Inside Keith Gibbs’ office hangs an imprint of a sicklefin redhorse, a sucker fish that the Western Carolina University assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources takes great interest in. 

Visitors to The North Carolina Arboretum can witness some of the most surprising animal behavior in the new National Geographic exhibition, “The Greatest Wildlife Photographs.” 

With wrinkly skin that comes in various shades of brown, eastern hellbenders aren’t easy to spot. These giant salamanders, which average 20 inches in length, spend most of their lives nearly invisible under rocks on the bottom of cool, fast-flowing streams.

The Conservation Fund announced that a critical property in the Great Balsam Mountains is protected as forest and natural land.

By now, the story of Hurricane Helene is a tragically familiar one: the endless rain, the swollen rivers, the angry water indiscriminately destroying lives and homes. The storm killed more than 230 people across five states, including 104 confirmed dead in North Carolina and 18 in Tennessee. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) advises the public that black bears in North Carolina are in their “winter homes,” which could be anything from a pile of brush, a hollowed-out tree, a rock cavity, an excavation under a fallen tree or even under the deck or in the crawl space of your home. 

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park fisheries department is offering an informative and educational workshop from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Feb. 22, in the Old Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee. The workshop is open to any interested folks at no charge. 

NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteers are available to answer questions about lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees and ornamental plants; disease, insect, weed or wildlife problems; soils (including soil test results) and fertilizers; freeze and frost damage; and cultural and chemical solutions to pest problems. 

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust (HCLT) announced the permanent conservation of 54.45 acres of forested land just two miles from downtown Highlands. Located along the majority of the lefthand side of Glen Falls Road, this pristine property is a vital part of the area’s natural beauty and ecological health. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to list the eastern hellbender as an endangered species throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act. Eastern hellbenders are found in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.