Outdoors
Hometown Pride: Bryson City welcomes home Olympic medalist
Evy Leibfarth may as well have been born on the river. Her parents met while working as raft guides on the Nantahala and had her on the water with them before she could even hold a paddle.
The Joyful Botanist: Weeds are flowers too
Writing these columns for the last couple of years has brought me so much joy that I have decided to celebrate by changing the name of my writings to The Joyful Botanist. And nothing says launching a new name than launching a revolution while you’re at it. So, let’s start a revolution!
WNC Sierra club to host talk on lithium mining, electric vehicles
Learn about the challenges and success of mining resources related to our transition to clean energy at the WNC Sierra Club.
Randy Francisco of the United Steelworkers Union will discuss ways that “environmentalists and labor can work together to ensure that workers and their communities are protected from harm from this mining.
Tsali Ultra to host NC USATF Championships
The Tsali Ultra Trail Race, in its 15th year of operation, will host the NC USATF 50-Kilometer Trail Championships on Jan. 18, 2025, in Almond.
Burning trash violates state law
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality is reminding North Carolinians: If it doesn’t grow, don’t burn it. Open burning is only allowed in limited circumstances and only for vegetative materials like leaves, limbs and yard debris.
Jackson to install new baseball field lights
Jackson County Public Schools announced it is officially going out for construction bids to install lighting systems on its baseball and softball fields. This significant project aims to enhance the athletic experience for student-athletes, improve safety, and support the broader community.
Word from the Smokies: Course helps students compare Smokies and tropical ecology
Deeya Khambhaita wasn’t sure what to expect when she signed up for a three-week summer course titled Comparative Temperate–Tropical Ecology and Biogeography. All she knew was it would take her to the Great Smoky Mountains and the rain forest of Ecuador.
Up Moses Creek: This is the world!
Like some mountain man who’s happy in his holler, I’m happy to live up Moses Creek. It’s the right place to read, write and ramble in the woods around our house — the 3Rs of retirement for me. But sometimes, days having passed, and wondering how the water flows, I’ll drive down the creek to the Tuckasegee River, where the valley opens up and traffic rushes past, and looking around, I’ll think, “So, this is the world!”
NPS recruiting trail crew volunteers, campground hosts and Clingman’s Dome rovers
Great Smoky Mountains National Park managers are recruiting volunteers for a variety of positions across the park. Opportunities include helping the trail crew rehabilitate two trails, serving as a campground host and providing information to visitors at Clingman’s Dome.
