Outdoors
Word from the Smokies: Tree crew scales up park safety
With spikes on his shoes, a helmet on his head, a rope on his harness and a chainsaw on his belt, Ken Gragg starts to climb. He moves easily up the red maple tree, pausing as he reaches a Y in the trunk. Balancing on his spikes, he assesses his surroundings, draws his chainsaw and cuts away the smaller half of the Y. It falls to the ground with a crackle and a thump, and Gragg continues climbing.
‘Pumped Up:’ Haywood County ready for appearance on world stage
On a quiet stretch of county-owned land once defined by grass and gravel and garbage, a ribbon of asphalt now loops, banks and swells in tight rhythmic curves — engineered not for pedaling, but for flow. Riders generate speed by pumping their bodies through rollers and berms, transforming momentum into motion without ever turning a crank. In September, that motion will carry Haywood County into the international spotlight.
The Joyful Botanist: Almost time for bluets
I don’t know about y’all, but I’m getting excited for the return of wildflowers.
In Southern Appalachia, we’ve had a real winter this season with long, extended cold snaps and a couple of good, region-wide snow and ice storms. Now we’re looking at a few weeks of warmer weather ahead, and in mid-February that means the emergence and bloom of the first of the spring wildflowers.
Word from the Smokies: With each brushstroke, plein air painters capture the magic of the mountains
On a piece of rocky ground at the base of a steep bank along the mist-shrouded Little River, oil painter Olena Babak sets up her easel. It’s late in the day to be starting a new piece — less than three hours of sunlight remain — and Babak is fresh from an hours-long painting session in the Elkmont area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But something about the scene compels her.
“Sometimes it’s like an impulse,” she said. “Sometimes it’s contemplated. Sometimes, a scene sort of drags you in, and you need to figure out why.”
District Court faults Forest Service analysis
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Forest Service violated the Endangered Species Act by relying on a faulty analysis during the creation of the controversial Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Plan. The court’s decision effectively prohibits the Forest Service from relying on the plan.
Public gets rare chance to watch barn owls hatch
“Barn Owlet Watch 2026” is underway for a nest box with six barn owl eggs, and the public has 24-hour access to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s live cam with audio to watch all the action in real time. The expected “hatch” date is between April 9 and 15.
Haywood Waterways hosts Big Creek hike
Haywood Waterways Association will lead a hike to Mouse Falls in the Big Creek Watershed of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Sunday, April 12.
The event is free for members and a $5 donation for nonmembers. Haywood Waterways memberships start at $25.
Celebrate American Sign Language Day in the Smokies
Great Smoky Mountains National Park invites the public to the annual “Signs of Spring” event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 18 in Cades Cove. The event celebrates National American Sign Language Day. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the Smokies from park rangers and members of the deaf community.
Wildlife Advisory Committee seeks nominations
North Carolina citizens and stakeholders who use their scientific, academic, habitat and partnership expertise to provide advice to the NCWRC on nongame wildlife conservation issues and opportunities for the state’s most vulnerable wildlife populations. This input includes guidance on changes to the North Carolina protected species list, development of conservation plans for endangered, threatened and special concern species, as well as sharing of conservation actions among partners to achieve common goals.
