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