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
 

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
 

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
 

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
 

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
 

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
 

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
 

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
 

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
 

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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Elk habitat projects underway on Silver Game Lands

When The Conservation Fund began acquiring the land that would eventually become the William H. Silver Game Lands near Maggie…
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Adventure through 2018: WNC offers excursions for every month of the year

When people praise the Smokies, it’s often the area’s status as a four-season bonanza of beauty that spurs the discussion.…
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A diverse portfolio: Seed bank works to protect genes of WNC plants

It’s been just about 10 years since the day Joe-Ann McCoy, then living in Iowa and working as the national…
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The eagles have landed

The eagles’ neighbors have known for months, observant birders and other Lake Junaluska regulars have either known or suspected, and…
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Parkway hires new superintendent

The Blue Ridge Parkway has a new superintendent following the hire of J.D. Lee, currently deputy superintendent of Florida’s Big…
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Three tons of trash removed in litter pickup

A trash cleanup on upper Scotts Creek in Sylva Saturday, Jan. 27, yielded more than 3.5 tons of trash hauled…
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Linked to the landscape: Community envisions Plott Balsams’ future

The doors opened, and the room filled — with hikers, bikers, ecologists, conservation workers, economic development professionals and Cherokee tribal…
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Women’s History Trail lands grant

A $740 grant from the Jim McRae Endowment for the Visual Arts will fuel efforts to create a Women’s History…
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Smokies sets visitation record in 2017

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park saw a record number of visitors for the second year in a row, logging…
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SCC instructor will guide outdoor leadership standards
 

SCC instructor will guide outdoor leadership standards

Paul Wolf, leader of Southwestern Community College’s Outdoor Leadership Program, has been chosen as a member of the international Association…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Will eagles dare?

A pair of mature bald eagles has been hanging out at Lake Junaluska for a few months now. I have…
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Input sought on Waterrock Knob planning

Ideas for the future of the land surrounding Waterrock Knob and Plott Balsam are welcome during a public hearing slated…
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State parks see record visitation

North Carolina State Parks has logged its fourth consecutive year of record visitation, with 19.4 million visits to the state’s…
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Breaking the backlog: Deferred maintenance in the billions for national parks

Drawing more than 300 million visitors each year, the National Park Service is both a reservoir of natural beauty and…
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Watery restoration: Waynesville and partners restore stream flows, aquatic habitat

Waynesville is in the midst of a makeover on three of its streams, and it’s a renovation that fish, crayfish…
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Land conserved along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Jackson
 

Land conserved along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Jackson

The Blue Ridge Parkway will soon acquire an additional 46 acres in Jackson County thanks to a pair of land…
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CMC recognized for Parkway service
 

CMC recognized for Parkway service

The Carolina Mountain Club was awarded the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 2017 Enduring Service Award, recognizing the efforts of the club’s…
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2017 ends with slim wildfire count
 

2017 ends with slim wildfire count

In sharp contrast to the blazing wildfire season of fall 2016, December 2017 drew to a close with only one…
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