Faith-based environmental initiative organizes across WNC
Faith-inspired environmental advocacy is the focus of Western North Carolina Alliance’s newest program, Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina.…
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WCU named top adventure school
Western Carolina University ranked as the No.1 college for outdoor adventures in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic in a recent online…
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Wilderness medical training offered in Cullowhee
Landmark Learning, an outdoor training institute in Cullowhee, has released its fall lineup of outdoor safety training courses. With everything…
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Going the distance: Athletes flock to compete in Lake Logan Multisport Festival
Sunrise was still hours away when the day started at Lake Logan. With the first starting gun firing at 7…
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Graveyard Fields celebrates new look
Better public access and trail improvements for Graveyard Fields, one of the most popular spots on the Blue Ridge Parkway,…
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Native plants take root in new Cherokee greenhouse
Native plants are getting a boost in Cherokee with the opening of a 2,200-square-foot greenhouse designed to produce and propagate…
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Nantahala Racing Club and N.C. Wildlife Federation win funds for youth programs
The Nantahala Racing Club and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation came out on top in an online voting contest from…
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Booming triathlons bring economic impact to Haywood
More than 1,200 outdoor atheletes will converge on Lake Logan in Haywood County this weekend for the annual Lake Logan…
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Training initiative garners award for WCU instructor
Sam Fowlkes, who teaches paddlesports and rescue at Western Carolina University, has received prestigious recognition in the field of technical…
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On the Isle again
Thanks to the generosity of dear friends, my family gets to vacation on Isle of Palms every summer. If you…
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Proposed fracking rules released
The Mining and Energy Commission has finished writing a proposed set of rules to govern oil and gas development in…
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Get up close with birds and fish on the Little T
Amateur biologists of all ages are invited to help find out how the birds and fish are doing on Land…
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New moth species named for Cherokee
A new moth species recently discovered in the Southern Appalachians has a locally inspired name.
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WCU fishermen head to national competition
Western Carolina University will send two students to the national Bassmaster College Series National Championship following a third place win…
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Organizations step up to save the Georgia aster
A coalition of public and private conservation organizations is stepping up to save the Georgia aster, a purple Southern flower…
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Chemistry concentration to tap natural products movement
Western Carolina University will launch a new master’s degree in chemistry this fall with a professional science concentration in natural…
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Birds of Prey program comes to Oconaluftee
Raptors will ride into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with a birds of prey program 10 a.m. Friday, July…
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Mushroom immersion at the Highlands Biological Station
Explore the diversity of fungi in the Southern Appalachian Mountains and their relationships with native plants through upcoming programs at…
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Hashing out habitat: Crowd debates wildlife habitat in forest management plan meeting
More than 100 people filled the room at Asheville’s Crowne Plaza Hotel earlier this month, but they weren’t there for…
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Rafting’s restrained rebound: Commercial outfitters attempt to paddle back from record rain year
The summer is shaping into a pretty good rafting season for Tee Davis. “It’s awesome, man,” said Davis, owner of…
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Plott Balsams kickoff nature series in Sylva
A six-part lecture series on nature, ecology and conservation will kick off with a program titled “Plott Balsams Business Case…
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Jump on the Jackson farm, garden and studio tour
More than a dozen farmers and gardeners will be featured in the annual Jackson County Farm Tour coming up July…
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Birders bring Africa to Highlands
Highlands will get a chance to experience South Africa through a presentation from Jim and Ellen Shelton, long-time birders whose…
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From kayaks and greenways to high school science labs, Pigeon River Fund doles out grants
Water quality, aquatic habitats and outdoor recreation will see a boost in Haywood County thanks to $132,000 in new grants…
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Battle for the brookie
As the only native trout in North Carolina, brook trout is a well-loved fish, but it’s fallen on some hard…
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Rare wetland habitat to get an upgrade
A three-acre wetland near Cherokee Central Schools will get $25,000 worth of restoration work thanks to a grant that Great…
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Growing native in Highlands
A slate of programs July 23-25 at the Highlands Biological Foundation will highlight the benefits of gardening with native plants,…
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HCC student takes top spot in national lumberjack competition
Haywood Community College student Logan Hawks recently placed third in the nation in the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Series Collegiate Lumberjack Competition.…
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More dialogue – anyone listening?
The next USDA Forest Service public meeting regarding the National Forest Plan Revision will be held from 9 a.m. to…
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Outdoors events for kids
Kids program offers chance to touch bones, or delve into digestion Haywood Public Library will get more than skin deep…
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Nantahala Lake gives up record-breaking fish
Nantahala Lake spawned two state fishing records within a week during the month of June. Until now, the state record…
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Trout tournament coming up in Cherokee
The annual Cherokee Dog Days Fishing Tournament will be held in Cherokee again July 18-19, with $10,000 in cash prizes…
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New map and website highlight Swain fishing
A new website and brochure highlight all the fishing opportunities available in Swain County.
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Mountain Wildlife Days returns to Sapphire Valley
The 11th annual Mountain Wildlife Days will take over Sapphire Valley Resort near Cashiers, N.C. June 18-19, activities ranging from…
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Forging a forecast: NASA, Duke project aims toward better weather forecasts in the Smokies
It’s no secret that an accurate weather forecast is hard to come by in the Smokies. But after two months…
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Following the arrow: Bowed Up Outdoors expands offerings, serves growing archery community
Walk into Bowed Up Outdoors, and the first thing you’ll notice is the friendly banter moving back and forth between…
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Local water supplies get state recognition
Maggie Valley Sanitary District and the town of Waynesville got props from the N.C. Division of Water Resources for an…
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WNC groups demand state fracking hearing closer to home
A coalition of 17 organizations based in Western North Carolina is calling for a public hearing somewhere in the western…
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Forest service seeks input on habitat and ecosystem management
The next public meeting in the forest plan revision process for Pisgah and Nantahala national forests is planned for 8…
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WNC trails hit the app store
A new app for iPhone and Android will give hikers a guide to more than 300 hikes in the mountains…
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Grant to underwrite skirmishes in battle against hemlock adelgid
The Hemlock Restoration Initiative is seeking proposals to turn $50,000 worth of grant funding into a win in the battle…
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Ready, set, count: it’s the fungus Bio-Blitz in the Smokies
Part contest, part festival, part education and part science, the 2014 Discover Life in America BioBlitz will bring citizens and…
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A wet and wonderful weekend
Thanks to the generosity of a friend, my family and I spent a long weekend on Fontana Lake. The small…
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Smokies elk get new tracking collars
Biologists will get a boost in monitoring Smokies elk populations, thanks to a $13,720 grant Friends of the Smokies received…
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Horse exhibition to benefit Panthertown
A horse exhibition hosted by Friends of Panthertown from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 28, will raise money…
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American chestnut restoration showcased at Cataloochee
Visitors are invited to check on the progress of the American chestnut restoration effort at Cataloochee Ranch in Haywood County…
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Franklin man inducted to A.T. Hall of Fame
Franklin has a hall-of-famer following the induction of Rev. Rufus Morgan into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame earlier this…
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Downward row: NOC guide canoes to world record waterfall run
It wasn’t until Brad McMillan got his canoe on the water that the moment hit him. He’d been preparing for…
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Synchronous fireflies draw thousands to the Smokies
It’s a little after 7 p.m. when the first trolley shows up to Elkmont Campground. Green, red and yellow, the…
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Reaching out for the Little T
When Cass and Mary Lou Combs attended a conservation celebration along the shore of the Little Tennessee River in Macon…
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