SMN staff
Craig Gralley will present his new book “Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute: An Untold History of Spacemen & Spies” at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
There will be a special concert in memory of late Haywood County banjo great Steve Sutton kicking off at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 3, on the big outdoor stage at Silverados in Black Mountain.
The Marianna Black Library will host its “Summer Music Series” with an evening of old-time and traditional music from Susan Pepper & Tom Estes at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at the library in Bryson City.
Learn more about septic systems during an event 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, June 5, at the Haywood County Agricultural Service Center on Raccoon Road in Waynesville.
A lively conversation on the history of the French Broad River corridor’s transformation — as well as the opportunities and challenges facing the watershed today — will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 7, at Manheimer Auditorium at University of North Carolina Asheville, and over Zoom.
Campgrounds, picnic areas and visitor centers on the Blue Ridge Parkway are now open with full services for the 2023 season.
There will be a contra dance class offered from 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
The Town of Sylva, Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department and Jackson County Chamber of Commerce are proud to present the 14th annual season of the “Concerts on the Creek” music series.
Friends of the Smokies raised more than $400,000 for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during its 25th annual Greenbrier Barn Party Friday, May 12, setting a fundraising record for the event.
This spring, the National Park Service released its third edition of the Green Parks Plan, setting refreshed goals and objectives to advance sustainable park operations.
A press release describes the plan as “a bold vision for national parks to attain net-zero status by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving energy and water, reducing solid waste, transitioning to green transportation and fostering a culture of sustainability inside and outside of parks.”
The plan also aims to further the NPS’ commitment to work toward phasing out single-use plastics over the next decade.
Five goals in the Green Parks Plan are: combat the climate crisis by achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, achieve net-zero water use and net zero energy for facilities and operations, achieve net-zero waste and sustainable procurement, adopt and support zero-emissions transportation methods, and engage the NPS workforce, partners, visitors, stakeholders and communities to support and participate in sustainability, climate resilience and environmental justice.
The plan is part of the NPS response to climate change outlined in its Climate Change Response Strategy.
The first edition of the Green Parks Plan was released in 2012. The update incorporates advancements in science and technology, as well as new legislation and executive orders. Read the plan at nps.gov/subjects/sustainability/index.htm.
Acclaimed Americana/folk musicians Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell will perform at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 4, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.
International hiker and writer Jen Seymour will speak at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 8, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin.
The deadline for public comments on an Environmental Assessment examining the impact of proposed changes associated with the Laurel Falls Trail Management Plan has been extended through Sunday, June 4.
Haywood County Animal Shelter is set to receive a $12,500 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love in support of their lifesaving work for animals in Haywood County.
The Cherokee Central Schools Board has chosen Consuela Girty, a 20-year employee of Cherokee Central Schools, as the school system’s next superintendent.
A beloved gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will take place from 6-9 p.m. Friday, June 2, in downtown Waynesville.
In honor of a beloved local canine celebrity, MollyFest will take place from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at Frog Level Brewing in Waynesville.
Starting Thursday, June 1, adult soccer pickup games will be held weekly at 6:30 p.m. at the Cullowhee Recreation Park in Jackson County.
The N.C. House of Representatives is considering a bill titled the North Carolina Native Plant Act after it unanimously passed the Senate May 3.
The Highlands Nature Center kicks off its summer season on Memorial Day weekend, with extended hours noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 28, and summer hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday starting Monday, May 29.
The ancient art of bonsai will take center stage during the “Bonsai as Fine Art” exhibition June 2-11 at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville. The event will feature 20 works created by professional bonsai artists and members of the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society.
Nantahala Outdoor Center will hold its Women’s Paddlefest Friday, June 2, through Sunday, June 4, hosted by inspirational paddler Anna Levesque.
Help is now available for Pactiv Evergreen Canton paper mill workers to determine how they can maintain health insurance after the mill closes. Health insurance for many workers is expected to lapse Aug. 1.
A special stage production of “Big Fish” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. June 2-3, 8-10 and 2 p.m. June 4 and 11 at the Haywood Arts Regional Theatre in Waynesville.
A beloved cultural gathering for almost 40 years, Folkmoot USA will go on hiatus as of this year, with its future uncertain as to when or if the festival will return.
The Southern Highland Craft Guild in Asheville is currently showcasing works from the Graduating Class of 2023 of Haywood Community College’s Professional Crafts Program.
This weekend, The SHARE Project will host its third annual WNC drug awareness event — “Hope Not Stigma.”
A Swanannoa man forfeited his vehicle and received a stiff prison sentence after pleading guilty in Haywood County Superior Court to trafficking illegal drugs and other crimes, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.
Agricultural producers and private landowners have until May 26 to sign up for the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program, a federal program that lets producers and landowners continue grazing and haying while conserving grasslands and promoting diversity and healthy soil.
The ‘Kids Hike Highlands’ trail passport program is back, with a refresh for the 2023 season.
Experience the “Appalachian magic” of lightning bug season with a series of walks planned throughout the spring and early summer to experience the show from a variety of different species. Naturalist Sarah Johnson will lead these walks on her farm in Macon County.
Students from The Christ School in Asheville have won one of five annual awards given by Blue Ridge Parkway managers to recognize volunteer contributions to preservation, protection and enjoyment of the Parkway.
When Western Carolina University registrar Larry Hammer began working a garden plot with his family in the Cullowhee Community Garden, he realized that the garden’s water delivery system was not working like it needed to and had not been for years. He also knew exactly who to contact for help.
A team from Bethel Middle School in Haywood County took top honors at the 2023 Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament.
The Bethel Middle team won the overall junior division with a total score of 3,499. Students competed in rifle, shotgun and archery marksmanship, orienteering and a hunter responsibility exam. The team rose to the top of 28 teams competing at the state level.
Championship competitors advanced from district events held in March to showcase shooting and outdoor skills, as well as knowledge learned through the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Hunter Education Program. The teams were made up of participants from public and private schools, as well as homeschool associations and 4-H clubs.
A new litter of red wolf puppies has been born in the tiny wild population in eastern North Carolina.
Upon passage of a bill by the North Carolina General Assembly, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles announced changes to the graduated driver licensing (GDL) program for teens.
A South Carolina man who used social media to groom then entice an underage teen to meet him in both Franklin and Cherokee recently pleaded guilty to statutory rape, District Attorney Ashley Hornsby Welch said.
Explore the love-hate relationship between birds and insects during a talk from Balsam Mountain Trust Executive Director Michael Wall at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva.
Adventure-themed artwork by the late William Nealy on loan from Nantahala Outdoor Center is on display through June 9 at the Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City.
The University of Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Field School has announced a new slate of programs for 2023, offering adults who love the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a chance for deeper connection to this landscape.
Since 2021, the Highlands Biological Foundation has invested $300,000 in its University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Highlands Field Site Program.
Pick up the Pigeon River during a cleanup 9-10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, in Canton.
An Environmental Assessment examining the impact of proposed changes associated with the Laurel Falls Trail Management Plan is out for public comment through Friday, June 2.
After an extensive 11-day search, on May 6 the Great Smoky Mountains National Park halted its active field search for missing Tampa man Gordon Kaye, 68.
Dale’s Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley will offer free admission to Haywood County residents on the first Saturday of each month throughout its 2023 season.
The Town of Waynesville’s Board of Aldermen will now be known as the Town Council, after an April 25 vote made it official.
This year’s election for seats on Waynesville’s Board of Aldermen — recently re-styled as “Town Council” — will proceed with a new sense of urgency after council members voted to enact a long-sought change in how they’re elected.
Take a leisurely hike to the Waterrock Knob overlook for sunset yoga with Tara Scarborough at 7:15 p.m., Tuesday, May 9
Lightning ignited a wildfire in the Linville Gorge Wilderness last week, but humid conditions and rainfall allowed firefighters to take an indirect approach in their response, limiting impact to the wilderness area.
Brian Railsback, an English professor at Western Carolina University, has received the 2023 Steve Kemp Writers’ Residency from the Great Smoky Mountains Association.
