Parkway programs start up for summer
A ranger-guided hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway this Friday will mark the beginning of summer for the high-elevation road…
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Summer camp time at Highlands Nature Center
Summer is here at the Highlands Nature Center, with a variety of summer day camps and half-day camps. Look through…
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Path to the past: Friends of the Smokies hike explores park history and natural beauty
There was no doubt about how the Smoky Mountains got their name as day dawned on the Friends of the…
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Festival to highlight historical women’s roles
The Women’s Work Festival in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will give a glimpse into the historical roles rural…
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Bird-banders wanted
Volunteers are needed for a summer monitoring project involving up-close contact with birds.
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Live snakes to take the stage at Jackson library
A program featuring scaly reptiles as the stars will return to the Jackson County Public Library at 11 a.m. and…
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Annual bike ride to remember the Trail of Tears underway
Seven Cherokee cyclists from North Carolina are in the midst of a 950-mile bike ride to Tahlequah, Oklahoma, an annual…
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Swain gets second farmers market day
The Swain County Farmers Market is branching out, this week launching a second market day 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays…
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Saving the world one seed at a time
James Veteto has a theory that seeds are a link to the past, connecting one generation to the other, not…
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Unveiling Horace Kephart
A pair of programs about Horace Kephart, an adopted son of the Smokies who captured the culture of mountaineers in…
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No time to relax: Smokies air quality has improved, but a new ozone standard is on its way
Breathing easy in the Smokies is a better bet than it’s been in decades. Ozone pollution is down 36 percent,…
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A.T. plates pass $1 million milestone
It’s official: North Carolina Appalachian Trail license plates sales have crossed the $1 million mark.
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Parkway gets its own quarter design
The Blue Ridge Parkway will take its place on U.S. currency with a special quarter design this summer, as part…
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Survival skills conference to be held in Haywood
Heritage Life Skills, a fourth-year event featuring classes in survivalist cooking, self-defense and food production skills is coming up May…
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Rain barrels for sale by HWA
Haywood Waterways Association and Haywood Cooperative Extension Service have 55-gallon rain barrels for sale.
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Carnivorous plants exhibit opens at Arboretum
The fascinating and complex world of carnivorous plants is the subject of the newest exhibit at the N.C. Arboretum in…
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Coal on the outs at Asheville plant
Coal will no longer be the cornerstone of power production in Asheville when Duke Energy completes a newly announced $1.1…
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Solarize seeing success
The Solarize WNC program — an effort to connect people interested in converting to solar energy with the resources to…
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New rec area open on Lake Glenville
The Pines Recreation Area on Lake Glenville is now open, featuring a new swimming beach, fishing pier, picnic area, signage,…
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Mast General sales to go toward conservation
Purchases at Waynesville’s Mast General Store Saturday, June 6, will help out with land conservation. For that day, the store…
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Fly fishing museum headed for grand opening
The Fly Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians will hold its grand opening Saturday, June 6, in Cherokee, marking a…
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Research gives hope for bat survival
The release of 150 bats in Hannibal, Missouri, May 18 marked a milestone for the fight against white-nose syndrome, a…
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Home for the summer: Birders seek out migrating birds in the mountains
In a woodsy neighborhood up a winding mountain road from Franklin, late May is pretty quiet — at least from…
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Creek clean-up day scheduled in Haywood
First Maggie Valley Creek clean is May 30 The inaugural Maggie Valley Community Creek Clean will take place at 10…
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Smokies trails reopened following bear incident
The Mt. Le Conte Backcountry Shelter and trails to the popular Cliff Tops area have re-opened following closure due to…
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Draft plan published on Chattooga River access changes
A draft plan for sustainable river access on the upper segment of the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River is now…
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Give the A.T. some love
A coalition of trail-loving organizations will join forces to celebrate National Trails Day with an opportunity to work on the…
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WNC conservationists get recognition
Western North Carolina was well represented in the round of annual conservation awards bestowed by the state’s 24 land trusts. …
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Giving new farmers a boost
By Katie Reeder • SMN Intern Demand for locally grown food is soaring in Western North Carolina, but recruiting — and…
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Ducks on the Tuck helps New Century Scholars
Why adopt a tiny rubber duck that’ll soon be floating down the Tuckasegee River in Swain County?
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Merrell Adventure race is family-friendly
The Merrell Adventure 5K Dash and 1K Fun Run will be held Saturday, May 23, along the Nantahala River near…
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Extention office seeks gardens for tour
The Haywood County Cooperative Extension Service is seeking gardens to include in its 2016 Haywood County Garden Tour. Anyone who…
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Avian adventures
What better way to spring into the season than chasing migrants across Western North Carolina? I was with the Franklin…
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WCU researchers making their mark
Scientific work by professors and students at Western Carolina University is earning recognition and winning research money. The Cullowhee campus,…
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Important tracts preserved by SAHC
Two tracts of land with headwater streams have been placed in conservation easements with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. The…
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Soil Exhibit in Bryson City
The Swain Soil and Water Conservation District is in the process of creating a mobile, walk-through exhibit focusing on soil…
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Raptor presentation coming to Highlands
One of the Southeast’s premier raptor presentations, “Wings to Soar,” will bring birds of prey to the old gym of…
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Beige – the new orange
Neotropical migrants can be flashy things — think scarlet tanager, Baltimore oriole, rose-breasted grosbeak or those tiny butterflies of the…
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Fly-fishing museum opening delayed
The grand opening of the Fly-Fishing Museum of the Southern Appalachians in Cherokee, originally intended for May 1, has been…
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Parkway weather now online
A new website aims to help Blue Ridge Parkway visitors better plan their attire for a day in the high…
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Park gets new deputy superintendent
With Superintendent Cassius Cash now settled into his new role, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a permanent deputy…
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New bear regulations in place for Pisgah National Forest
Backpackers in several popular areas of Pisgah National Forest are now required to use bear canisters when staying overnight, following…
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Trail work at Alum Cave results in temporary closures
A two-year trail restoration project began this week on Alum Cave Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, meaning…
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Conservation groups plan river float trip
A float trip down the Little Tennessee River on May 16 is being sponsored by two land conservation organizations, the…
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Cast away: Cherokee man finds competitive success with the fly rod
When Michael Bradley first picked up a fly rod in 2011, he wasn’t looking for anything more than a relaxing…
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Land conservation organization restores next-door land
A contaminated property next to Land Trust for the Little Tennesse’s office in Franklin could have a brighter future now…
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Runners take the streets in Waynesville half marathon
Close to 175 people tackled the inaugural Gateway to the Smokies Half Marathon in Waynesville this weekend, coming from as…
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Break-ins reported along the Parkway
A rash of break-ins to cars parked along the Blue Ridge Parkway on its way through Asheville has rangers asking…
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Falconer to share the wonders of birds of prey
A discussion on falconry and the importance of birds of prey to a healthy ecosystem — as well as a…
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Coveted viewing slots for Smokies firefly show to go live
The time is drawing near for synchronous fireflies to once more light up the night in the Smokies, and the…
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