Outdoors
Join Franklin Bird club for Macon County walks
The Franklin Bird Club leads walks along the Greenway on Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. through September. Walks start at alternating locations: Macon County Public Library, Big Bear Park and Salali Lane.
Trail reopenings announced across Helene-damaged Appalachian Ranger District
The USDA Forest Service announced that several trails and recreation sites damaged by Hurricane Helene have reopened across the Appalachian Ranger District on the Pisgah National Forest. With the support of partners and volunteers, the Forest Service has successfully cleared 227 miles of trails on the Appalachian Ranger District since the storm struck last year, accounting for 70 percent of the district’s trails.
WCU to hold groundbreaking ceremony for stadium renovations project
Western Carolina University will hold a groundbreaking ceremony at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 12, to kick off the first phase of a series of planned upgrades for E.J. Whitmire Stadium and other aging facilities used by Catamount student-athletes.
Sliding Rock to open for summer season
Sliding Rock, one of the most popular destinations in Pisgah National Forest, will open for the summer season beginning Memorial Day weekend, operating daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Labor Day. During that time, visitors can expect lifeguards on duty, restrooms open and staff on site to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.
Smokies Life selects Jim and Leslie Costa as Steve Kemp Writers in Residence
Smokies Life announced Jim and Leslie Costa as the recipients of its 2025 Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency. During their residency, the North Carolina-based couple plans to continue work already underway to write and illustrate a forthcoming field guide to the Smokies insects to be published by Smokies Life.
Haywood Farm Bureau announces scholarship recipients
The Haywood County Farm Bureau Board of Directors announced the four recipients of its scholarship, given at the May 19 meeting held at the bureau office.
Waynesville gardener honored with award
The Waynesville Garden Club honored Carolyn Taylor with its Outstanding Lifetime Member Award (since 1976) at its May 8 meeting. Taylor was also the one who designed the garden club iris emblem.
Damage is done: Macon to make changes following damage caused by debris removal
Over the last few months, Maconians have sounded the alarm on what they see as excessive debris removal in the county’s waterways. Now, as the cleanup effort wraps up, citizens are maintaining pressure, urging elected officials to learn from the debacle and institute safeguards for the future.
Word from the Smokies: All hands on deck to rehab a rugged Appalachian Trail section
Somewhere after 2 p.m. on a sunny Wednesday in mid-March, the chaotic wind of a descending helicopter whipped the calm skies above the Appalachian Trail near Icewater Spring Shelter. Four people — two Smoky Mountains Hiking Club volunteers and two Appalachian Trail Conservancy employees — waited at the intersection of the Boulevard and Appalachian trails, watching the bundle of black locust logs suspended below the chopper come to a gentle rest in the small forest opening.
