The Joyful Botanist: Viola Blues
When seeking beautiful native wildflowers, I often travel and hike long distances to a special spot to see a rare beauty. Other times, it’s as easy as walking into the front yard.
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 average 20 inches in length, spend most of their lives nearly invisible under rocks on the bottom of cool, fast-flowing streams.
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 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.
