The Highlands Biological Foundation announced the return of its annual Zahner Conservation Lecture Series, a beloved summer tradition dating back to the 1930s. Named in honor of Dr. Robert Zahner and his wife Glenda for their lasting impact on land conservation in the Highlands Plateau, the series offers the public an opportunity to engage with leading voices in science, conservation and the arts. 

A Western Carolina University geochemistry professor is leading new research in Antarctica that could reshape scientists’ understanding of the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs.

Shane Schoepfer recently returned from an expedition to Seymour Island near the Antarctic Peninsula, where he and a team of researchers collected fossil and sediment samples dating to the end-Cretaceous extinction about 66 million years ago. 

First, let me say that for many reasons, those with experience with Hantavirus outbreaks feel at this time that it is highly unlikely to turn into something like Covid. 

Yes, in the aftermath of the pandemic, it’s only reasonable to feel a bit gun shy. But unlike Sars-CoV2, this virus has not appreciably mutated in years. Current specimens are reported to be exactly the same as those seen in Argentina in 1996 and 2018 outbreaks.

I find that more often than not, you don’t find the books you need to read, they find you. A few months ago, a work acquaintance suggested “Healing Back Pain” by John E. Sarno, M.D. (Warner Books, 1991, 193 pages) and it couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. 

Brian Byrd, Western Carolina University’s professor of environmental health sciences and resident “skeeter man,” was awarded the 2026 University of North Carolina System Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. 

Byrd has been with WCU since 2008 and has taught thousands of Catamounts over his tenure. His most recent courses include “Epidemiological Methods,” “Vector-borne Disease Control,” “First Year Seminar” and “Global Health.” 

They may be coming for just the signs, but the message is clear: let’s rewrite history while ignoring science. The disappointments of this administration just never stop piling up. 

A leaked memo from the Department of the Interior contained a list of markers and educational signage at national parks that this administration may have a problem with.

North Carolina’s annual greenhouse gas emissions are at their lowest levels in decades. However, forecasts indicate that increased reliance on natural gas and coal for electricity generation could temporarily offset these gains in the coming years.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has released an update to the state’s greenhouse gas inventory.

From bears and bobcats to eagles and elk, 22,893 species have been documented so far in Great Smoky Mountains National Park — and nearly half of them are insects. Becky Nichols, the park’s long-time entomologist, has dedicated her career to learning about and protecting lifeforms like bees, wasps, moths and butterflies. 

As a child in rural Washington state, Nichols gravitated toward nature and animals of all sorts. She knew from a young age that she wanted a career related to the environment. 

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources has released data from a preliminary study that found per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances present in soil, wastewater and biosolids, the nutrient-rich organic material that remains after wastewater has been treated. The study is the agency’s first investigation assessing PFAS concentrations in biosolids across the state.

PFAS are a group of man-made chemicals widely found in commercial, industrial and consumer products. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment and can build up in humans and animals. More information about PFAS can be found on DEQ’s website.

DWR staff began gathering samples in 2023 for the study, which evaluated PFAS concentrations in wastewater and biosolids from 37 municipal, industrial and domestic wastewater treatment facilities. Staff also tested soil collected from 19 fields that are regulated under non-discharge permits.

The study found PFAS compounds present in wastewater, biosolids and soil samples. Estimates found the majority of PFAS entering wastewater facilities on an annual basis is discharged into waterways, as compared with the amount entering the environment through land application of biosolids. An overview of the study, including background information and a summary of the results, is available online.

There are currently no federal or North Carolina state regulatory requirements for PFAS in biosolids. The study will inform future study design and identify opportunities for further data collection and analysis. Researching the movement of these chemicals in the environment was beyond the scope of the study.

When Drake Fowler returned to the North Carolina Arboretum after Hurricane Helene, the extent of the damage broke his heart. 

“We lost 10,000 trees over 80 acres,” he said.

However, as the initial shock of grief subsided, Fowler, the arboretum’s executive director, considered how to find opportunity amid destruction.