Celebrate a centennial
The Carolina Mountain Club is inviting the community to help celebrate its 100th birthday 1-5 p.m. Sunday, July 16, at…
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Max Patch restrictions extended
Restrictions on use at Max Patch in the Pisgah National Forest will remain in effect through June 30, 2026, extending…
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Haywood group campaigns to phase out single-use plastics
The Environmental Action Community of WNC is celebrating Plastic-Free July with an initiative encouraging all Haywood County restaurants, cafes and…
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WNC represented in conservation awards
Two Western North Carolina people and organizations were recognized in this year’s Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards, presented by the N.C.…
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Delve into the world of rattlesnakes
Free screenings of the wildlife documentary “RATTLED: Conserving Rattlesnakes in Appalachia” will be offered at 2 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday,…
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Outdoor activities offered for youth
Youth have multiple opportunities to get outdoors this month with a variety of events offered by Haywood County Recreation and…
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Notes from a plant nerd: St. John’s wort
Among the many plants that signify the start of summer, perhaps none is more showy than St. John’s wort (Hypericum…
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To forestall a flood: Statewide mapping effort aims to prevent future floods
With less than two years gone since Tropical Storm Fred destroyed lives and property along the Pigeon River in Haywood…
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Turkey season in 2023 brings record harvest
North Carolina’s five-week wild turkey season had its highest ever recorded harvest of 24,089 birds, surpassing the previous record of…
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Water monitoring available for local swim holes
Make sure the water’s clean before taking a swim using the Swim Guide app, a resource offering a weekly update…
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Event to focus on reducing plastic pollution
A community conversation about reducing plastic pollution will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 6, at Grace Episcopal Church…
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Journey through time with a geologist
Geologist and author Bill Jacobs will discuss the captivating geologic history of the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau during a free lecture at…
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Walker Sisters Cabin reopens
After being closed since late 2021 for renovations, the Walker Sisters Cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is…
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Word from the Smokies: An annual checkup for salamanders
Pay a visit to Chimneys Picnic Area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the first days of spring,…
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Earthquakes rattle Canton area
An earthquake that shook the Canton area during the early morning hours of Sunday, June 4, was the largest in…
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Native Plants Act gets unanimous Senate approval
The N.C. House of Representatives is considering a bill titled the North Carolina Native Plant Act after it unanimously passed…
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N.C. logs record 2022 bear harvest
A record number of black bears were killed during the 2022 bear hunting season, according to records from the N.C.…
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Changes proposed for stormwater infrastructure grants
The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality is proposing changes to its priority rating system for stormwater infrastructure grants and offering…
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Help rehab beloved Smokies trail
Volunteers are needed to help trail crews in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park rehabilitate the Ramsey Cascades and Little…
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Help band birds
Help scientists band birds this summer with the “A Bird’s Eye View” program at Highlands Biological Station June 22, July…
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Natural Connection: Statewide 'Year of the Trail' celebration aims to get more people invested in the outdoors
The General Assembly declared 2023 the “Year of The Trail,” in hopes of getting more people to appreciate the state’s…
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Forest loss could harm water quality, study finds
A new study from researchers focusing on the forest-water connection in the Southern U.S. found that, over the coming decades,…
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National outdoor economy groups to meet in Cherokee
The fifth annual Outdoor Economy Conference in Cherokee will serve as the backdrop to a convening of the Confluence of…
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Spend an evening in the garden
ArborEvenings is back at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville, offering opportunity to spend Thursday and Friday evenings strolling through the…
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On the fly: new Maggie Valley shop debuts fly fishing festival
Shannon Young has no trouble identifying the exact moment he fell in love with fly fishing.
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New trail opens near Old Fort
A new trail is open in the Old Fort area, an important milestone in an ongoing 42-mile trail expansion project…
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Experience history in Cosby
A series of community programs celebrating the natural and cultural history of the Cosby area will be offered Fridays June…
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Survey seeks input on Ocoee Whitewater Center future
The formal process to determine the future of the Ocoee Whitewater Center after the facility was destroyed in an April…
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Celebrate National Pollinator Week
Visit a hub of nature exploration and interactive programs focused on pollinators 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 24,…
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Microplastics researcher to speak in Highlands
Learn about plastic pollution and the threat it poses to freshwater and marine ecosystems during a free lecture at 6…
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Notes from a plant nerd: World, lose strife
For the past few years, whenever I encounter the whorled loosestrife growing along a trail or roadside I have been…
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Up Moses Creek: Snapper, Part II
(Editor’s note: The first installment of this story was published in the May 10 issue of The Smoky Mountain News…
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Fish On The Farm: Tour Highlights Importance, Challenges Of Mountain Aquaculture
Whenever Wes Eason runs across a potential customer who’s hesitant about eating farm-raised fish, he points to the picture on…
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Arboretum donates truckloads of flowers
Following its Bloom with a View event, the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville donated flowers and plants to various organizations in…
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Apple growers to vote on assessment
North Carolina apple growers will vote Tuesday, June 27, in a referendum conducted by the N.C. Apple Growers Association regarding…
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Campground closed in Cherokee National Forest
Horse Creek Campground in the Cherokee National Forest near Greeneville, Tennessee, is closed until further notice due to increasing bear…
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Smokies podcast miniseries wins national award
A podcast of the Great Smoky Mountains Association, the miniseries “Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music” won the award for…
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Panthertown guidebook publisher donates to stewardship nonprofit
Panthertown Map Association, non-profit publishers of Burt Kornegay's “A Guide's Guide to Panthertown,” has made a $7,500 donation to Friends of…
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May finished cool and dry in N.C.
North Carolina saw its 26th coolest May in the last 129 years, with the National Centers for Environmental Information reporting…
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Bill seeks National Scenic Trail status for Benton MacKaye Trail
A bipartisan bill seeking to designate the Benton MacKaye Trail as a National Scenic Trail has been introduced into the…
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Zahner lecture series kicks off in Highlands
The Highlands Biological Foundation will kick off its annual Zahner Conservation Lecture Series at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 15, with…
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Bilingual books on display along Smokies, Gatlinburg trails
Through Aug. 31, three Storybook Trail of the Smokies displays featuring pages in English and Spanish will be open in…
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Max Patch work earns national partnership award
The Carolina Mountain Club and U.S. Forest Service received the 2023 Public Lands Partner Award, honoring “exemplary partnership” and “stunning…
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Notes from a plant nerd: Put that in your pipe, but don’t smoke it
Plants and butterflies have a long history of evolution and interconnected relationships. Plants serve as food for caterpillars who eat…
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Get the scoop on septic systems
Learn more about septic systems during an event 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, June 5, at the Haywood County…
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Sierra Club program to contemplate the future of the French Broad
A lively conversation on the history of the French Broad River corridor’s transformation — as well as the opportunities and…
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Parkway services open for the season
Campgrounds, picnic areas and visitor centers on the Blue Ridge Parkway are now open with full services for the 2023…
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Barn party sets Smokies fundraising record
Friends of the Smokies raised more than $400,000 for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during its 25th annual Greenbrier…
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Comment deadline extended for Laurel Falls EA
The deadline for public comments on an Environmental Assessment examining the impact of proposed changes associated with the Laurel Falls…
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