Nose for adventure: New program gets Sarge's shelter dogs hiking

Monday mornings have a bad reputation, but for dogs at Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation in Waynesville, they’ve become the best part…
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Race Cataloochee

The racing season is back at Cataloochee Ski Area, starting in January for ages 8 through adult. 
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Misfit Mountain seeks to help animals and owners alike

The holiday season is among the toughest times in the animal rescue world. Adopting pets isn’t always front of mind…
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Study reveals the red wolf’s ecological impact
 

Study reveals the red wolf’s ecological impact

According to a study published last month in the scientific journal Animal Conservation, wild red wolves in eastern North Carolina…
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Franklin County deer tests positive for CWD

A 2.5-year-old female white-tailed deer harvested during firearm season in Franklin County has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease, an…
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Money available for farmers who experienced lending discrimination

Through Jan. 13, farmers, forest landowners and ranchers who have experienced discrimination in farm lending from the U.S. Department of…
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Friends group launches for Cherokee National Forest
 

Friends group launches for Cherokee National Forest

Friends of the Cherokee National Forest, a new nonprofit based in Knoxville, aims to become a driving force in preserving…
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Casting for Canton: Papertown gets its first fly shop

Doug Mcelvy was only 3 or 4 the first time he picked up a fishing rod, but it sparked a…
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Smokies burn ban lifted

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park  has lifted a burn ban that’s been in effect for weeks amid drought conditions…
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Endangered snail reintroduced to the wild

After 20 years of living only in captivity, the federally endangered magnificent ramshorn has been returned to the wild. 
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Farmland preservation grants available

County governments and conservation nonprofits have until Dec. 18 to apply for farmland preservation grants from the N.C. Agricultural Development…
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Arboretum leader to lead landscape architecture association

Drake Fowler, deputy executive director at The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville, has been named president of the N.C. Chapter…
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Drought disaster funding available for farmers
 

Drought disaster funding available for farmers

Family farms across the region are eligible for emergency loan assistance from the Farm Service Agency due to damage or…
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Grants awarded to protect N.C. farmland

Western North Carolina is well represented in the more than $15 million recently awarded to protect working farms and forests,…
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Outdoor businesses selected for mentorship program

Mountain BizWorks has named eight outdoor businesses that have been selected for the fifth cohort of its annual Waypoint Accelerator…
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Hope for the hemlocks: Hike explores past, present and future of WNC hemlocks

Under the gray, misty November sky covering Panthertown Valley near Cashiers, we swish through shin-deep leaves in search of hemlock…
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Accessible trail opens in Old Fort

A new hiking trail is now open in Old Fort, offering an opportunity for people with disabilities to get outside. 
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Race raises $110K to support the Smokies

Held Sunday, Nov. 12, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cades Cove Loop Lope raised more than $110,000…
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Highlands Biological Foundation appoints interim director

Winter Gary has been appointed interim executive director of the Highlands Biological Foundation as the organization works through a leadership…
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See ‘Winter Lights’

Check out Winter Lights at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville with a group leaving from the Waynesville Recreation Department at…
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Data bodes well for N.C. outdoor rec economy

Newly released economic data measuring the outdoor recreation industry’s impact on the U.S. economy shows that, despite ongoing economic challenges,…
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Spend Friday nights on the slopes

Registration opens Dec. 1 for a program offering discounted rates to ski and snowboard Cataloochee Ski Area on Friday nights…
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Reimagine Bartram’s travels

A visual exploration of the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail will be on display through Jan. 6, 2024, at The Bascom…
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New trail under construction at Old Fort
 

New trail under construction at Old Fort

Work has started on a new 3-mile trail near Old Fort. 
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Bike Chestnut Mountain

Ride the trails with an experienced mountain bike instructor at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Chestnut Mountain Nature Park…
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Word from the Smokies: What we can learn from wild turkeys

If you plan to travel around Western North Carolina or East Tennessee to visit friends or family and eat turkey…
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Lakeview Drive reopens

Lakeview Drive in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Bryson City is now open, but rehabilitation work on the…
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Santa to visit Chimney Rock

Old Saint Nick will visit Chimney Rock State Park in Rutherford County Saturdays, Dec. 2 and 9, for the 26th…
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No Man’s Land Film Festival returns to WNC

The No Man’s Land Film Festival, the premier all-woman adventure film festival, will screen at New Belgium Brewing’s Liquid Center…
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Tons of trout coming to WNC

More than 67,000 pounds of trout will be stocked in the mountain and piedmont regions of North Carolina between Nov.…
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Air quality report reveals good news for N.C.

North Carolinians continue to breathe the cleanest air in decades as emissions of harmful air pollutants like nitrogen oxides and…
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Forest Service advisory group seeks new members
 

Forest Service advisory group seeks new members

The committee responsible for advising on U.S. Forest Service recreation fees is looking for new members. 
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Workforce grants available for ag employers
 

Workforce grants available for ag employers

Through Nov. 28 agricultural employers can apply for grants through a pilot program designed to improve the resilience of the…
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NOC welcomes Santa
 

NOC welcomes Santa

Meet Santa at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Swain County at one of three events coming up next month. 
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Tree discounts available for military members, veterans
 

Tree discounts available for military members, veterans

During the month of November, military members and veterans can receive a discount on tree seedling orders from the N.C.…
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Nantahala Hiking Club to celebrate year of stewardship
 

Nantahala Hiking Club to celebrate year of stewardship

The Nantahala Hiking Club will recognize outstanding volunteers during its annual awards banquet 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at First…
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Practice your shot
 

Practice your shot

A turkey shoot will be held 9 a.m. Saturdays at the American Legion in Waynesville, continuing weekly through mid-April 2024. 
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WNC's watershed moment: Regional leaders discuss French Broad’s past, present and future

More than 100 people came together to discuss the future of one of the region’s most important resources during the…
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Water quality grants distributed to area organizations

Environmental groups working to improve water quality in Haywood, Buncombe and Madison counties recently received 10 grants totaling $285,190 from…
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Sandy Mush Game Lands expand

The Sandy Mush Game Lands in Buncombe and Madison counties are now 67 acres larger after the Southern Appalachian Highlands…
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Overmountain Shelter to be removed from the A.T.

After closing it four years ago, the U.S. Forest Service has decided to decommission and remove the Overmountain Shelter, located…
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Elk volunteers wanted

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is looking for volunteers to expand its Elk Volunteer-in-Park Program in 2024. 
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Microplastics study confirms atmospheric deposition

A recently completed study on microplastics in Western North Carolina has revealed that even remote headwater streams are impacted, as…
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Book offers unique look at Smokies history

A newly released book from the Great Smoky Mountains Association compiles written accounts from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s…
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Maggie Valley water earns prestigious award

The Maggie Valley Sanitary District again earned top marks for water quality from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, one…
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Book your Winter Lights tickets

Dubbed ‘Asheville’s brightest holiday tradition,’ Winter Lights opens Friday, Nov. 17, with the brilliant display open daily 6-10 p.m. through…
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The plant doctor is in

The growing season is winding down, but Haywood County Master Gardeners are still available to answer questions about all manner…
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Enter the cornhole tournament

Earn your place as a cornhole champion during a tournament at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Cullowhee Recreation…
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Senior Games contestants take the podium
 

Senior Games contestants take the podium

Haywood County is home to a slew of state medalists in this year’s North Carolina Senior Games. 
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Dove season opens Saturday

The hunting season for mourning and white-winged doves opens Saturday, Sept. 2, and will be separated into three segments.
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