Grants awarded for farmland preservation
Farmland in several Western North Carolina counties will now be protected thanks to funding from the Agricultural Development and Farmland…
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Water Management Trust Fund awards $26 million
The N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund is closing out the 2017 grant year after having given nearly $26 million…
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MST sees fundraising success
Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail surpassed its fundraising goal of $200,000 to bring in $274,838 through its 40th anniversary campaign.
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Harrah’s employee recognized for environmental commitment
Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos’ housekeeping supervisor Arena Hall-Miller was one of three people chosen from across the Caesars brand for the…
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Report ranks N.C. high on solar growth
A new report from the Environment North Carolina Research and Policy Center ranks North Carolina third for solar energy production…
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Fly Fishing Hall of Famers announced
Inductees for the 2018 Fly Fishing Hall of Fame have been announced, with an induction ceremony set for Saturday, Sept.…
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Purchase to boost Bartram access: Mainspring conserves 71 acres of Little Tennessee River bottomland
A recent land purchase by Mainspring Conservation Trust could spell a new era for the Bartram Trail in Macon County. …
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Become a junior ranger
Kids wanting to earn their badge will have plenty of chances with a full slate of junior ranger programs offered…
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Champions crowned in Haywood
The 2018 Haywood County Recreation and Parks Summer Soccer Tournament concluded Monday, July 30, with a victory for the team…
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Counting the bears: UTK conducts largest-ever black bear survey
Barbed wire and hundreds of pounds of donuts are the key ingredients in a University of Tennessee Knoxville effort to…
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Key land tract conserved in Macon
Two adjoining properties that Mainspring Conservation Trust bought in July now link previously unconnected pieces of national forest and state…
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Dance raises $60K for the Smokies
The inaugural Smokies Stomp Barn Party hosted by Friends of the Smokies raised more than $60,000 to support the Great…
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Shooting range gets upgrades
The Dirty John Shooting Range in the Nantahala National Forest near Franklin will be closed for upgrades Thursday, Aug. 2,…
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Sunburst Trout celebrates 70 years
Sunburst Trout Farms in Waynesville will celebrate its 70th anniversary on Thursday, Aug. 2, coinciding with the first-ever National Rainbow…
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Students explore natural resources fields in Raleigh
A trio of local high school students recently represented Haywood County at a weeklong environmental workshop, the Resource Conservation Workshop,…
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No sight required: Summer camp spurs blind youth to outdoor adventure
When Sam Chandler heard that the summer camp he’d been attending for years planned to launch an adventure camp, he…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Best possible science discarded
Studying the red wolf fiasco taking place in eastern North Carolina takes me far away in time and distance —…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Continuing red wolf saga
U.S. Fish and Wildlife (F&W) held a public meeting regarding proposed rule changes to its Red Wolf Recovery Plan. According…
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Red wolf proposal draws criticism
A long-awaited proposal for future management of the imperiled red wolf population was released last week, drawing ire from environmental…
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Learning Center opens at PARI
The Learning Center at PARI has officially launched following a ribbon-cutting ceremony this month.
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New tick species found in N.C.
A new species of tick has been spotted in North Carolina following the discovery of a longhorned tick on an…
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Bill seeks to fund Park Service maintenance backlog
A bi-partisan bill seeking to create a fund to address deferred maintenance in the National Parks System has been introduced…
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Mountain Wildlife Days a success
More than 600 people attended the 15th annual Mountain Wildlife Days at Sapphire Valley Resort July 13-14, raising more than…
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N.C. hosts multi-state effort to boost outdoor industry
A three-day meeting to plan the future of the outdoor industry drew leaders from 11 states to Asheville this month,…
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Adventure for all: Outdoor camp for youth with special needs builds friendships and confidence
Intermittent breeze ripples the water atop Lake Junaluska as the sky vacillates between sun and cloud, but the wind can’t…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Death sentence?
On June 27 U.S. Fish and Wildlife (F&W) announced a proposed rule many in the conservation forefront have deemed as…
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Grant supports science education
A $3,500 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation will help support the school outreach program at Highlands Nature Center.
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Wandering elk dies following car crash: Overall prognosis positive for elk population
A youthful lark ended in tragedy July 1 for a Maggie Valley elk that trekked through the Pisgah National Forest…
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Playground opens for kids with special needs
A new playground designed for kids with mental and physical disabilities is now open in Waynesville.
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Flood threat prompts evacuation in the Smokies
Heavy rains and rising rivers prompted the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to evacuate campers at Elkmont Campground last week,…
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Swain gets new wildlife officer
Dakota Curtis of Sumpter, South Carolina, was sworn in as a new Swain County wildlife law enforcement officer with the…
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Off the beaten path: Alarka Institute leads quest for rare mountain flower
For even the most woods-savvy of plant lovers, a blooming mountain camellia is a rare to non-existent sight. A member…
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Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation announces fundraising goals
The Waterrock Knob Visitor Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway will get new exhibits if the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation…
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BearWaters develops river access
The Pigeon River flows a little healthier thanks to several riverbank improvements made at BearWaters Brewing in Canton.
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The wildest show: Synchronous fireflies display untamed beauty in the Smokies
I entered the lottery on a whim, figuring that, like 90 percent of my fellow entrants, I’d end up with…
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From the ground up: Holbrook reflects on a lifetime of agriculture
Bill Holbrook has been a lot of things in his 71 years on earth — a factory worker, a manager, a…
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Paving work begins on the Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway will resurface more than 65 miles of pavement between Asheville and Cherokee this summer, with work…
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Chimney Rock State Park still closed
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is still closed due to storm damage, but Chimney Rock Village and Old…
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Recycling on the uptick
Recycling is on the rise in North Carolina according to a recently released report showing numbers for all 100 counties…
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Grant will fund waterways in Macon
Cartoogechaye Creek will become a little healthier thanks to a $100,000 grant that Mainspring Conservation Trust landed from Duke Energy’s…
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Rally ‘Round the River: Conference aims to unite Macon around watershed conservation
Twenty-five years ago, a group of residents, conservationists and agency officials met in Macon County to talk about water. At…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Lake J eagles
Most readers know the pair of bald eagles that nested at Lake Junaluska this spring were unsuccessful. There is no…
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Bethel farmer added to Ag Hall of Fame
Haywood County farmer Bill Holbrook has been inducted into the Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame for his tireless…
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Volunteers restore Smokies building
Key elements of the historic Palmer Barn in the Cataloochee area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are now…
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Outdoors retailers open in Cherokee
Cherokee’s new outdoors retailers will host a grand opening celebration 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at their…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Musings from count year 2018
This past spring was one of the more trying ones with regard to my annual U.S. Forest Service bird point…
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Retaining wall causes closure at Chimney Rock
A collapsed retaining wall at Chimney Rock State Park has caused the park to be closed since the collapse occurred…
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Kids in the Creek design winners announced
Lucas Cody of Bethel Middle School won this year’s Haywood Waterways Association Kids in the Creek T-shirt design contest.
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Grant helps preserve A.T. view
A $21,500 grant from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy will help Mainspring Conservation trust conserve a 504-acre property in Graham County.
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Through the raincloud: Agricultural community takes stock after record-breaking rains
A month of rain capped off by the arrival of Tropical Storm Alberto has caused massive flooding, landslides and loss…
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