Give back to public lands

Celebrate the millions of acres of public lands covering Western North Carolina during National Public Lands Day Saturday, Sept. 23.
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Yellow Jacket Muse

Before Becky and I retired up Moses Creek, I made my living as a backpack and canoe guide here in…
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Dark skies help migrating birds

Audubon North Carolina is urging residents to help keep the skies dark this fall to help birds as they migrate…
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Welcome monarchs to the mountains

The Mountain Monarch Festival will return to Gorges State Park in Transylvania County for its second year 11 a.m. to…
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Rich Mountain Road reopens after bear scratch

After a monthlong closure enacted when a bear scratched a park visitor, Rich Mountain Road in the Great Smoky Mountains…
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Help plan Pisgah View’s future

A public meeting 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, in Candler will give the public the chance to help shape the…
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Help out with the Haywood Fair

The Haywood County Fair is coming up Sept. 28-Oct. 1, and the Home Economics Division is looking for volunteers to…
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Pinnacle Park planning survey now open

Help plan the future of Pinnacle Park, a 1,500-acre natural area in Sylva, by participating in a survey now open…
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Explore the Bartram Trail
 

Explore the Bartram Trail

Take a 4.6-mile hike to a spectacular view along the Bartram Trail near Highlands 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday,…
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GAF returns to NOC
 

GAF returns to NOC

A weekend of riverside games, whitewater rafting, adventure films and gear deals will liven up the fall Sept. 22-24 at…
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Hang with bees and butterflies
 

Hang with bees and butterflies

Join in for the sixth annual Pollinator Field Day 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the Mountain…
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Ignition point

Cherokee’s next planned bike park to give kids, new riders a place to play 
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Workday gives nearly 400 hours of love to Sam Knob

With 54 volunteers turning out for the Carolina Mountain Club’s Quarterly Crew Day at Sam Knob last month, the group…
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Made X Mtns awards inaugural outdoor equity grants

A total of 20 organizations located across the western region have received grants from Made X Mtns in support of…
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NCDEQ secretary chosen for national leadership role

N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser has been chosen as the next president of the Environmental Council…
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Beekeepers to swarm Bryson City

Spend time with beekeepers during the next meeting of the Smoky Mountain Beekeepers Association at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14,…
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Channel the power of pink

The 16th annual Power of Pink 5K Run/Walk/Dog Walk will raise money for early breast cancer detection on Saturday, Sept.…
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Grant to spur regional watershed education efforts

A $36,500 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will fuel education efforts on the wonders of the French…
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Rec center hosts after-school program
 

Rec center hosts after-school program

Registration is open for an after-school program at the Waynesville Recreation Center, which will kick off Wednesday, Sept. 13.
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Endangered status  proposed for three mussel species
 

Endangered status proposed for three mussel species

Three freshwater mussel species have been proposed for designation as endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act. The Cumberland…
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MST turns 46
 

MST turns 46

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail turns 46 on Sept. 9, and Friends of the MST is offering a variety of opportunities to…
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Play pickup futsal
 

Play pickup futsal

Adult pickup futsal games will be held starting 6:30 p.m. Thursdays beginning Sept. 14 at the Cullowhee Recreation Center gymnasium
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Elementary bike club starting in Canton
 

Elementary bike club starting in Canton

A biking skills program will meet after school at Meadowbrook Elementary School in Canton on Thursdays from Sept. 14 through…
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Word from the Smokies: Blue Ridge artist Tray Wellington builds bridges with bluegrass

Late last month, I was lucky enough to catch a special musical performance in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
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Smokies, Parkway visitors spend the most in the NPS, study finds

According to the recently released results of the National Park Service’s newest peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis, in 2022 North Carolina…
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Dahlias to dazzle in Highlands

The 13th annual Dazzling Dahlia Festival will be held Saturday, Sept. 9, in Highlands.
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Campground closed near Tellico Plains

Indian Boundary Campground in the Cherokee National Forest near Tellico Plains, Tennessee, is now closed due to damage from a…
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Wild guests to visit NOC

Delve into the captivating world of wildlife during a 60-minute interactive experience starting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, at…
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Buy Mountain State Fair tickets now

Advance tickets are now on sale for the N.C. Mountain State Fair, slated for Sept. 8-17 at the Western North…
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Eat burgers, learn to fish
 

Eat burgers, learn to fish

Learn how to fly fish with the Tuckasegee Chapter of Trout Unlimited 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5, at East LaPorte…
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Waynesville Rec Center to close for maintenance, expand pool hours

The Waynesville Recreation Center will close for its annual maintenance week Monday, Sept. 4, through Tuesday, Sept. 12.
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Talk land conservation with the Sierra Club
 

Talk land conservation with the Sierra Club

Look behind the scenes of a land conservation project with a presentation at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, at Manheimer…
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Wooden trout to race in support of local organizations
 

Wooden trout to race in support of local organizations

Support Haywood Waterways Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Haywood County during the annual Trout Race slated for 2…
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Residents offer feedback on parkway plan

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is one step closer to drafting its new action plan following a series of seven…
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Film screening to show safe highway wildlife crossing efforts

The Safe Passage Fund Coalition is hosting The Crossing, a free event and screening of films highlighting road ecology in Southern…
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Book signing, benefit for Botanical Gardens

Western Carolina University’s Highlands Biological Station will be hosting a book signing event to benefit the Highlands Botanical Gardens from…
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Get outside with Haywood County Recreation

Haywood County Recreation is hosting a series of events throughout September. Here’s a look at what lies ahead
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Volunteers needed for annual stream cleanup

Join Haywood Waterways for its annual “Big Sweep” cleanup event, which will remove tons of trash from local waterways and…
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Franklin opens pickleball courts

The Town of Franklin has modified the basketball court at Memorial Park to include two new pickleball courts.  
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Get Involved with Friends of Panthertown

Friends of Panthertown has two events coming up in September that will give people a chance to get involved.
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Join Jackson County Recreation

Jackson County Recreation will host a series of events throughout September.
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Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation adds to council of advisors

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation recently welcomed Bronwyn Lance to the nonprofit organization’s Council of Advisors. 
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Plant more trees

The N.C. Forest Service is now accepting tree seedling orders for its annual sale.
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Audubon interim director to speak at Grandfather Mountain
 

Audubon interim director to speak at Grandfather Mountain

Long-time Audubon staffer Curtis Smalling has been named interim executive director of Audubon North Carolina.
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Canton’s outdoor economy growing, with help from state

It’s only been open for about a year, but Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Park has already proven a popular, unique regional…
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Notes from a plant nerd: A jewel among wildflowers
 

Notes from a plant nerd: A jewel among wildflowers

Among my favorite plants to teach to children is jewelweed (Impatiens capensis & I. pallida).
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BioBlitz documents diversity in the Craggies

In a single-day BioBlitz aimed at documenting biodiversity in the Craggy Mountains, 100 people photographed 1,603 organisms representing 647 species.
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Volunteers needed for Kids in the Creek

Kids in the Creek is putting out a call for volunteers for events on Sept. 11-12.
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HCC hosts hunter safety classes

Haywood Community College’s Department of Arts, Sciences, and Natural Resources and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer a…
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Panthertown guidebook publisher donates to stewardship nonprofit

Panthertown Map Association, nonprofit publishers of Burt Kornegay’s “A Guide’s Guide to Panthertown,” has made a $7,500 donation to Friends of…
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