WNC angling to take over television
Jackson County will be displayed on national television this week with the airing of Anglers & Appetites, a show that…
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Rule will allow tribal members to gather plants on park land
Native Americans will soon be allowed to gather plants on national park land for traditional purposes following the National Park…
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Ginseng lottery open
The lottery is open for permits to harvest one of Western North Carolina’s most valuable plants.
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Voting contest yields funds for Smokies tower restoration
Clingmans Dome Observation Tower will get a makeover thanks to a $250,000 grant that supporters of the Great Smoky Mountains…
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Sylva teen to compete in national angling competition
A Sylva teen is preparing to prove himself on the national stage of fly-fishing after qualifying for the U.S. Youth…
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Tackling the Beast: Prepping for a 60-mile mountain bike challenge isn’t easy
By Jamie Arnold • Contributing writer It’s a 95-degree Sunday afternoon. Most folks are at the lake, or lounging on the…
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Combination science lab and amusement park
Weightless for two seconds is not a moonwalk but at the top of the Space Shot at Huntsville, Alabama’s (Rocket…
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Comments sought on A.T. campsite construction
Fifteen new tent sites could go in along the Appalachian Trail on its route through the Standing Indian Basin in…
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Croquet group starts in Waynesville
A croquet group has formed in Waynesville, meeting 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays at Vance Street Park.
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Insect affecting WNC white pines
A tiny insect is being blamed for declining health in eastern white pine trees in six North Carolina counties including…
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Severe drought comes to WNC
For the first time since September, severe drought is affecting North Carolina — including portions of Haywood, Jackson, Macon and…
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Greenway bridge open in Jackson
A new bridge allowing access to the Jackson County greenway’s terminus at Locust Creek is now open to pedestrians, marking…
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Land conserved on Cold Mountain
The Cold Mountain Game Lands in Haywood County will likely get larger following a 162-acre purchase by the Southern Appalachian…
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Zahner lecture series kicks off
The Zahner Conservation Lecture Series at the Highlands Nature Center kicks off its initial program on July 7
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Remembering the removal: Wayside markers trace the Trail of Tears in WNC
A growing collection of roadside signs has been popping up along rural drives and main thoroughfares in Western North Carolina…
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Arboretum works on pollinator hospitality
The nation holds only seven Bee Campus USA gardens, and now the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville is one of them.
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New water slide is higher, faster
A new slide has been installed at the water park at the Waynesville Recreation Center.
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Beyond the river: Fly fishing camp builds confident, conservation-minded kids
Rods, reels, and wader-clad teenagers dotted Big East Fork’s meander to Lake Logan through the warm summer mornings last week,…
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Adopt a stream
Volunteers are wanted to help keep Haywood’s streams free of trash by adopting a section to clean once per year.
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Man finishes lap of the Blue Ridge Parkway
Ray Russell recently finished nearly a month of running with his arrival at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s end in Cherokee.…
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Go all-out with Lake Logan races
The Lake Logan Multisport Festival will bring in athletes galore for the 11th year running with its lineup of events…
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Nonprofit forms to teach survival skills during summer camp
The wilderness is where one can find peace and clarity while also finding inner strength and determination. That is the…
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Jackson declared Premier Trout Fishing Destination
Jackson County won’t officially become the North Carolina Trout Capital this year, but legislators expressed their support of the county’s…
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HCC qualifies for national championship
Haywood Community College’s Bass Fishing Team recently competed in the 2016 Carhartt College Eastern Regional Bassmaster Tournament where teammates Ryan…
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Sylva earns national recognition as a green town
Sylva earned recognition for its efforts to be clean and sustainable when the travel site Expedia.com named it the fourth…
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Peregrines once again at Devil’s Courthouse
A couple of Saturday’s ago Bob Olthoff and I made a quick trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway. We were…
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Pollinate, propagate, cultivate: 2016 garden tour to show off the best beds in Haywood
When Sarah Scott first started work at Haywood County Cooperative Extension in February 2015, planning for the 2016 Haywood County…
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Keep your salamander away from my newt
I often remind everyone who reads “The Naturalist’s Corner” to remember to look up. But each spring while surveying birds…
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Stories, salad and wildflowers: Plants a passion for Bigelow
Adam Bigelow bears down on the gas pedal of his biodiesel-fueled Jetta, urging it up the steep contours of the…
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Get outside on National Trails Day
Every year, America’s hiking trails get their moment to shine with the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day. This year’s…
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Cashiers gets second farmer market
A new farmers market will launch in Cashiers this week, providing a weekly supply of local foods from 3 to…
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Trout waters open
Delayed-harvest trout waters will open for the summer on Saturday, June 4, giving anglers the chance to catch a dinner…
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WCU tops ‘best-of’ list for outdoors colleges
Western Carolina University came in on top in an online magazine poll looking for the region’s premiere outdoor adventure college.
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Get the cheat sheet to buy local
Growing season has arrived in Western North Carolina, and the new Local Food Guide from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project…
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Glad to be alive: Bear bite victim tells his story
The sun had not quite set when Bradley Veeder fell asleep in his tent May 10, feeling “tired but happy”…
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Kids get creative with waterways
Haywood County’s young artists got some recognition for the T-shirt designs they dreamed up to celebrate Kids in the Creek,…
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Local runners take top spots in half marathon
Runners from up and down the East Coast converged on Waynesville this month to try their stride at the Gateway…
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Park Service archives get new home
A new home for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s collection of artifacts and archives recently opened its doors in…
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See birds of prey up close
An up-close glimpse of creatures such as the Eastern screech owl and Northern bald eagle will show birds of prey…
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Old-time remedies explained
See old-time remedies in action with a demonstration by Smokies naturalist Ila Hatter, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May…
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NOC paddler to appear in summer Olympics
When Team U.S.A. marches into the Olympic stadium this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the Opening Ceremonies of…
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Sculpture winds through WCU trails
A nature-based sculpture project launched by Western Carolina University’s Fine Art Museum aims to feature outdoors art while promoting discussion…
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A strained relationship: Suspicion of NPS lingers among some backcountry users, parkside communities
It’s been three years since a vigorous debate about charging for backcountry camping in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park…
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Hanging Dog Campground reopens on trial basis
After two years of closure, Hanging Dog Campground in Cherokee County has reopened through a collaborative effort between the county…
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DuPont trails to close for blue ghost firefly protection
Closure of some trails will soon take effect in DuPont State Recreational Forest to protect the blue ghost firefly, a…
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Bear baiting rules loosened
Bear hunters can now use unprocessed food as bait for a larger part of the hunting season, according to temporary…
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Canucks amongst us
You’re hiking streamside through a rhododendron tangle when you hear a short, musical trill – it kind of mimics the…
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Not your average tourist: Waynesville man reflects on decades of travel in the jungles of Ecuador
When life gets hectic, most people have a vacation spot where they go to unwind — perhaps a family cabin…
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New maps ‘unlock’ Tsali’s epic trail system
Newbies to Tsali Recreation Area in Graham County will have an easier time navigating the 37-mile trail network thanks to…
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Trail mapping project earns award for tribal member
A Cherokee woman received recognition from the environmental organization Wild South for her tireless work with a project to map…
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