Outdoors
Word from the Smokies: Dragonflies an unlikely ‘Rosetta Stone’ to understanding mercury contamination
With 360-degree vision, bright-colored bodies that sparkle jewel-like in the sun and acrobatic flight patterns reaching speeds of nearly 35 miles per hour, dragonflies are some of the more glamorous members of the insect world.
Hogs and hammocks: Inside this resilient Smokies farm stay
Tucked away in a gentle bend of a placid river near Iron Duff, Smoky Mountain River Ranch has weathered economic downturns, floods, hurricanes and silent, ceaseless development pressure — all while raising a very special animal those who know call a delicacy.
Mill Town Farmers Market
More than two dozen vendors will take part in the fifth season of the Mill Town Farmers Market, which opens Thursday, May 15, and continues every Thursday through Oct. 30.
Cosby Area reopened, park completes major culvert replacement
Visitors should plan for single lane closures on Cosby Entrance Road through June.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reopened the Cosby Area following the construction of a new culvert under Cosby Entrance Road.
Earthquake rattles WNC
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake with an epicenter south of Knoxville was felt throughout the region last weekend.
The quake hit at 9:04 a.m. Saturday, May 10.
Climate speaker comes to Haywood
The Environmental Action Community of Western North Carolina (EAC) will host renowned speaker Andrew Jones, at the Terrace Hotel Auditorium (689 N. Lakeshore Drive, Lake Junaluska) from 6:30-8 p.m. May 15 in a free interactive presentation on climate, resilience and action.
Paddleboard with Jackson County Rec
Jackson County Recreation is offering opportunities for people to enjoy a stand-up paddleboarding session for anyone age 14 or older.
Sessions will be held May 20 and July 1 at Wolf Lake and June 5 and June 20 at Bear Lake.
Up Moses Creek: Because it’s here
When April rains fall on Moses Creek and wake the dormant winter roots, and when the warm sun, following, fills the woods with wildflowers, bird songs and budding leaves, and suddenly the whole valley is on its way to spring’s green apogee, then travelers from North Carolina and other states fly to Kathmandu, Nepal, where, breathing oxygen from tanks on their backs, and with their minds partly crazed with cold, they try to climb Mount Everest, the world’s tallest peak, “Because it’s there.” For mountain climbers, our spring coincides with the best of Everest’s bad seasons to attempt its frozen summit.
The Joyful Botanist: Here grow pinkshells, far from the seashore
If you are driving or walking in the woods in the higher elevations of Western North Carolina at this time of year, you may be treated to the most beautiful explosion of deeply pink azalea flowers blooming in profusion all throughout the woods. And it’s not just any old azalea, but it’s a special and rare species that are often be taken for granted.
