Word from the Smokies: Ranger-made goods add personal touch to park stores
Mike Meldrum could claim his current occupation as a third career — if he weren’t so careful to avoid calling…
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Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation earns Public Lands Alliance Award
The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation received the 2025 Outstanding Public Engagement Award from the Public Lands Alliance (PLA) during the…
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Turn off lights to help spring migrants
Birds face a number of threats during their long migration journeys, but you can help by simply turning off unnecessary…
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Cherokee hosts heritage seed workshop
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Extension office is hosting a workshop to teach people about the preservation of heirloom…
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Sierra Club presents ‘International Birding and Climate Change’
Simon Thompson, an international birding expert, will discuss surprising effects of climactic changes on North Carolina’s and the world’s wild…
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Nurturing nature: Behind the scenes at Highlands Biological Station
Located atop “The Plateau” on the outskirts of downtown Highlands, the Highlands Biological Station is a world-renowned facility for academics,…
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North Carolina innovators aim to revolutionize flood prediction
A team of students from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics has developed an artificial intelligence-based flood modeling system…
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Asheville’s wildlife park reopens March 17
The WNC Nature Center will reopen to the public March 17, five and a half months after closing due to…
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Clean energy business grants available
The Mountain BizWorks Electrify Fund has launched to connect Western North Carolina businesses and nonprofits with affordable financing for clean…
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NCDA&CS offers free agronomic services for WNC growers
It has been months since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina and recovery is still ongoing throughout the region. Many…
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Masa youth photography winners on display at arboretum
The George Masa Foundation announced that the winning photographs from the inaugural George Masa Foundation Youth Conservation Photography Prize are…
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Waynesville looking for lifeguards
The Town of Waynesville Parks and Recreation is looking for 15 new lifeguards to train and certify at no cost.…
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Word from the Smokies: Ongoing monitoring builds knowledge of park’s environment
Every day at several locations around Great Smoky Mountains National Park, information about onsite environmental conditions is being added to…
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Word from the Smokies: Discover Life in America marks milestone in species inventory project
Mindy Fawver is retired from a career in commercial photography and graphic design, while her husband, Doug Bruce, works as…
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America's worst idea: Cuts to national parks put safety, economy, legacy at risk
Often called “America’s best idea,” the National Park System founded more than a century ago has given generations of visitors…
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RMEF helps conserve wildlife habitat in North Carolina
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation supplied funding to help a collaborative partnership conserve 406 acres of habitat for elk, whitetail deer,…
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Underground storage tank loan program available for those affected by Helene
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Waste Management’s Underground Storage Tank Section (NCDEQ-DWM-UST), has launched the Bridge…
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Smokies Life receives national recognition for ‘Letters from the Smokies’
Smokies Life received national recognition at the 2025 Public Lands Alliance Partnership Awards for “Letters from the Smokies,” which was…
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Conservation access plan public session rescheduled
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) invites the public to attend upcoming forums to discuss implementation of a Conservation Access Pass currently…
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Haywood Waterways seeks feedback
Haywood Waterways Association is creating a strategic plan for which it is seeking input, advice and opinions from the public.…
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NHC offers ‘trail ambassador’ training
Join the Nantahala Hiking club this weekend for a training session to educate people how to become “trail ambassadors.” The…
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Haywood County Master Gardeners offer plant clinic
The planting season is getting closer, and Master Gardeners are available to answer questions about lawns, vegetables, flowers, trees and…
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Conservation plan coming for Jackson
Jackson County is embarking on a conservation plan with goal of protecting certain tracts of land. “Jackson County is, from…
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Get in on the Great Backyard Bird Count Walk
As part of the Great Backyard Bird Count initiative, a global community science project that helps researchers understand how birds are doing…
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More trails open across Appalachian Ranger District
The U.S. Forest Service has reopened more trails and roads throughout areas of the Pisgah National Forest’s Appalachian Ranger District…
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State intends to spray Spongy Moth treatment over Haywood, Jackson
Residents of western Haywood County and eastern Jackson County will have the chance to learn about the Spongy Moth infestation…
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WNC Communities seeks nominations for Agricultural Hall of Fame
WNC Communities is now accepting nominations for the Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame. This prestigious honor recognizes individuals…
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FIND Outdoors announces 2025 job opportunites
FIND Outdoors, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting outdoor education, recreation and conservation, announced a variety of seasonal and full-time…
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Missing hiker found deceased in Smokies
Missing hiker Ann Houghton, 73, was found deceased in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Feb. 2 at approximately 1:53 p.m. She was found…
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WCU’s Gibbs earns grant for sicklefin redhorse research
Inside Keith Gibbs’ office hangs an imprint of a sicklefin redhorse, a sucker fish that the Western Carolina University assistant…
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Property owners reminded to take action at home, be prepared for wildfires
Now is the time for North Carolinians to act on wildfire mitigation practices and Firewise principles. By taking appropriate action,…
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Lake Junaluska Golf Course to host U.K.’s Proper Golfing Academy
Proper Golfing Academy, a senior golfers retreat based in the United Kingdom, is coming to Lake Junaluska Golf Course in…
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‘The Greatest Wildlife Photographs’ on display at NC Arboretum
Visitors to The North Carolina Arboretum can witness some of the most surprising animal behavior in the new National Geographic…
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Applications being accepted for Junior Livestock Scholarships
Youth who exhibited livestock at the N.C. State Fair are eligible to apply for N.C. State Fair Junior Livestock Scholarships.…
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Rising above the flood: Small towns fight for survival amid funding shortfalls
With billions in damages, limited state aid and considerable uncertainty surrounding federal funding, local officials are still pushing for streamlined…
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Word from the Smokies: Monarchs proposed for threatened species listing
Before National Geographic published its famous August 1976 cover story detailing the search for the monarch butterfly’s wintering grounds, nobody…
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Word from the Smokies: Park embarks on cutting-edge hellbender study
With wrinkly skin that comes in various shades of brown, eastern hellbenders aren’t easy to spot. These giant salamanders, which…
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Conservation Fund protects WNC woodlands
The Conservation Fund announced that a critical property in the Great Balsam Mountains is protected as forest and natural land.
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Cat Classic returns to Cataloochee Ski Area
The call has gone out for snowboarders to submit their best clips for the Cat Classic, which offers cash prizes…
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Cradle of Forestry and partners execute critical repairs
The Cradle of Forestry in America and the U.S. Forest Service (Pisgah Ranger District) announced a collaboration with the Conservative…
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Cooperative extension offers hay for farmers
Haywood County offers resources for farmers needing hay are encouraged to contact the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office to speak…
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Jackson County seeks lifeguards
The new Jackson County Aquatics Center is hiring five full-time lifeguards. Employees are entitled to full benefits other Jackson County…
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Haywood opens summer camp survey
Anyone interested in enrolling their child in summer camp in Haywood County should take part in the Waynesville Parks &…
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Damage from Helene: Hellbenders may get endangered species listing
By now, the story of Hurricane Helene is a tragically familiar one: the endless rain, the swollen rivers, the angry…
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Haywood Waterways announces Polar Plunge
The Plunge is back for its 13th consecutive year. On Saturday, Feb. 8, Haywood Waterways Association (HWA) and Lake Junaluska…
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MountainTrue hosts plant workday
MountainTrue, in partnership with the Mainspring Conservation Trust and the Pinnacle Park Foundation, is hosting a community volunteer workday to…
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Smokies seeks help in identifying historic homesites
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeking help to identify and document former homesite locations within the park. Volunteer-In-Park Frank…
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Grants available for agricultural projects
The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission is requesting applications from qualifying organizations that support the agricultural industry, impact rural…
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Over the hills and far away: Tsali Ultra race returns to WNC
Returning for its 15th installment, the annual outdoor race, the Tsali Ultra, will be once again held at Tsali Recreation…
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Haywood Waterways
Haywood Waterways Association sent word last week that its staff and vounteers are hearing from one of their partners that…
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