View the lunar eclipse

A total eclipse of the moon will occur Sunday, Jan. 20, with multiple opportunities to view this Super Blood Wolf…
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Parkway nonprofit leaders earns award
 

Parkway nonprofit leaders earns award

The CEO of one of the Blue Ridge Parkway’s most important nonprofit partners recently received a prestigious national award. 
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Funding conservation: Federal program’s expiration impacts local land trusts

On Sept. 30, 2018, a program that’s been pouring money into land conservation for more than 50 years expired. And…
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Fire ant quarantine expands

As of Jan. 1 the quarantine area for the imported fire ant will include Davidson, Orange and Vance counties, meaning…
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Road closures to begin in the Nantahala
 

Road closures to begin in the Nantahala

Seasonal road closures will soon begin in the Nantahala National Forest. Certain roads are closed each winter to help protect…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Flocking together

Birding buddy and former subcontractor for my Forest Service point-count survey, Kirk Gardner, was in town for the holidays and…
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Sustainable forestry awards announced
 

Sustainable forestry awards announced

The Nature Conservancy’s work to promote sustainable forestry in Western North Carolina has been recognized with the organization receiving one…
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Winter Lights a success
 

Winter Lights a success

Winter Lights at the N.C. Arboretum had a record-setting season, drawing nearly 40,000 guests over the course of its six-week…
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Bear tests positive for rabies
 

Bear tests positive for rabies

A black bear found dead in Hyde County in Eastern North Carolina has tested positive for rabies, the first known…
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Record turnout for First Day hikes
 

Record turnout for First Day hikes

A record 3,859 people rang in the New Year at North Carolina State Parks by participating in one of the…
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Running toward her goals: Catamount student succeeds with Heart & Sole program

Born with cerebral palsy, Jaylyn Logan’s nana Marvellia Ross knew that her granddaughter’s life would have limitations. However, a new…
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Learn to tie a fly

A weekly fly tying class has started at Outdoor 76 in Franklin, held 6 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday. 
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Invasive found in Deep River

Hydrilla, a highly invasive nonnative plant, has been found in the Deep River, covering a 90-acre area in Moore, Chatham…
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Chronic wasting disease found in Tennessee

Chronic wasting disease has been preliminarily detected in western Tennessee, increasing the threat to deer and elk in Western North…
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Brevard gear manufacturer to expand

SylvanSport is expanding its operations with an upcoming move to a new factory in Transylvania County. 
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Planted in the mountains: WNC botanist reflects on a lifetime of discovery

Dan Pittillo has made his name as a botanist, but he could easily have ended up a dairy farmer instead. …
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Outdoors 2018: The year in quotes

From the depths of winter to the height of summer, valley agriculture to mountain exploration, longtime mountain dwellers to new…
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A writer’s retreat: GSMA offers writing residency in the Smokies

Steve Kemp moved to the Great Smoky Mountains in 1987 for what would become a 30-year career with the Great…
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Portal in the snow

I don’t know if our recent ancestors were better weather readers than we, or if they simply knew, by late…
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Fire tower restoration complete
 

Fire tower restoration complete

The historic Rich Mountain Fire Lookout Tower has been restored, thanks to a collaborative effort from the Carolina Mountain Club,…
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Paddlers to save Green River hemlocks
 

Paddlers to save Green River hemlocks

An $8,000 grant will benefit hemlock trees growing in the Green River Gorge, hopefully saving them from the deadly hemlock…
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Pointing the way: Volunteer group earns national recognition for trail sign project, other accomplishments

The year is nearly over, but in 2018 the Graham County Rescue Squad has run only three search and rescue…
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Plan proposed to let Cherokee members gather sochan

An environmental assessment for a rule that would allow members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to gather sochan…
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The Naturalist's Corner: At last

Those radical environmentalists and their aiding and abetting scientists are finally called out.  After the deadliest wildfire in history —…
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Red wolf management decision delayed
 

Red wolf management decision delayed

In response to a Nov. 5 federal court ruling that found the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s rollback of protections…
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New Sylva outdoors store to hold grand opening
 

New Sylva outdoors store to hold grand opening

Sylva’s newest outdoors store will hold a grand opening party noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at 562 West…
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Half marathoners brave the cold

A cold, rainy day made for a muddy course on the inaugural Headwaters Half Marathon Saturday, Dec. 1, in Panthertown…
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Clean Water awards flow to WNC
 

Clean Water awards flow to WNC

The N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund awarded $20 million for conservation projects across the state this fall, with much…
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Hope for Scotts Creek: Report yields optimism for creek’s restoration

Sylva got some good news about the creek that runs straight through its heart at a Nov. 8 town meeting. …
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Sochan in springtime: Cherokee looks to reclaim plant gathering traditions in the Smokies

For centuries and even millennia, the early spring greens of the sochan plant have served as a celebration of spring…
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New forest management plan advocacy group forms
 

New forest management plan advocacy group forms

A coalition of businesses, groups and organizations calling itself I Heart Pisgah has formed to advocate for greater protections in…
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Judge blocks wolf protection rollback

A federal judge found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental…
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Jackson gets new interpretive signs

Four new wayside signs have appeared at the Jackson County Greenway, East LaPorte Park and South Painter Park, thanks to…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Eye on the lake

Lake Junaluska is an amazing resource. It is home to the Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, the World Methodist…
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New trail project announced

A two-year effort to rehabilitate Rainbow Falls Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now complete, and the…
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Fallen rock causes Parkway closure near Asheville
 

Fallen rock causes Parkway closure near Asheville

Tanbark Tunnel on the Blue Ridge Parkway is closed until further notice after pieces of the tunnel’s natural rock ceiling…
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WCU recognized as a green college

For the eighth year running, Western Carolina University has been named one of North America’s most environmentally responsible colleges by…
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Key land conserved in Roan Highlands

A 324-acre property in the Highlands of Roan is now in public ownership thanks to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. 
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Power line to be removed at Mt. Sterling

Duke Energy is working on its final phase of a solar project at Mount Sterling, removing utility poles and overhead…
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Coyote interactions more frequent in the fall
 

Coyote interactions more frequent in the fall

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is forecasting that coyote sightings will be more frequent in the state over the next…
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Help hellbenders

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission wants to hear about hellbender sightings, part of agency biologists’ ongoing effort to learn more…
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Farm Bill still not reauthorized

The 2014 Farm Bill expired at midnight Sept. 30, and Congress has thus far failed to reauthorize a new five-year…
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Slopes open at Cataloochee

Cataloochee Ski Area opened for the first time this season on Sunday, Nov. 11.
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Parking and lighting to increase at arboretum
 

Parking and lighting to increase at arboretum

A $905,000 grant from the Buncombe County Tourism Development authority will make it possible for the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville…
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Art raises cash for the Parkway

An art-focused fundraising event raised more than $40,000 for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation last month, allowing for education and…
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Activists fast for climate awareness
 

Activists fast for climate awareness

A group of climate activists based in Asheville is nearly finished a 10-day Thanksgiving fast aimed at bringing attention to…
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Rainbow Falls rehab concludes

After two years of work, the new and improved Rainbow Falls Trail is open for business following a Nov. 14…
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Mount Mitchell gets new leader
 

Mount Mitchell gets new leader

Veteran ranger Kevin Bischof has been named to the superintendent’s post at Mount Mitchell State Park in Yancey County. 
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Bear injures Haywood County man

A Haywood County man has become the second person to be attacked by a black bear in Western North Carolina…
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Going for the three-peat: Franklin outdoor store opens two new locations in 2018

When Rob Gasbarro and Cory McCall met in 2008, their friendship formed around hiking and biking the mountains surrounding Franklin,…
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