Outdoor 76 to join Motion Makers in Cherokee
Franklin-based outfitter Outdoor 76 has announced that it will open a second store, joining Motion Makers Bicycle Shop at a…
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Database boosts plant research in Toxaway
The Southern Highlands Reserve has launched a digital database to advance its ability to research native plants from its perch…
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Synchronous firefly lottery to open April 27
This year’s synchronous firefly viewing in the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be Thursday, June…
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Haywood students win Envirothon
Tuscola High School students came in first place during the annual Area 1 Envirothon, held March 23 in Waynesville.
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A.T. identities: Thru-hikers share their trail names’ origins
On the Appalachian Trail, everybody’s story is the same, in a sense — the chill of the cold, the heat…
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Bear activity prompts warning in Panthertown
An increase in serious bear encounters in Panthertown Valley has led the U.S. Forest Service to recommend that backcountry campers…
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Clean up the Tuck
The nation’s largest single-day effort to remove trash from a river will return to Western Carolina University with the 34th…
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Team up for the planet
In a month-long celebration of Earth Day, the #WNCforthePlanet initiative invites businesses, civic groups and community organizations to take part…
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‘Death Race’ raises money for students
In a 68-mile fundraising run through the mountains of Northern Georgia, Matt Kirby conquered the terrain in 20 hours and…
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Trail work resumes on Rainbow Falls Trail
The second phase of a two-year trail rehabilitation project in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will begin Monday, April…
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Wildflower spotting: New book guides search for April blooms
The combination of a stress-filled week and the dawn of a perfect, sunny and 70-something degree day worked like a…
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Bicycle shop coming to Cherokee
The success of Cherokee’s 10.5-mile Fire Mountain Trail System has spurred Motion Makers Bicycle Shop to open a new location…
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‘Enjoy yourself’: WNC duo runs with outdoors-inspired sunglasses brand
For Nick Provost and Peter Moyle, co-owners of the startup outdoors brand Gnarcissist Gear, it all started with granola bars…
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Become a master outdoor educator
The Landmark Outdoor Educator Semester will return with classes May 9 through June 28, a 51-day program that yields a…
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Scholarships available for outdoor camp
More than $25,000 in scholarships is available for kids interested in attending Youth for Christ Outdoor Mission Camp in Maggie…
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Database boosts plant research on Toxaway Mountain
The Southern Highlands Reserve has launched a digital database to advance its ability to research native plants from its perch…
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Trout waters to reopen
Hatchery-supported trout waters will open once more at 7 a.m. Saturday, April 7.
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HCC named Tree Campus USA
Haywood Community College was recently named a 2017 Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, commemorating this accomplishment by…
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Walking Waynesville’s watershed: Hike offers rare glimpse into unspoiled area
Of all the rugged places in Western North Carolina, one of the most pristine and unique is also one of…
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Pier under construction at Lake Junaluska
A new meditation pier that will extend more than 40 feet into the water and seat eight people is under…
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Runners brave the Assault on BlackRock
This year’s Assault on BlackRock drew 105 runners and brought in more than $4,000 for the Jackson County Shop with…
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From enemy to ally: Kudzu Camp seeks to overturn misconceptions
It was 1983 when Avram Friedman first rolled into Sylva, driving the repurposed school bus that was home for him,…
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Hunting for kudzu
Even as I parked my car at the bottom of a steep and weedy hill that Friday morning, I wasn’t…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Spring has sprung
It doesn’t take a calendar to know spring is here. Spring is surely in the air but it’s also in…
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Work crews return to Elkmont
Rehabilitation work in the Elkmont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has started up again, with work crews…
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Volunteers remove 8 tons of trash from Lake Junaluska
More than 100 volunteers congregated at Lake Junaluska for Lake Cleanup Day Saturday, March 10, removing more than 8 tons…
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The sediment spotter: Fifth-grade science project spurs real-world change
While elementary, junior high and high school students from across the region offered a plethora of good ideas during last…
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Wildlife Commission votes on management changes
A proposal to add two weeks to the bear-hunting season in North Carolina’s Mountain Bear Management Unit didn’t pass muster…
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Solar project finished in the Smokies
Completion of a solar energy project in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will result…
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Hiker found dead near Waterrock Knob
A missing person search along the Blue Ridge Parkway last weekend ended when Jackson County emergency responders found the body…
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Park camping fees to rise
Fees for frontcountry campgrounds and picnic pavilions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be a little higher after…
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Running for a reason
An upcoming attempt at the 70-mile Georgia Death Race could mean a boost in assistance for Southwestern Community College students…
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Cataloochee ends 2017-18 night skiing
Prolonged warm temperatures have prompted Cataloochee Ski Area to cancel night skiing for the rest of the season.
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Environmental ed groups win cash
Three area organizations landed a collective $6,000 to support youth environmental education following an online voting contest hosted by Diamond…
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Trail town chow down: Franklin A.T. season launches with hiker meal
When Sharon Van Horn organized the first-ever Thru-Hiker Chow Down in Franklin, she and her husband Bill were pretty fresh…
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Fingers still crossed
Status of the Lake Junaluska eagles remains a mystery, but I still have my fingers crossed for a successful nesting…
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One mile at a time: Long-distance run will raise money for SCC students in need
The first time Matt Kirby attempted the 72-mile Georgia Death Race, he almost didn’t finish. “I had a friend who…
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Haywood Waterways elects new president
Tim Petrea, program supervisor at the Waynesville Recreation Center, has been elected president of the Haywood Waterways Association.
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Environmental champions recognized
The Commission for a Clean County has announced the winners of its 2017 Community Pride Awards, which recognizes people and…
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Working for the watershed: Clapp steps down after 14 years as WATR’s director
It’s been nearly four decades since Roger Clapp, then a math and science teacher for a middle school in Virginia,…
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Weekday programs offered at Cataloochee
Tuesdays and Wednesdays offer special opportunities at Cataloochee Ski Area, with programs now available for homeschoolers and families.
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N.C. grants Atlantic Coast Pipeline permit
A North Carolina permit granted to the controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline last week — given together with the establishment of…
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New trail complete near Asheville
A new trail in the budding Upper Hickory Nut Gorge Trail loop has been completed, getting the system one step…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Birds in the hand
The Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History in York, South Carolina, is one of the few year round banding…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Christmas vacation, part deux
The day after our water dance with manatees in Crystal River we headed across Florida to Merritt Island National Wildlife…
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Opening the gates: Lake Logan opens up to public recreation
Lake Logan is a familiar fixture of any cruise along Haywood County’s stretch of N.C. 215, an 80-acre expanse of…
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Many ways down the mountain: Adaptive ski program opens doors at Cataloochee
The sky is a flawless, cloudless blue over Cataloochee Ski Area as Mark Brogan, 37, suits up for a morning…
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Plunge prizes announced
Incentives aplenty await those who sign on to join The Plunge in support of environmental education 11:30 a.m. to 2…
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Conservation easement added at Sandy Mush
A new conservation easement in Boyd Cove will protect 88 acres adjacent to thousands of already-protected acres in the Newfound…
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Haywood Waterways recognizes water champions
Five “Water Champions” were recognized for their work to protect water quality in Haywood County during Haywood Waterways Association’s annual…
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