Care and feeding of a healthy septic system
By Kathleen Lamont One doesn’t usually give their septic system a second thought — until the day that you walk…
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Alternative ramblings
I don’t know the source but in my college days there was an aphorism — “If you can’t dazzle ‘em…
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Conserving Fisher Creek
The steep slopes of the Fisher Creek watershed provided drinking water to the town of Sylva for many decades, from…
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Cherokee students join scientists for environmental research
Cherokee Middle School students have been getting a dose of hands-on science in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this…
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Hike to Pinnacle Peak
There are two ways to hike to Pinnacle Peak, renowned for its 360-degree views from the Plott Balsams. Option one:…
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Pinnacle Park
The town of Sylva has nearly completed its goal of eternal preservation of the 1,100-acre Pinnacle Park in the Plott…
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Old is new again
The diesel engine created by Rudolf Diesel was designed to run on biodiesel. The prototype demonstrated at the World Fair…
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Fuels down the pike
This week’s alternative fuels column will discuss three fuels (methanol, p-series and hydrogen) that all have one thing in common…
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Climate Change vs. National Park: New report predicts environmental crises while Park works on solutions
By Michael Beadle More acid rain and invasive insect pests. Fewer trout in mountain streams. More “code red” days with…
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Keeping the wheels spinning
By Michael Beadle Local cyclists can rest assured that one of the region’s longest-running bicycle shops will be around for…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Ethanol
Editor’s note: This is another in a series of columns by Don Hendershot about alternative energy Ethanol Ethanol is grain…
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Natural gas
Editor’s note: Naturalist Don Hendershot is writing a series of articles exploring alternative fuels. Natural gas is the fossil alternative…
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Close encounters: Boaters at odds with those who don’t want Chattooga boating ban lifted
An age-old question has emerged in the raging debate over the Chattooga River wilderness: how many people is too many…
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Scrap indoor pollutants
Like the Roach Motel of commercial fame, synthetic scents have crept into our homes and lives and are not going…
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How ‘bout the trout?
By Michael Beadle Fishing for something fun to do this weekend? Head downstream to the Maggie Valley Fairgrounds for the…
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Electric vehicles
Most people tend to think of electric (EVs) and hybrid (HEVs) vehicles in the same sphere, but the two are…
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Donors honored for conservation easements
The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust honored those that donated land and conservation agreements in 2006 at a recent celebration.
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The drive to alternative fuels
Greenies, tree-huggers, granolas and old hippies are mothers, dads and grandmoms too. And there is a sincere desire to live…
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Bartram’s legacy: Scholars gather to discuss significance of 18th century botanist, writer, illustrator and philosopher
By Michael Beadle William Bartram only came through Western North Carolina for a handful of days in the spring of…
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Soy ... the rest of the story
By Kathleen Lamont Soy is found in all kinds of foods we eat today, but do you know what’s in…
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New shelter graces Wayah Bald
After Ann McDuff was struck and killed while riding her bicycle in February 2003, her husband, Larry, spearheaded a money-raising…
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Green energy
Over the next few weeks in The Naturalist’s Corner, I’m going to be exploring different aspects of the alternative and…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Fuel for thought
Biofuels have been getting a lot of media and blogosphere attention lately, and with the price of gas at $3…
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Pedaling my America: Jackson County native A.J. Rowell prepares for 10,000-mile summer cycling ride from Arctic Alaska to Cullowhee
By Michael Beadle Before you ask the most obvious question – why? – remember, it’s not a race or a…
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Tag helps nonprofit reach $1 million mark
Motorists sporting Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park license plates have helped the organization top the $1 million fund-raising…
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From dogwood to blackberry winter
Frost warnings and advisories across the Blue Ridge tonight (May 18) officially announce this year’s “blackberry winter.” It is coming…
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Trail head earns accolades
Who is he: Tobias Miller, who lives near Sylva, was honored this month as the 2006 employee of the year…
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Soggy birding
May 5 was a soggy morning. At 7:30 a.m. a light drizzle had engulfed Lake Junaluska. We sat in our…
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Take a Hike: New hiking book offers tips, maps and history on local mountain trails
Danny Bernstein still remembers her first tough hike — a three-day journey in 1969 up Mount Marcy, the highest peak…
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A peek at the watershed
One hundred and twenty people or so took advantage of Waynesville’s first Watershed Appreciation Month to see and learn more…
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The right choices for healthier air
Roughly 45 percent of people (more than 2.9 million) in North Carolina lives in an area with unhealthful short-term levels…
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Wilderness Society comes to WNC: National environmental organization opens office in Franklin
The Wilderness Society has signaled a strong interest in the future of the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests with the…
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Artisans Bread Bakers Festival is community at its best
By Kathleen Lamont It was Saturday, March 24, and I was walking through the Greenlife Grocery parking lot in Asheville…
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They’re baaaaccckkk!
In late March there was a lot of talk on the Carolina birders’ listserv about early migration as Neotropical migrants…
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Bog bet succeeds
When Gary Wein came on board as the executive director of the Highlands Cashiers Land Trust a year ago, he…
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Spring wonders: Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont makes nature hands-on
By Sarah Kucharski • Staff Writer Cameron Farlow, an intern at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Oconaluftee Visitors Center,…
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Navy’s top 10 reasons for choosing Site C
The Navy has decided that a site in Washington and Beaufort counties in eastern North Carolina, about three to five…
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Man of Stihl: HCC student to compete at national collegiate timber sports championship in July
By Michael Beadle Jay Blackburn never figured he’d be competing against the best axe-chopping, saw-cutting athletes in the country when…
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Nature Center unveiled: Balsam Mountain Preserve opens Southern Appalachian exhibit to the public
Walking into the new nature center at the Balsam Mountain Preserve in Jackson County is like walking into a replica…
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Navy still at war with NC
You have to admire the tenacity of America’s armed forces. We can all take pride in the heroism, courage and…
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Franklin trail network to offer new rides for bikers
For years, Jack Lansford and his mountain biking buddies in Franklin would have to load up their bikes and hit…
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Judge strikes blow for property rights advocates
A federal judge in San Francisco told the Bush administration on March 30 that it didn’t have the right to…
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Hiking to build a better world
By Michael Beadle Jon Brown and Scott Cochran want to help a small town in Bosnia and Herzegovina rebuild after…
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May the North Shore Road rest in peace
Swain County native Heath Shuler is doing his home county a favor by putting together a powerful congressional coalition to…
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The Northshore Road: What they say
Rep. Heath Shuler, D-Waynesville “As a Swain County native, I have a deep, personal understanding of the issues and emotions…
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Road to Nowhere: Getting dimmer by the day
Those opposed to building a $600 million, 30-mile road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park got welcome news last…
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Beetles being raised to save hemlocks
A new lab has opened at the University of Georgia to raise predator beetles aimed at countering the deadly hemlock…
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Honeybees and hemp: Where did we go wrong?
By Kathleen Lamont I’ve got two cents to add to the honeybee dilemma. There are approximately 20,000 species of bees…
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Pristine shmistine says the curmudgeon-naturalist
First let me get this disclaimer out of the way. I am thrilled to hear that Congressman Heath Shuler has…
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Move over harbingers
George Ellison talked about the harbingers of spring in his Feb. 28 column in The Smoky Mountain News. Well those…
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