Outdoors

 

Haywood Waterways seeks feedback

Haywood Waterways Association is creating a strategic plan for which it is seeking input, advice and opinions from the public.

The survey can be completed in one session and should take 10-15 minutes.

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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 from across the country and the world a unique opportunity to come together amid the bountiful natural beauty and historical dignity this nation has to offer.

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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 a growing cache of observational data about the park—offering insights to the region’s past, present, and future.

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The Joyful Botanist: Dog days of winter

While winter walks in the woods can sometimes seem devoid of botanical interest, especially for someone as flower-focused as I tend to be, there are plenty of evergreen plants, shrubs and trees to entice me onto a trail in the dormant season while I await the return of wildflowers. 

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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 session will be held with the upcoming surge of northbound Appalachian Trail hikers that will hit Western North Carolina in the next couple of months.

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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 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. 

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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 a natural resources perspective, a phenomenal county,” said Owen Carson, senior ecologist at Equinox Environmental in a presentation to commissioners Feb. 4.

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Up Moses Creek: Bones of Contention

Watching birds is a year-round pleasure for Becky and me — daily to see their beauty and vitality, their aerial acrobatics, their antics and doings that reveal their native smarts. And to make sure there are birds to watch we bait the yard.

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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 before they undertake their great spring migration, Mainspring Conservation Trust is hosting its own event. 

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