to fill void in Waynesville
When Matt Rosenthal opened the doors of a new fly-fishing shop in Waynesville last week, word spread quickly among the…
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Verdict out on the North Shore Road
The National Park Service announced its long-awaited but much expected decision last week over the North Shore Road: don’t build…
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Sandy Mush land owners receive conservation grant
More than 400 acres on a mountain in Sandy Mush have been protected thanks to a special conservation fund created…
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Taking stock of our local treasures
By Kathleen Lamont There has been a lot of planning, talking and meeting lately regarding the buzzword of the decade:…
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NC birding trail wings its way to the mountains
Site nominations for the mountain region of the North Carolina Birding Trail kicked off Oct. 1. Sites for the coastal…
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Dillsboro dam debate rages on
A plan by Duke Energy to tear down the century-old Dillsboro dam drew a crowd of opponents to a public…
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What’s in a permit?
Duke Energy must get a permit from the N.C. Division of Water Quality before it can tear down the Dillsboro…
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Ain’t no mountain high enough: 2007 Blue Ridge Relay challenges local runners through two states and two days of sun, sweat and cheers
By Michael Beadle Several Western North Carolina running teams recently concluded the 208-mile Blue Ridge Relay Race from Grayson Highlands…
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Peering into the deep blue
Bluebird skies are wonderful for lots of things. For example, along U.S. Hwy. 64 west of Franklin the other day…
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Hurricane survivors
One of those paradoxes of getting older: it seems you have more occasions to gather with friends and family, but…
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Giving nature a helping hand: Western Carolina University’s Forest Sustainability Initiative unites students with landowners to help maintain the future of forests
By Michael Beadle Peter Bates inspects a trio of cucumber trees growing closely together on a 20-acre tract of woods…
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Baby birding
It’s almost fall and the skies are beginning to fill with feathered vagabonds headed to their traditional southern winter habitats.…
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Tellico trails: Opponents of four-wheeling force Forest Service to study off-road policies
Recreation at a four-wheel drive and ATV playground in the Nantahala National Forest could be curtailed after environmental and outdoor…
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Sling Shots: Disc golf course proves popular in Waynesville
By Michael Beadle It’s 5:30 on a steamy Monday night at the Waynesville Recreation Park, and pairs of disc golfers…
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