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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Shooting bear on Parkway nets prison time
Two Jackson County men were sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for shooting a bear on the Blue Ridge…
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Grant to restore migration in Little T tributaries
The Little Tennessee Watershed Association has received a $75,000 grant to help restore migration for aquatic species. Two years ago,…
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The Naturalist's Corner
I wanna go home with the armadillo When you’re stuck in one place for 12 hours at a time, a…
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Smokies elk shot down in Cataloochee Valley
A man has been arrested for shooting an elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last Friday. The elk…
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Coweeta leads research on watershed dynamics
Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, an experimental research station for the U.S. Forest Service outside Franklin, celebrated its 75th anniversary this month.…
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Back to nature
Burt Kornegay is a one-match man. As the owner of Slickrock Expeditions and the longest running independent outdoor guide in…
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The beetles' fall tour
No, not the Fab Four — more like the Fab Gazillion. Swarms of thousands to perhaps hundreds of thousands of…
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Blue Ridge Parkway kicks off 75th anniversary
The Blue Ridge Parkway will kick off its 75th anniversary celebrations this month with several historical, symbolic and entertaining events,…
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The Naturalist's Corner
It’s 11 p.m. – do you know where your wood thrush is? “Hello, Ms. Stutchbury, this is OnStar. Your wood…
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HCC offers green building certificate for construction students
A model home under construction on the Haywood Community College campus is giving construction majors hands-on training in green building…
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HCC trains tomorrow’s developers in sustainable methods
When Candace Stimson lost her job last winter due to the recession, she seized the opportunity to go back to…
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NOC expedition gains attention
An outdoor expedition to Bolivia that puts paddlers to work delivering medical supplies to remote villages organized by Nantahala Outdoor…
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A page from the past: Smokies’ artifacts tender rare glimpse into life before the park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to one of the most intact and comprehensive collections of early Americana,…
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The Naturalist's Corner
The rush to be green is making me blue Let’s see, automakers can get CAFÉ (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) credits…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Slogging through the watershed It was dark, 39 degrees and a steady light drizzle when I walked from the house…
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Tales from the trail
Jennifer Pharr Davis, the female record-holder for the fastest thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail, spoke to a large crowd in…
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Fishermen to hear report on mercury and walleye
Fish biologists will discuss mercury contamination in fish in mountain lakes at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the…
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The need for speed AT record-setter enjoys simplicity of fast, solo hiking
Jennifer Pharr Davis says she never set out be a speed hiker. When she first hiked the entire Appalachian Trail…
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Woodsmen’s Team finishes in first place at meet
The Haywood Community College Woodsmen’s Team finished first in the 2009 John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet and Forest Festival…
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NOC to hold fly-fishing tournament with a twist
The Nantahala Outdoor Center will hold its first ever fly-fishing competition Oct. 17 and 18 on the Nantahala River in…
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Fly-fishing duo takes top spot in local tournament
By Julie Ball As a teenager, Josh Stephens worked summers as a rafting guide on the Nantahala River. He’d watch…
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The Naturalist's Corner
The leaves, they are a’ changing It seems like colors popped on the mountains almost overnight last Thursday or Friday.…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Just leisure time in good company So much of our time in this soured economy is spent paying homage to…
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A sanctuary for scientists: Smokies’ slopes seen as frontier in global warming research
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most studied national parks in the country. It consistently ranks…
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Working to bring back the American chestnut
By Julie Ball • Correspondent As a boy, Gene Gibson remembers his parents heading to some of Western North Carolina’s…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Dancin' on the dunes “Look at the butterflies!” I said. “I know, I’ve been counting them – 27, 28, 29,…
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Documentary tells captivating tale about the creation of GSMNP
When America tunes in to Ken Burns’ long-awaited documentary on the national parks next week, the hard-fought battle to save…
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Fly-fishing tournament offers hefty prize
A $10,000 cash prize is at stake for the second annual Rumble in the Rhododendron Fly Masters Tournament on Sept.…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Act swiftly No, I don’t mean fly around in a circle above a chimney or smokestack before disappearing into it.…
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Rooting out landslide prone slopes
As much as mountain dwellers take pride in the gnarled and weathered Rhododendron thickets that characterize Appalachian mountainsides, the signature…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Surprises under fog I decided to take advantage of a few free hours last Friday morning to get a firsthand…
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WCU shoreline studies send out call to action
Western Carolina University professor Rob Young has co-authored a book titled The Rising Sea, which bears an “urgent message” for…
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Indigo mushrooms elicit eureka moment
When John Springstead went hiking through the forest behind his house outside Bryson City last week, he stumbled across a…
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Scholarship to fund WCU students at Highlands Biological Station
A scholarship fund to encourage biological research among students at Western Carolina University has been created as a tribute to…
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Quantifying solitude: Building a lockbox around the Chattooga River
The forest service has pledged to ensure a solitary wilderness experience on the upper Chattooga River, even if it means…
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The Naturalist's Corner
Taking a swim through the air On long narrow graceful wings, the common nighthawk seems lighter than air as it…
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Grouse habitat dedicated to outdoor lover
A project to create prime ruffed grouse habitat in the Cold Mountain Game Lands has been dedicated as the Jerry…
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Casada releases premier fly-fishing book of the Smokies
Award-winning outdoor writer Jim Casada has just published what he describes as “my book of a lifetime.” Fly Fishing in…
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Methane collection system at landfill in the works
Haywood County officials are racing against the clock to get a methane collection system built at two landfills before the…
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Paddlers get restricted access to Chattooga
A long-standing ban on paddling on the Upper Chattooga River will be lifted this winter, but not without a host…
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Panthertown trail plan designates use
A new trail management plan designed to rein in heavy use by competing forms of recreation in Panthertown Valley will…
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