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Wednesday, 01 July 2009 18:04

New map leads the way to Haywood farms

Local residents and tourists have a new resource to help them support the farms and farmers of Haywood County. A recently unveiled brochure and map lists more than 30 locations to buy local produce, plants, trout, and more. The featured…
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 17:34

Rainforest style eco-adventure comes to the Nantahala Gorge

The Nantahala Gorge Canopy Tour will debut this month with a half-mile series of forest-enveloped ziplines, where people hang from a harness and slide along an overhead cable strung between platforms and trees. The course zigzags over 20 acres and…
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 17:33

Jackson farm and garden tour has it all

Farmers and gardeners in Jackson County are inviting the public to traipse through their garden rows during the third annual Jackson County Farm Tour and Garden Walk July 11 and 12. Tour-goers get a brochure of the 16 participating farms…
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 17:32

The Naturalist's Corner

New neighbors I have always had a good number of neotropical migrants nest every season in the woods around my home. The mornings and evenings are filled with the flute-like melodies of wood thrushes, various selections from the wide-ranging repertoire…
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 17:31

Hearing set for Little Tennessee discharge permit

A public hearing over a sewer discharge permit into the Little Tennessee River will be held on Tuesday, July 7, in Rabun County, Ga. Rabun County plans to convert a former industrial wastewater treatment plant at a closed-down textile mill…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 21:02

Mountain Farm Museum comes to life

“An Evening on the Farm” will be held at the Mountain Farm Museum on Thursday, Oct. 14, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Old-timey demonstrations at the restored Appalachian farmstead will include hearth cooking and broom making. The Davis/Queen farmhouse will…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 21:01

Stimulus money funds exotic plant eradication

A team of a dozen people will spend the next three years scouring the Cheoah River corridor in Graham County annihilating invasive plant species that are threatening the forest ecosystem. The work will cost $366,000 and is being funded with…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 21:00

Workshop for environmental activists

A three-day workshop called “Inspiring Ourselves to Save the Planet: Courage in the Face of Melting Glaciers” will be held Oct. 21-24 led by Janisse Ray, environmental activist and author, at The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center in Highlands. Both…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 20:59

Poetry and wine on the farm while helping the Little Tennessee

A poetry reading accompanied by local wines and foods will be held as a fundraiser for the Little Tennessee Watershed Association at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 24, in Macon County. Environmental activist Janisse Ray will read from her recently released…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 20:59

Author to recount old hunting tales of the Smokies

Author Bob Plott, an expert on the cultural heritage of the Smokies, will share stories of life during the past centuries at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16, at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville. Plott, also an accomplished wood-carver and…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 20:58

Birds of prey on display in the Smokies

Naturalist Doris Mager, also known as the Eagle Lady, will introduce the public to some of her favorite birds of prey during a program at the Mountain Farm Museum from 11 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Oct. 13, in the…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 20:58

Exhibit journey’s into life and times of famed plant explorer

A new exhibit on the early natural history explorer William Bartram is on display at the Macon County library. The exhibit, “The 1775 Journey of William Bartram to Western North Carolina,” traces Bartram’s life and his keen observation of not…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 20:57

Grants encourage new ways of farming

Mountain farmers are encouraged to tap into two different grants to expand and diversify what they grow, as well as create better in-roads into the marketplace. Funding for both comes from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund, helping farmers in regions…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 20:54

Conservation makes strides in the mountains

Blue Ridge Forever, a coalition of nine land trusts in the mountains, will exceed its five-year goal of protecting 50,000 acres in Western North Carolina. The land trusts expect to surpass the target by as much as 8,000 acres by…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 20:53

Reunion brings back memories of Fontana town

The children of workers who constructed the Fontana Dam in the 1940s are holding their annual reunion this week, returning to the place they were raised to reminisce of about life growing up in Fontana Village, a town built from…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 20:52

Live wolves coming to Maggie

A program on wolves, featuring a couple of live wolves, will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19, at the Maggie Valley Pavilion. “Wolf Tales” will feature Rob Gudger, a wildlife biologist who lives in Maggie Valley, and…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 20:50

Peregrines have much better year in 2010

According to a recent report from Chris Kelley, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Mountain Wildlife Diversity Biologist, seven of 12 nesting pairs of peregrine falcons across the mountains of North Carolina successfully fledged chicks. Last year only three of 12 nesting…
Wednesday, 13 October 2010 20:47

Watershed forestry back on the table

Waynesville town leaders are weighing whether to conduct selective logging of an old white pine plantation in the Waynesville watershed, a protected 8,000 acre tract whose creeks feed Waynesville’s drinking water reservoir. While the town permanently protected the watershed from…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:36

Wildlife-friendly subdivisions encouraged

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, along with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and the North Carolina chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects, has unveiled a green-growth initiative that encourages wildlife-friendly practices for new and existing residential developments. The…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:36

Rabies vaccine kibbles to be scattered by air

Raccoons across WNC may stumble upon unexpected tasty treats this week: fish-flavored morsels containing an oral rabies vaccine. More than 700,000 baits will be scattered over the mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia by fixed-wing aircraft this week, and…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:35

Paddling put-in on Nantahala gets makeover

A put-in on the Nantahala River that had seen better days has gotten a stunning new makeover. The put-in at Ferebee Memorial Park on the Nantahala River, along U.S. 19 in the Nantahala Gorge, now features rock retaining walls along…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:34

Gear up for Franklin’s Halloween Hunard charity bike ride

Bicyclists, ghosts and goblins will be on the road for the Tour de Franklin “Halloween Hunard” charity bicycle ride on Sunday, Oct. 31. The race starts at 9 a.m. from Smoky Mountain Bicycles in Franklin, which sponsors the annual autumn…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:32

Local disc golf course to star in regional tournament

Parks and rec departments around WNC are jointly hosting a unique disc golf tournament for the first time ever on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23 and 24. The disc golf course at the Waynesville Rec Park along Richland Creek is…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:31

Program to offer armchair journey of Bartram’s Trail

An outdoor author who embarked on a modern day pilgrimage to follow in the footsteps of William Bartram, a naturalist and explorer in the region more than two centuries ago, will talk about his journey during a special program at…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:30

Icelandic National Park connects with the Smokies, Parkway

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway are playing host to a visiting entourage from Iceland, who are looking to the parks here as a model for a new national park of their own called Vatnakokull.…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:28

The Naturalist's Corner

Foggy fall morning at Lake Junaluska I decided to get out and get a breath of autumn air this morning (Saturday, Oct. 2) by taking a quick tour around Lake Junaluska. It was pretty fresh and there was a little…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:27

Shadow of the bear in Jackson County

The “shadow of the bear,” located in southern Jackson County near Cashiers, will be visible for 30 minutes daily between 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. from mid October through early November. During this period, the bear-like shadow comes out of…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:26

Lace up for the Bethel Half Marathon

The 17th annual Bethel Half Marathon and 5K race will be held Saturday, Oct. 9. The two routes follow back roads through the pastoral setting of Bethel. The race is known for its unique awards given to top finishers in…
Wednesday, 06 October 2010 20:25

Benton MacKaye trail celebrates milestone

By Reggie Jay • Guest writer As the Benton MacKaye Trail turns 30 this year, a dedicated group of volunteers who toiled over the creation of the 288-mile footpath through the remote southern reaches of the Southern Appalachians are savoring…
Wednesday, 26 August 2009 14:46

The Naturalist's Corner

More in the wind than megawatts The chorus of katydids clamoring in the night air announces the impending fall. And with the arrival of fall comes the departure of millions of Neotropical migrants. Clearly 90 percent of the birds that…
Wednesday, 19 August 2009 14:20

Lawsuit filed to seize Dillsboro dam

Jackson County has formally filed a lawsuit against Duke Energy to seize the Dillsboro Dam and surrounding river shore, using eminent domain to create a public park and in the process save the dam from being torn down. The county…
Wednesday, 19 August 2009 14:19

Conservation fund donates land to HCC

Haywood Community College recently acquired a 328-acre tract of land located at Balsam Gap through a generous gift from The Conservation Fund. Bordering the Blue Ridge Parkway for 3 miles, the property forms the headwaters of Dark Ridge Creek, which…
Wednesday, 19 August 2009 14:18

Duke lobbies for rate hike amidst protest

Swain County commissioners expressed their disapproval of an 18 percent hike in electric bills being sought by Duke Energy to pay for construction of a new coal plant. Most of Jackson, Macon and Swain counties get their power from Duke.…
Wednesday, 19 August 2009 14:17

The Naturalist's Corner

They’re back Actually they’ve been back for a while and now their bags are packed and they’re ready to go. But first, it’s time to eat. In early summer, every year, there is a buzz on most birding listservs regarding…
Wednesday, 19 August 2009 14:11

New boating ramp opens on Cheoah Lake

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has opened a boating access Area and Public Fishing Area on the bank of the Cheoah Lake. The Lewellyn Branch boat ramp provides boaters and anglers access to the popular lake in Swain and Graham…
Wednesday, 12 August 2009 14:08

Students recreate modern Lewis and Clark expedition

Western North Carolina high school students bicycled 300 miles to the nation’s capital on one trip and canoed along the route of Lewis and Clark on another as part of summer activities sponsored by Talent Search at Western Carolina University.…
Wednesday, 12 August 2009 13:54

The Naturalist's Corner

Bats make good just in time to salvage outing “Oh lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.” That refrain from the old Animals song runs through my head every time I think about bats. Or I see images of women,…
Wednesday, 12 August 2009 13:34

When the Park becomes a classroom: From real life science to a trip back in time, the Smokies provides fertile ground for learning

While most national parks serve as conduits for science, the Smokies is a window on history as well. Churches, schools, general stores, lumber camps, grist mills, farms and homes once filled the valleys and hollers that now constitute the Great…
Wednesday, 12 August 2009 13:27

Junior bids farewell to forest service

Harry “Junior” Ward, Jr. recently retired from the North Carolina Forest Service as the Haywood County Ranger. Ward was a success story who got his start in the Haywood Community College Forestry and Natural Resources program. His first job was…
Wednesday, 05 August 2009 20:13

Facing unpleasant changes in aftermath of hemlock die off

As if the death of hemlock trees across the Southern Appalachians wasn’t bad enough already, forest researchers believe the loss of hemlocks will alter the carbon cycle of forests. An exotic insect known as the hemlock wooly adelgid has a…
Wednesday, 05 August 2009 20:11

North Toe River freed of crumbling dam

A decrepit dam is being torn down along the North Toe River near Spruce Pine this week, clearing the way for a restoration of natural aquatic habitat. The dam demolition removes a barrier to river migration of aquatic species, obstructions…
Wednesday, 05 August 2009 20:04

Outfitters brace for early end to season

By Julia Merchant • Staff Writer Whitewater releases from the Nantahala Lake dam will be suspended in October, forcing rafting outfitters downstream in the Nantahala Gorge to miss out on critical fall tourist season. Rafting outfitters rely on a predictable…
Wednesday, 05 August 2009 19:59

The Naturalist's Corner

You say to-mah-to, I say to-ma-to At least Avram and I are talking. Want to join us? If we could generate enough kilowhats, whys, hows and wherefores maybe we could get a “wind forum” section going in Smoky Mountain News.…
Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:53

Working to bring back the American chestnut

By Julie Ball • Correspondent As a boy, Gene Gibson remembers his parents heading to some of Western North Carolina’s high mountain ridges in search of chestnuts. By that time — the early 1930s — most of the trees at…
Wednesday, 30 September 2009 18:50

The Naturalist's Corner

Dancin' on the dunes “Look at the butterflies!” I said. “I know, I’ve been counting them – 27, 28, 29, 30, 32,” said my wife Denise. “They’re still coming, “ I said. “41, 43, 44,” she said. I could see…
Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:36

Documentary tells captivating tale about the creation of GSMNP

When America tunes in to Ken Burns’ long-awaited documentary on the national parks next week, the hard-fought battle to save the Great Smoky Mountains from unrelenting timber barrons will play a major role in the epic series. The story of…
Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:13

Fly-fishing tournament offers hefty prize

A $10,000 cash prize is at stake for the second annual Rumble in the Rhododendron Fly Masters Tournament on Sept. 26-27 in Cherokee. Sponsored by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Fisheries and Wildlife Management in partnership with the North…
Wednesday, 23 September 2009 18:12

The Naturalist's Corner

Act swiftly No, I don’t mean fly around in a circle above a chimney or smokestack before disappearing into it. I mean clear your calendar and grab the kids and head to Asheville’s Grove Arcade this Friday (Sept. 25 from…
Wednesday, 16 September 2009 16:02

Rooting out landslide prone slopes

As much as mountain dwellers take pride in the gnarled and weathered Rhododendron thickets that characterize Appalachian mountainsides, the signature bush could have a nasty side-effect. The same uncanny knack of the twisted roots to cling to steep, rocky terrain…
Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:54

The Naturalist's Corner

Surprises under fog I decided to take advantage of a few free hours last Friday morning to get a firsthand look at fall migration. My strategy was to drive up to Soco Gap and then follow the Blue Ridge Parkway…
Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:53

WCU shoreline studies send out call to action

Western Carolina University professor Rob Young has co-authored a book titled The Rising Sea, which bears an “urgent message” for society about the threat posed by global sea-level rise. Sea-level rise is not merely a future possibility but is happening…
Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:52

Indigo mushrooms elicit eureka moment

When John Springstead went hiking through the forest behind his house outside Bryson City last week, he stumbled across a pale blue wad of paper peaking through the leaves. He stooped down to retrieve it as any good Samaritan would…
Wednesday, 16 September 2009 15:36

Scholarship to fund WCU students at Highlands Biological Station

A scholarship fund to encourage biological research among students at Western Carolina University has been created as a tribute to Bob Zahner, a plant lover, botanist and former trustee of the Highlands Biological Station. The fund will cover tuition and…
Wednesday, 09 September 2009 15:13

Quantifying solitude: Building a lockbox around the Chattooga River

The forest service has pledged to ensure a solitary wilderness experience on the upper Chattooga River, even if it means imposing limits on the number of recreational users who can enter the area, including day hikers. If such steps are…
Wednesday, 09 September 2009 15:11

The Naturalist's Corner

Taking a swim through the air On long narrow graceful wings, the common nighthawk seems lighter than air as it dips, glides, banks and dives to scoop flying insects out of the sky. As common as dusk itself, this aerobatic…
Wednesday, 09 September 2009 15:03

Grouse habitat dedicated to outdoor lover

A project to create prime ruffed grouse habitat in the Cold Mountain Game Lands has been dedicated as the Jerry Smathers Memorial Ruffed Grouse Habitat. Smathers was an avid outdoorsman and loved spending his free time in the woods hunting,…
Wednesday, 09 September 2009 14:54

Casada releases premier fly-fishing book of the Smokies

Award-winning outdoor writer Jim Casada has just published what he describes as “my book of a lifetime.” Fly Fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: An Insider’s Guide to a Pursuit of Passion, features separate chapters covering every major…
Wednesday, 02 September 2009 14:39

Methane collection system at landfill in the works

Haywood County officials are racing against the clock to get a methane collection system built at two landfills before the U.S. Senate gets a chance to pass the climate change bill. Haywood County hopes to score points for installing methane…
Wednesday, 02 September 2009 14:33

Paddlers get restricted access to Chattooga

A long-standing ban on paddling on the Upper Chattooga River will be lifted this winter, but not without a host of restrictions designed to limit the likelihood of hikers and fishermen encountering the paddlers. Paddlers will only be allowed to…
Wednesday, 02 September 2009 14:32

Panthertown trail plan designates use

A new trail management plan designed to rein in heavy use by competing forms of recreation in Panthertown Valley will be discussed at a public meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Cashiers Library. The…
Wednesday, 02 September 2009 14:25

Hiker airlifted from remote region of Smokies

A five-day search for a lost hiker in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park had a happy ending last week. What began as a three-night backpacking trip for Morgan Briggs, 70, of Pigeon Forge, turned into an eight-day ordeal. Briggs…
Wednesday, 02 September 2009 13:59

The Naturalist's Corner

What’s good for the goose In his latest letter to the editor in Smoky Mountain News (8/19/09) the Canary Coalition’s executive director, Avram Friedman admonishes us to “stick to factual information” and calls Tonya Bottomley’s range of 40 to 70…
Tuesday, 28 September 2010 13:21

Recreation rendezvous shines a light on WNC

Representatives from some of the biggest names in outdoor recreation will soon touch ground in Asheville for the 2010 Outdoor Industry Association’s Rendezvous. Industry leaders from major brands like Patagonia, The North Face, REI, Merrell, Mountain Hardwear and many more…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 13:19

The Naturalist's Corner

North Carolina’s loss – Louisiana’s gain Chris Canfield has stepped down as executive director of Audubon North Carolina to assume the position of vice president for Gulf of Mexico Conservation and Restoration. Canfield took the helm at Audubon North Carolina…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 12:56

Stop procrastinating and start composting

A free composting workshop will be held next week by the N.C. Cooperative Extension in Jackson and Swain counties. Learn more about acceptable materials for composting, types of structures, preparing and maintaining your compost pile, temperatures, carbon to nitrogen ratios,…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 12:55

Monarch migration in full flight

Witness the fall migration of monarch butterflies and learn about their spectacular 3,000-mile journey from naturalists with Wild South during a special monarch viewing day at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2, on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The orange and…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 12:54

Meet the fastest bird on the planet

Visitors to Gorges State Park will have the opportunity to get a close look at two peregrine falcons, Seymour and Zelda Suri, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2. Seymour and Zelda are cared for by trainer Peter Kipp-Dupont, a…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 12:52

Take a trip back in time with Roosevelt and Muir

A performance depicting John Muir and President Teddy Roosevelt called the “The Tramp and the Roughrider” will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8, at the Highlands Playhouse. Journey back to May 1903 to an evening around the…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 12:51

Cherokee 5k to benefit cancer foundation

The Chief’s Challenge, a 2-mile race in Cherokee, will be held 2:45 p.m. on Oct. 5 to benefit the Madison Hornbuckle Children’s Cancer Foundation “I challenge all runners and walkers to join me in this benefit run, which will help…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 12:49

Walk, run or relay in Power of Pink race

The Power of Pink race will be held in Haywood County on Saturday, Oct. 30, to raise money for mammograms for women who otherwise can’t afford them. There is a five-woman relay race, a four-mile individual run, and a fun…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 12:43

Celebrate Appalachian heritage, Oct. 2

The Cradle of Forestry annual fall festival will celebrate the rich forest heritage of Western North Carolina with the traditions of mountain living and woodcraft from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2. More than 30 traditional craftsmen,…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 12:42

HCC to compete in lumberjack competition at Cradle of Forestry

Lumberjacks — and lumberjills — will chop, saw and axe their way to the finish line during the Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet held at the Cradle of Forestry on Saturday, Oct. 2. Competitions include axe throw, cross cut saw, pole climb,…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 12:41

From farm to school

Participants in the recent Farm to School workshop at Shelton Family Farms in Jackson County whipped up salsa using farm-fresh produce from the fields. Participants learned about creating school gardens, farm field trips, classroom cooking and getting locally grown food into the cafeterias.…
Wednesday, 29 September 2010 12:40

Seed swap at annual gardeners meet in Sylva

A seed swap and plant exchange will be held at the Jackson County Farmers Market in downtown Sylva from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 2. Gardeners should bring seed that they have saved from their non-hybrid vegetables or…
Wednesday, 28 October 2009 20:42

NOC expedition gains attention

An outdoor expedition to Bolivia that puts paddlers to work delivering medical supplies to remote villages organized by Nantahala Outdoor Center got a major plug by National Geographic ADVENTURE. The November issue of the magazine listed the trip in its…
Wednesday, 28 October 2009 20:32

A page from the past: Smokies’ artifacts tender rare glimpse into life before the park

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to one of the most intact and comprehensive collections of early Americana, lining row after row, room upon room, of metal shelves, drawers and floor space in a sprawling, albeit hidden, storehouse.…
Wednesday, 28 October 2009 20:16

The Naturalist's Corner

The rush to be green is making me blue Let’s see, automakers can get CAFÉ (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) credits for making gas guzzlers like Chevy’s suburban that can run on ethanol. That way they can rate one of those…
Wednesday, 21 October 2009 19:59

The Naturalist's Corner

Slogging through the watershed It was dark, 39 degrees and a steady light drizzle when I walked from the house to my truck last Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m. By the time I got to town, the rain had stopped,…
Wednesday, 21 October 2009 19:52

Tales from the trail

Jennifer Pharr Davis, the female record-holder for the fastest thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail, spoke to a large crowd in the auditorium of Southwestern Community College in Sylva last week, enrapturing students with tales of her trail exploits. While Davis…
Wednesday, 21 October 2009 19:50

Fishermen to hear report on mercury and walleye

Fish biologists will discuss mercury contamination in fish in mountain lakes at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Swain Campus of Southwestern Community College. The talk will also discuss other issues related to lake fish populations and lake…
Wednesday, 21 October 2009 19:36

The need for speed AT record-setter enjoys simplicity of fast, solo hiking

Jennifer Pharr Davis says she never set out be a speed hiker. When she first hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 2005 at the age of 21, she was mostly looking for an excuse not to get a job right…
Wednesday, 14 October 2009 16:21

Woodsmen’s Team finishes in first place at meet

The Haywood Community College Woodsmen’s Team finished first in the 2009 John G. Palmer Intercollegiate Woodsmen’s Meet and Forest Festival Day held at the Cradle of Forestry near Brevard on Oct. 3. The HCC Lumberjacks piled on victory after victory…
Wednesday, 14 October 2009 16:20

NOC to hold fly-fishing tournament with a twist

The Nantahala Outdoor Center will hold its first ever fly-fishing competition Oct. 17 and 18 on the Nantahala River in Swain County. The first day’s events will be held at the Nantahala Outdoor Center on U.S. 19 in the Gorge…
Wednesday, 14 October 2009 16:15

Fly-fishing duo takes top spot in local tournament

By Julie Ball As a teenager, Josh Stephens worked summers as a rafting guide on the Nantahala River. He’d watch as trout came up on the water to eat flies. Then a friend, David Woody, introduced him to fly-fishing. That…
Wednesday, 14 October 2009 16:08

The Naturalist's Corner

The leaves, they are a’ changing It seems like colors popped on the mountains almost overnight last Thursday or Friday. It went from a spot of color here and there to a mix of yellows, reds and oranges splashing down…
Wednesday, 07 October 2009 15:33

The Naturalist's Corner

Just leisure time in good company So much of our time in this soured economy is spent paying homage to the almighty dollar that leisure time – real leisure time, not ferrying the kids to soccer or mowing the yard…
Wednesday, 07 October 2009 15:30

A sanctuary for scientists: Smokies’ slopes seen as frontier in global warming research

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most studied national parks in the country. It consistently ranks in the top three for the number of research permits issued every year — a whopping 184 in 2008. The…
Wednesday, 25 November 2009 14:54

Master plan underway for Sylva’s Pinnacle Park

Pinnacle Park, a favorite recreational haunt in Sylva that was once home to the town’s watershed, will benefit from a county effort aimed at mapping and restoring its trail system. Last Thursday Sylva’s town board signed off on a cooperative…
Wednesday, 25 November 2009 14:53

The Naturalist's Corner

The hunter is back Orion the hunter, one of the most noted and most recognizable constellations in the heavens is once again gaining prominence in the Northern Hemisphere. The hunter begins stalking the eastern skies around 8:30 p.m. and will…
Wednesday, 25 November 2009 14:52

Nantahala headwaters tract protected

A 248-acre tract known as Rainbow Springs at the headwaters of the Nantahala River in Macon County has been protected through a conservation agreement between the long-time landowners and the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee. The property owners, Myra…
Wednesday, 25 November 2009 14:47

Franklin students’ hard work helps greenway

Franklin High students became active volunteers in a service-learning program this fall to improve the ecosystem along the Franklin Greenway. More than 40 students, along with local community members, conducted a three-day site inventory and extraction of exotic invasive plants…
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 14:34

Parkway right-of-way battle hard-fought through Cherokee

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians played an integral role in the creation of the Parkway. The Parkway was envisioned as a scenic motorway connecting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. To reach the…
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 14:11

Smokies elk shot down in Cataloochee Valley

A man has been arrested for shooting an elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last Friday. The elk was shot around 10:30 a.m. in Cataloochee Valley. Another park visitor who happened to be in the area got a…
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 14:11

The Naturalist's Corner

I wanna go home with the armadillo When you’re stuck in one place for 12 hours at a time, a lot of weird stuff goes through your head. The other night at work, the refrain, “I wanna go home with…
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 14:11

Grant to restore migration in Little T tributaries

The Little Tennessee Watershed Association has received a $75,000 grant to help restore migration for aquatic species. Two years ago, a study of creeks feeding the Little Tennessee River found several places where road crossings inhibited up and downstream movement…
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 14:11

Shooting bear on Parkway nets prison time

Two Jackson County men were sentenced to 10 months in federal prison for shooting a bear on the Blue Ridge Parkway, where hunting is banned by the National Park Service. Steven Louis Broom, 31, of Cullowhee, and Bobby Allen Gibson,…
Wednesday, 11 November 2009 13:37

The beetles' fall tour

No, not the Fab Four — more like the Fab Gazillion. Swarms of thousands to perhaps hundreds of thousands of Asian lady beetles, Harmonia axyridis, (those cute little ladybugs) are coming, not to a location near you, but to your…
Wednesday, 11 November 2009 13:37

Back to nature

Burt Kornegay is a one-match man. As the owner of Slickrock Expeditions and the longest running independent outdoor guide in the state, he’s started hundreds of campfires in some of the most remote wilderness settings in the country, never using…
Wednesday, 11 November 2009 13:37

Coweeta leads research on watershed dynamics

Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, an experimental research station for the U.S. Forest Service outside Franklin, celebrated its 75th anniversary this month. The 5,500-acre forested basin in southern Macon County has been fertile ground for research into how forests behave — and…
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