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Wednesday, 22 September 2010 20:00

Boy Scouts celebrate 100 years at Camp Daniel Boone

The Boy Scouts of America will celebrate 100 years of scouting this weekend with a camporee at Camp Daniel Boone at the base of the Shining Rock Wilderness in Haywood County. Scouts will get a flavor for pioneering, rifle shooting,…
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:59

Elk excursion to include ranger talk

A field trip to view the elk rut season in Cataloochee Valley will be held by the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust on Tuesday, Sept. 28, as part of the eco tour series. There will be a special talk by Park Ranger…
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:58

Net-wielding volunteers sought for butterfly and bird research

Monarch butterflies are migrating through the mountains on their way to Mexico for the winter, and volunteers are needed to help catch, tag and release them. A Monarch day will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct.…
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:56

Take a tour of off-the-grid farm living

A tour of an off-the-grid, sustainable farm and homestead in Macon County will be held on Saturday, Oct. 2. Lara and Paul Chew are master improvisers. They’ve invented and built systems to bring water, heat and coolness, light and earth-friendly simplicity into…
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:56

Help harvest a garden for a good cause

The Haywood County Meals on Wheels Community Garden is seeking volunteers to help harvest potatoes at the Johnson Farm Road location in Canton during one of two sessions, at either 9 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 23. The…
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:55

NOC festival to cap off summer outdoor season

Nantahala Outdoor Center’s famous end-of-season Guest Appreciation Festival is this weekend starting at 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 24, and running through Sunday. The annual event celebrates active outdoor lifestyles. The major highlight is a giant outdoor flea market for…
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:54

Paddle, swim and run against the elements in Outdoorsman Triathlon

The Outdoorsman Triathlon is coming to the Little Tennessee River in Swain County this weekend, Sept. 25 and 26. The nation’s oldest continuous triathlon started in 1976, when outdoorsman Payson Kennedy, the founder of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and Olympic…
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:53

A rare romp in the watershed

A guided hike in the Waynesville watershed preserve, an 8,600-acre tract typically off-limits to the public, will be offered at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9. The preserve reaches from Allens Creek up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, a massive…
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:51

Center to engage girls in science

SciGirls, a science program for girls ages 9 to 14, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute starting in September.   “SciGirls is a groundbreaking new attempt…
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:48

The Naturalist's Corner

Panther Top fire tower My family spent a wonderful sunny Sunday afternoon this week in the Tusquitee Ranger District of the Nantahala National Forest just west of Murphy. Our first stop was the Panther Top Lookout tower on Forest Service Road…
Wednesday, 22 September 2010 19:45

A place where everyone belongs: Equine rescue effort leads to higher calling

As the recession worsens, more and more animals need help, and fewer and fewer funding sources are available to animal rescue non-profits. “This is the worst year we’ve seen. I think that’s true for everybody in this business,” said Karen…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:56

5K Mountain Heritage Race to be at WCU

A 5K race will be held in conjunction with Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Day at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 25. The race starts in front of the McKee Building on Central Drive on campus. The race is put on…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:54

Try your hand at new outdoor activities

A day packed with outdoor activity will be held at the Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, in recognition of National Hunting and Fishing Day. Activities include fly-fishing casting, fly tying,…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:53

Shop Mast General to support the Parkway this Saturday

Mast General Store will host representatives from the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation at their stores on Saturday, Sept. 18, to help connect people with the organization. The Foundation supports special projects on the Parkway that enhance visitors’ experience, from restoring…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:53

Workshop series to focus on fall in the mountains

A fall field photography workshop based in Haywood County will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday mornings from Sept. 22 through Oct. 13. Field excursions will include elk rut season in Cataloochee Valley, rushing mountain cascades and waterfalls,…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:51

Preserving the freshness of fall harvest

It’s harvest time, and what to do with the garden’s bounty can be a little overwhelming. A talk on long-term food storage and preserving the harvest will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 17, at the…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:51

Talk to discuss attracting birds and butterflies

Learn how to attract birds and butterflies to your garden while helping the ecosystem during a “Gardening with Nature” talk at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, at the historic Rickman Store in Macon County. Botanist and gardener Jean Woods will…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:50

WATR’s fall dinner

The Watershed Association of the Tuckaseigee River will hold its annual dinner at 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Sapphire Mountain Brewing Company in downtown Sylva. Come celebrate a good year and share a meal with others concerned with the…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:49

Pitch in for Big Sweep

Volunteers are needed to help scoop trash from Richland Creek in Waynesville as part of the statewide Big Sweep from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 18, in Haywood County. Haywood Community College’s students in the Natural Resources…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:48

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day in Bryson City

Join Bryson City Bicycles for “Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day” at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Deep Creek Picnic area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside Bryson City. Bryson City Bicycles welcomes young riders who…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:43

The Good, The Bad and The Deadly

The Good, The Bad and The Deadly is one of five classes that will be offered by the Asheville Mushroom Club (AMC) during its annual FungiFest, which will be held Sept. 18 at the North Carolina Arboretum. The day-long event…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:37

To catch a ginseng thief

With the ginseng season just getting under way, federal and state law enforcement officers again are turning to cutting-edge technology in their efforts to root-out poachers. Dye, coded chips and DNA markers are now widely used to deter and detect…
Wednesday, 15 September 2010 19:35

Program on the natural history of the Southern Appalachians

Jennifer Frick-Ruppert, ecologist and author of Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians, will appear at noon on Friday, Sept. 17, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. The lunch with the author program is devoted to the…
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 20:00

HCC trains tomorrow’s developers in sustainable methods

When Candace Stimson lost her job last winter due to the recession, she seized the opportunity to go back to school and pursue something meaningful. She wasn’t sure just what that would be, however, until she happened upon a new…
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 20:00

HCC offers green building certificate for construction students

A model home under construction on the Haywood Community College campus is giving construction majors hands-on training in green building techniques. The demonstration house will take two years to build. It was launched in conjunction with a new green building…
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 20:00

The Naturalist's Corner

It’s 11 p.m. – do you know where your wood thrush is? “Hello, Ms. Stutchbury, this is OnStar. Your wood thrush that is supposed to be on its way to Mexico is actually in New Orleans.” It’s really not as…
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 20:00

Blue Ridge Parkway kicks off 75th anniversary

The Blue Ridge Parkway will kick off its 75th anniversary celebrations this month with several historical, symbolic and entertaining events, even though the official anniversary isn’t until next year. • A program called “Natural Resource Stewardship – An American Indian…
Wednesday, 30 December 2009 15:54

Worthy of support

Western North Carolina has a plethora of environmental groups, making it easy to find the one that best matches up with your own passion. Many groups rely on memberships not only for financial support. More members also give an organization…
Wednesday, 30 December 2009 15:54

The Naturalist's Corner

2010-to be continued Will 150-foot long fiberglass wands magically spin electricity from mountaintop zephyrs across Western North Carolina in the near future? The issue of industrial-sized wind turbines along the ridgetops of Western North Carolina is sure to blow up…
Wednesday, 23 December 2009 13:45

Naturalist's Corner

One less whooper Cayuga, Ind. – Wildlife Officials announce arrest. Enforcement agents for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources have announced the arrest of a suspect in the recent shooting of a federally…
Wednesday, 23 December 2009 13:45

Skiing the Blue Ridge: A newcomer’s tale

So the snow is coming down in sheets Friday, and Bethany says, “Do you think it’s going to be real snow?” We just moved to Waynesville from northern Wisconsin in November, so at that point we’d largely disregarded the previous…
Wednesday, 16 December 2009 12:59

SCC gaming management program takes off

Wanda Morris walked into uncharted territory when she started teaching Gaming Management Technology three years ago at Southwestern Community College. “We were the first community college in the state to offer the program so we took our chances thinking outside…
Wednesday, 16 December 2009 12:59

Holiday gear guide

Nobody knows their way around the gear section of an outfitter store better than the people who work in them every day. The purveyors of serious outdoor clothing and equipment are almost always addicted to their own product. The Smoky…
Wednesday, 09 December 2009 15:13

The Naturalist's Corner

Tessentee birds Bob Olthoff and I took advantage of last Sunday’s (Nov. 29) Indian Summer weather for a couple of hours of birding at the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee’s Tessentee Bottomland Preserve (formerly Tessentee Farm). Not only was…
Wednesday, 09 December 2009 15:13

Five miles of Parkway views preserved

A 1,488-acre tract along the Blue Ridge Parkway in McDowell County has been protected from development thanks to a conservation agreement with the landowner, a railroad corporation. The long, linear tract is owned by CSX, a rail shipping corporation. A…
Wednesday, 09 December 2009 15:13

Putting Panthertown on the map

Every hiker has likely named a trailside feature or two in their day. Ferns sprouting from the banks of a waterfall give rise to Fern Falls, or a flat granite outcrop stumbled upon mid-day becomes the ever-descriptive Lunch Rock. For…
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 14:31

UNC students conduct research while in Highlands

University students conducting environmental fieldwork and research at the Highlands Biological Station have spent the past semester delving into the ecological diversity of the Southern Appalachians. The students conducted research and internships in conjunction with several local organizations. This year,…
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 14:31

The Naturalist's Corner

The omnibus stops here Reliable, undisclosed anonymous sources tell this reporter that the Fiscal year 2010 Omnibus Bill expected to be signed in a couple of weeks will seal the deal on the North Shore Road to Nowhere. The bill…
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:37

The Naturalist's Corner

And the dam - came tumblin’ tumblin’ The Dillsboro Dam story is as twisted and convoluted as the Tuck itself. You had Jackson County commissioners who made property rights one of the underpinnings of their election campaigns voting in favor…
Wednesday, 27 January 2010 17:37

Virtual fieldtrip brings park into classrooms

Three Cherokee Middle School students starred in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park live field broadcast via the web to hundreds of schools across the nation last month. The rest of Cherokee’s middle school students watched the virtual fieldtrip from…
Wednesday, 20 January 2010 16:12

The Naturalist's Corner

And then there were none Atlee Yoder’s purple martin houses are in storage, out of the raw Ohio weather, awaiting spring and the first scout of the new season. But herein lies the rub — Yoder’s houses did not come…
Wednesday, 20 January 2010 16:12

New club nurtures growing interest in bees

A beekeepers association has formed in Haywood County. The club meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of the month at the N.C. Cooperative Extension Office in Waynesville off Raccoon Road. The club has seen a huge level of interest…
Wednesday, 20 January 2010 16:12

Smokies not pleased with Wildlife Commission stance on elk

The North Carolina Wildlife Commission is at odds with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park over the status of the newly reintroduced elk herd. The N.C. Wildlife Commission has come under fire for its plan to remove elk from the…
Wednesday, 13 January 2010 16:12

A snowflake by any other name

It was one of those rare winter mornings when Haywood County Schools were on a two-hour delay. Izzy, my second-grader, and I dropped her sister, Maddy, at First Methodist’s outstanding daycare center, blasted by Smoky Mountain Coffee Roasters, grabbed a…
Wednesday, 06 January 2010 15:43

Elk could be booted from state species of special concern list

Elk could lose their status as a species of special concern under a new rule change proposed by the N.C. Wildlife Commission. A public hearing on proposed changes to state hunting and fishing rules will be held at 7 p.m.…
Wednesday, 06 January 2010 15:43

The Naturalist's Corner

Birrrrrding the big chill The annual Balsam Christmas Bird Count was scheduled for last Saturday (Jan. 2). However, scary weather conditions — snow, high winds and temperatures in the low teens — especially in the northern count area, caused the…
Wednesday, 06 January 2010 15:43

Bankrupt development conserved for future state park

A failed megadevelopment in the Lake Lure area around Chimney Rock has been conserved at a fire sale price, but a state budget crunch is leaving a local land trust with a big fundraising goal to pay for the conservation…
Wednesday, 24 February 2010 17:50

Take a gander along the Smokies Scenic byway

The stunning beauty that surrounds U.S. 441 through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park outside Cherokee draws thousands of tourists each year who come to enjoy the cool mountain summers or marvel at the vivid fall foliage along the route.…
Wednesday, 24 February 2010 17:50

Gun ban in national parks lifted

Loaded guns are now legal in national parks. The new rule is two years in the making. Previously, guns had to be unloaded and stowed in the trunks of vehicles when traveling through a park. While hunting or firing a…
Wednesday, 24 February 2010 17:50

The Naturalist's Corner

Bird’s the word North Carolina’s state parks and Audubon North Carolina have joined together to celebrate the “Year of the Birds” in 2010. Birds grab our attention. Just ask my wife, who discovered, unexpectedly, the other afternoon that the Carolina…
Wednesday, 24 February 2010 17:50

Federal bill aims to save Parkway views at risk from development

A bill before Congress could help save views along the Blue Ridge Parkway by setting aside $75 million over five years to buy adjacent land threatened by development. Blue Ridge Parkway Protection Act was introduced in honor of the 75th…
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 17:10

Cataloochee grows racing tradition

No one expected Franco Rossi. The Italian, raised in Milan in the shadows of the mighty Dolomites, stepped off the lift, unzipped his snowsuit, and mounted the start platform in bright yellow racing tights. He had driven just under three…
Wednesday, 17 February 2010 17:10

The Naturalist's Corner

Snow Day! Enough already with the “Enough already!” I know it’s snowing again. Yep school is closed again. I’ve got an idea — call in well. To paraphrase Blowing Rock’s mountaintop yogi, Tom Robbins, from Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,…
Wednesday, 08 September 2010 13:29

The Naturalist's Corner

Fall migration is heating up It looks like last week’s long-billed curlew was a harbinger of things to come. A quick perusal of the Carolinas Birding List at http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CARO.html#1283714291 showed fall migrants popping up all across the Carolinas. I guess…
Wednesday, 08 September 2010 12:46

Former ASU coach to lead basketball camp

“The New Model for Youth Basketball” camp, led by former ASU and Georgia Tech Coach Kevin Cantwell, will take place at Waynesville Recreation Center from Sept. 13 through Oct. 26. Cantwell is the current head basketball coach of Carolina Day…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:40

Senior trip to see the elk

Seniors will get a chance to see the Cataloochee elk up close and personal on Sept. 13. The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department is offering the trip to everyone age 50 and above. Learn some of the rich history of…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:39

Coexisting with bears

A group of wildlife lovers area has launched an initiative to make the Cashiers and Highlands area a “Bear Smart” community. “Black bears can live with people. Can people live with black bears?” asked Bill Lea of Franklin, both a…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:38

Fish expert to deliver “State of the Trout”

Matt Kulp, fisheries biologist with Great Smoky Mountain National Park, will be speaking at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 20, at The Plateau Fly Fishing club meeting in Cashiers. Kulp will discuss “What’s going on in the Great Smoky Mountain National…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:37

Fall leaf forecast: get ready for good color

Visitors to Western North Carolina’s mountains can look forward to a vibrant display of color this autumn, predicts Kathy Mathews, Western Carolina University’s fall foliage forecaster and associate professor of biology. “It’s been a hot year in North Carolina, with…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:36

No more daily bag limits for deer hunters this year

The Wildlife Commission has unveiled its proposed changes to hunting and fishing rules, but the list is a super short one this year and controversial proposals are markedly absent. A public hearing on the proposed changes will be held at…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:35

GSMNP seeking volunteers for trail work

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host two volunteer trail projects on Saturday, Sept. 25, in recognition of National Public Lands Day — the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy.     The…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:35

Apples are in, let the pressing begin

A field trip to the Wykle family apple orchard in Macon County will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 9. Learn about heirloom pommes, pick your favorites and press them into fresh cider. A home-made apple press will…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:34

Bike ride to benefit injured cyclist

A cyclist who was seriously injured during the Blue Ridge Breakaway race last month in Haywood County is showing some progress, but a full recovery is not expected, according to his doctors and family. Gary Williams, 62, from the greater…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:33

Cullowhee puts on just-for-fun Tuck paddling race

A race for amateur paddlers will be held on the Tuckasegee River in Cullowhee on Saturday, Sept. 11. Paddlers in the second-annual Citizens Race will canoe or kayak through 10 slalom gates on a flat section of river off Old…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:32

Educate yourself on waterfall safety

A new video podcast emphasizing water safety for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is now available for viewing.   The podcast, “Water Safety and Day Hiking,” is a four-minute video that showcases creeks, waterfalls and rivers in the park…
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 20:24

Growing demand prompts organic research at research station

This year, Mountain Research Station in Waynesville is investigating organic farming on the Western North Carolina landscape on a greater scale than ever before. The launch of the test farm’s new organic unit has already turned heads and sparked mixed…
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 17:04

The Naturalist's Corner

The good; the bad and the ugly The good Ben Morrison, compiler of the Wilmot, Ohio, Christmas Bird Count, contacted the Ohio Birds Records Committee and provided documentation for the purple martin I wrote about in the Jan. 20 Naturalist’s…
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 17:04

AT license plates fund mini trail grants

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will hand out mini-grants for projects in the region that benefit the long-distance hiking trail. Grants can include trail work, conservation projects and trail promotion and education. Past projects have included: • Efforts by the Nantahala…
Wednesday, 10 February 2010 17:04

Fatal disease for deer and elk detected in neighboring state

Chronic wasting disease, a deadly disease that affects deer, elk and other hoofed animals, has been detected in white-tailed deer in Virginia. The discovery has ramped up concerns about the disease migrating into North Carolina. Chronic wasting disease is a…
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 15:01

The Naturalist's Corner

On the road to recovery Friends of the Western North Carolina Nature Center unveils its New Winter Speaker Series on native animals at the Folk Art Center at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6. Asheville native Warren Parker, retired chief…
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 15:01

The Naturalist's Corner

Pug catcher Early last week, we were inundated with small gray moths. You couldn’t open a door without two or three coming inside. Moths inside are cool for Izzy, Maddy and the cat — all like to play with them.…
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 15:01

Meet the thru-hikers

It’s a sure sign of spring for Southern Appalachian communities along the Appalachian Trail: hikers loaded down with backpacks hitchhiking to town and back to stock up on supplies, eat that hamburger they’ve been craving, and knock back a few…
Wednesday, 31 March 2010 15:01

Franklin enjoys symbiotic relationship with AT hikers

For years, Appalachian Trail thru-hikers have been stopping in Franklin for supplies, rest, and Internet access, but last week the town solidified its place as a trail destination. Mayor Joe Collins signed a proclamation accepting the town’s designation as an…
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 19:03

U.S. Open brings paddlers to Nantahala gorge

The best of USA Canoe/Kayak’s whitewater team will descend on the Nantahala River this weekend intent on making a clear impression about their Olympic aspirations. The Bank of America Whitewater U.S. Open (March 27-28) is the first measuring stick in…
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 19:03

Buffer buyout launched along Pigeon River

A trail alongside the Pigeon River may materialize between Canton and Clyde, but recreation will not be its primary purpose. The goal is to create a buffer zone clear of any development 100 feet from the riverbank as a safeguard…
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 19:03

The Naturalist's Corner

Scientist-science Paige Barlow is a University of Georgia PhD candidate working out of the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in Otto, outside of Franklin. Barlow is researching the effects of land use on different species of birds in Macon County. It’s no…
Wednesday, 17 March 2010 18:34

Iconoclast hiker conquers Mountains to Sea Trail

Scot Ward isn’t a missionary, but he does have a burning message. An experienced thru-hiker who carries a copy of Peter Jenkins Walk Across America in the retrofitted box-truck he calls home, Ward wants people to hike the Mountains to…
Wednesday, 17 March 2010 18:34

Franklin becomes an Appalachian Trail Community

The town of Franklin has been officially designated an Appalachian Trail Community. A new program of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy will highlight the value of towns along the trail. Towns are more than waypoints along the trail for hikers to…
Wednesday, 17 March 2010 18:34

The Naturalist's Corner

Invited for tea I opened the door around 7 a.m. last Saturday and spring hit me square in the face. Actually a cold misty breeze hit me square in the face but I got an earful of spring. “Drink your…
Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:12

Learning to treat injuries in the wild

What can you do with a foam pad, rain pants, sleeping bag and an old T-shirt? A whole lot apparently, according to students who have been through wilderness medical training with Landmark Learning. Broken leg? No problem. Dislocated shoulder? Gotcha…
Wednesday, 10 March 2010 16:12

The Naturalist's Corner

White Nose Syndrome just miles from WNC The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) announced in mid-February that two bats from Worley’s cave had tested positive for White Nose Syndrome (WNS). The cave, officially designated Morrell Cave by the U.S. Board…
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 16:12

The Naturalist's Corner

ake J eagle Not a winter has passed in the last four years or so that a bald eagle — mature, immature or both — has not been sighted at Lake Junaluska. Usually they’re here today and gone tomorrow, but…
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 16:12

Cherokee outfitter store to offer premium guide service

Cherokee’s trout streams have earned their reputation as the crown jewel of North Carolina’s trophy waters, and now the area has an outfitter shop of the same quality. Business partners Joe Street, Chris Anderson and Steve Mingle, building on the…
Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:37

NOC’s Great Outpost

Nantahala Outdoor Center is positioned to become a major player in the outdoors scene on the Tennessee side of the Smokies with a gigantic new outfitter’s store smack in the middle of downtown Gatlinburg. The $4 million Great Outpost gives…
Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:37

The Naturalist's Corner

A little spring cleaning It was a busy weekend and there’s a busy weekend coming up, so I’m going to use this week’s column to clear my desk: Watershed hike Saturday, April 24, was our annual spring pilgrimage into the…
Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:37

A hub for all things outdoors

For the outdoors lover, stepping into NOC’s Great Outpost in Gatlinburg is like being a kid in a candy shop. The outdoor gear and paraphernalia is as extensive as that found in major stores like REI or Bass Pro, but…
Wednesday, 28 April 2010 17:37

Alcohol banned at recreation sites

The US. Forest Service has banned alcohol use at 11 recreation sites in the Nantahala National Forest. The sites include: Balsam Lake Recreation Area, Big Choga Dispersed Camping Sites, Bristol Fields Campground, Cheoah Point Swimming Area, Dry Falls Recreational Area,…
Wednesday, 21 April 2010 17:37

The Naturalist's Corner

Earth Day: hope vs. optimism Lordy, lordy look who’s 40 — Earth Day and the EPA. Officially created and established in 1970, Earth Day was the spirit and philosophy that was going to take us to Nirvana; was going to…
Friday, 03 September 2010 13:46

Trout Festival comes to Maggie Valley

From buttered trout fillets to a trout race, all things trout will be celebrated during the 21st annual Great Smoky Mountain Trout Festival from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 1, at the Maggie Valley Festival Grounds. The…
Wednesday, 21 April 2010 17:37

Veterans take to Cherokee waters for healing

I don't do people, Bart Crowe said matter-of-factly. But there he was getting his fishing tackle together to hit the trophy waters in Cherokee with a couple of fishing buddies. Crowe carried an M-60 machine gun during Operation Desert Storm…
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 17:37

Haywood Waterways’ new leader

After years of being the in-the-stream science guy behind Haywood Waterways Association, Eric Romaniszyn is taking the helm as the nonprofit’s executive director, something he sees as a natural outgrowth of his work in conservation biology. “Doing what I do…
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 17:37

Catching air on the Nantahala

Big names in paddling will dish up their best stunts and tricks in the NOC Freestyle Shootout kayak rodeo on the Nantahala River this weekend, April 17 and 18. Freestyle kayaking, like skateboarding or snowboarding on a half-pipe, involves technical…
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 17:37

Dillsboro bats looking for new homes

Throughout the years-long bickering over the future of the Dillsboro Dam, the little brown bats that spent the summer in the dam’s powerhouse had no voice. Each April, the little browns would return to the Tuckaseegee from their winter homes…
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 17:37

Deadly fungus could annihilate even the most common bats

Nine bat species across the South are at risk from a deadly fungus decimating certain bat populations known as white-nose syndrome. The disease has now been confirmed as close as Tennessee and Virginia. Susan Loeb, a leading bat expert with…
Wednesday, 14 April 2010 17:37

The Naturalist's Corner

Spring in the watershed The Town of Waynesville’s annual spring pilgrimage to the Waynesville Watershed will be Saturday, April 24. This one will be set up similar to last fall’s event with an early morning birding option. Those who want…
Wednesday, 07 April 2010 17:37

The Naturalist's Corner

Spring’s a buzzin’ Mom was a little concerned the other day as she helped Izzy find a butterfly net to catch white-headed “bumblebees.” Izzy was back in a couple of minutes with a roaring buzz emanating from her closed, cupped…
Wednesday, 07 April 2010 17:37

New standards to shine light on WNC air quality

New federal standards for ozone will be issued by year’s end, and the verdict will determine whether Western North Carolina is out of compliance with air quality. Western North Carolina likely can’t fix its air quality problem alone. Charlotte, Knoxville…
Wednesday, 07 April 2010 17:37

WNC Fly-Fishing trail adds trophy trout water in Cherokee

The Western North Carolina Fly Fishing Trail has added a new stop on the map for anglers — the Raven Fork trophy water on the Cherokee Indian Reservation. The fly-fishing trail leads fishermen to 15 different fishing spots in Jackson…
Wednesday, 07 April 2010 17:37

Peregrine falcons take up new nesting spot on Whiteside Mountain

A pair of endangered peregrine falcons has established a new nesting spot on Whiteside Mountain near Highlands, forcing a relocation of the climbing route on the face of the mountain. Whiteside Mountain has been home to a nesting pair of…
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