A brand new world
 

A brand new world

Anyone who hasn’t been to the woods in the last month would swear they’re in a different world. In a…
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Mount Sterling — a hikers’ crossroads
 

Mount Sterling — a hikers’ crossroads

Climbing the 80 rickety feet of metal and wood got my adrenaline flowing a bit. Once up there, I found…
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Float trips return to Waynesville
 

Float trips return to Waynesville

The sight of bobbing caravans of inflatable kayaks floating down Richland Creek through Waynesville will return on Saturday, May 6…
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Steep Canyon Rangers pen song and music for Graveyard Fields
 

Steep Canyon Rangers pen song and music for Graveyard Fields

The Grammy Award-winning bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers gathered on the Blue Ridge Parkway this spring, instruments in hand, to…
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Libraries bring science and nature to life for kids
 

Libraries bring science and nature to life for kids

Libraries across the mountains are in summer mode with a robust lineup of educational programs for kids. Special guests will…
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Get your race on with Haywood Waterways
 

Get your race on with Haywood Waterways

Haywood Waterways is now selling “trout” to compete in their annual Trout Race held at 5 p.m. on June 22…
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Comments open on coyote hunting in red wolf territory
 

Comments open on coyote hunting in red wolf territory

Comments are open regarding a proposed prohibition on coyote hunting in a five-county area in northeastern North Carolina. The area…
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Foraging field day in Cashiers
 

Foraging field day in Cashiers

Famed Asheville forager Alan Muskat will answer all your burning questions about forest foods during the next installment of the…
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Colliding worlds: Maggie Valley bear conflict ends with dead mom, orphaned cubs
 

Colliding worlds: Maggie Valley bear conflict ends with dead mom, orphaned cubs

A black bear — and possibly one of its cubs — is dead after a run of bird seed raids…
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An unapologetic scientist
 

An unapologetic scientist

The cosmos loom large and wondrous again, and much of the credit goes to one charming, affable but steadfastly rigorous…
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Nature-inspired poetry readings held in Waynesville
 

Nature-inspired poetry readings held in Waynesville

Michael Beadle, a local poet and educator, will read poetry that speaks to the mystery of nature and wildness 4…
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Cullowhee Native Plant Conference registration gears up
 

Cullowhee Native Plant Conference registration gears up

Registration is up and running for the 31st Cullowhee Native Plant Conference to be held July 16-19 at Western Carolina…
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Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose: Natural History in Early America
 

Mr. Jefferson and the Giant Moose: Natural History in Early America

A summer lecture series dedicated to natural history and conservation will kick off with a talk from Dr. Lee Alan…
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Local agriculture robust in WNC
 

Local agriculture robust in WNC

Local food sales are surging in Western North Carolina, and agriculture is alive and well.  Direct farmer-to-consumer food sales in…
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WCU professor’s new book spotlights Alfred Russel Wallace
 

WCU professor’s new book spotlights Alfred Russel Wallace

 A book by Western Carolina University biology professor and Highlands Biological Station director James Costa titled Wallace, Darwin and the…
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Conservation Voters release legislator rankings
 

Conservation Voters release legislator rankings

The North Carolina League of Conservation Voters has released its 2013 scorecard for North Carolina legislators, a number based on…
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Annual garden tour a go in Haywood
 

Annual garden tour a go in Haywood

The Barn at the Mountain Research Station, on Raccoon Road in Waynesville, will serve as the hub for ticket purchasing,…
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Falling tree gives Arizona woman a fright
 

Falling tree gives Arizona woman a fright

Jan Eagle got a scare when a tree fell on her campsite at Cataloochee Campground during her stay at Great…
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Youth to reenact ancient fishing practices
 

Youth to reenact ancient fishing practices

Children will get a chance to learn firsthand about Cherokee fishing traditions by re-enacting a fish harvest on an ancient…
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Wilderness camp trains for adventure and evangelism
 

Wilderness camp trains for adventure and evangelism

Outdoor Mission Camp, an affiliate of Youth For Christ USA based in Maggie Valley, is offering a wilderness camp for…
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Land management series planned
 

Land management series planned

Landowners will have the chance to get a better handle on managing their woodlands responsibly with a lineup of summer…
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Local environmental knowledge sought
 

Local environmental knowledge sought

The Coweeta Listening Project will come to Cowee Farmers Market from 3:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10, to…
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Shopping for conservation
 

Shopping for conservation

Shopping at Mast General Store in Waynesville on Saturday, June 7, will be a plus for the planet.
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T-shirt design contest uncovers artist
 

T-shirt design contest uncovers artist

Shelby Reece from Waynesville Middle School won Haywood Waterways’ Kids in the Creek T-shirt design contest. Her winning design, “Jumping…
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Audubon sponsors study of endangered warbler
 

Audubon sponsors study of endangered warbler

One of the most prized bringers of spring song in Western North Carolina is the golden-winged warbler, and Highlands Plateau…
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Resurrecting Graveyard Fields: Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation funds makeover for popular recreation site
 

Resurrecting Graveyard Fields: Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation funds makeover for popular recreation site

Rhododendrons are opening deep pink blooms along the Blue Ridge Parkway, and new spring foliage blends into a bright blue…
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Doin’ Puc Puggy proud
 

Doin’ Puc Puggy proud

The Tennessee Valley Authority, in 1984, found itself with an extra $14,000 lying around. The money was available for outreach…
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Ray’s Weather seeks Parkway photos for calendar
 

Ray’s Weather seeks Parkway photos for calendar

Photographers are invited to submit their best Parkway photos to be featured in a 2015 Blue Ridge Parkway calendar, a…
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Trail app for Nantahala areas
 

Trail app for Nantahala areas

A new web app gives hikers, bikers, equestrians and other forest users the ability to search trail stats for the…
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Party with moths in Highlands
 

Party with moths in Highlands

A moth party at 9 p.m. June 5 at the Highlands Biological Station will capitalize on the dark sky to…
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White-nose syndrome decimating WNC bats
 

White-nose syndrome decimating WNC bats

White-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has killed millions of bats in the eastern United States, is advancing in North…
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Senate votes to lift fracking moratorium
 

Senate votes to lift fracking moratorium

The North Carolina Senate voted to lift the state’s fracking moratorium last week in a party-line vote. Democrats voted unanimously…
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Bass tourney gives anglers an outlet
 

Bass tourney gives anglers an outlet

Anglers are getting the tackle ready for the 2014 Fontana Marina Classic Bass Tournament June 7 and 8. With 238 miles…
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In a lurch about larch: Mystery tree leaves retired professor probing for answers
 

In a lurch about larch: Mystery tree leaves retired professor probing for answers

To the untrained eye, the tree looks like just another evergreen, just another species thrown into the mix of natural…
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Wilderness celebration planned in Asheville
 

Wilderness celebration planned in Asheville

The Wilderness Act’s 50th birthday will get some recognition at “An Evening of Wilderness Champions — Celebrating 50 Years of…
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Summer nature programs kickoff in Highlands
 

Summer nature programs kickoff in Highlands

Regular weekday programs will begin at Highlands Nature Center next week. The programs include guided plant walks, children’s activities, storybook-based…
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New bike shop set to open in Bryson City
 

New bike shop set to open in Bryson City

Bryson City is about to get a second bike shop with the grand opening of Tsali Cycles on May 23.…
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Red wolves spared fatal case of mistaken identity, for now
 

Red wolves spared fatal case of mistaken identity, for now

A federal court issued a preliminary injunction against coyote hunting — which includes spotlight hunting — in the five eastern…
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Smokies gets new acting superintendent
 

Smokies gets new acting superintendent

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park will get a new acting superintendent June 1, replacing the currect acting superintendent who…
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Turn it off: WCU comes out on top in national energy reduction competition
 

Turn it off: WCU comes out on top in national energy reduction competition

When the Campus Conservation Nationals Competition wrapped up this spring, Western Carolina University came out near the top of a…
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A not too shabby second
 

A not too shabby second

May 3 and 4 were the dates for this year’s 30th annual edition of the Great Smoky Mountains Birding Expedition.…
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Pitch in to cleanup along the Pigeon River in Canton
 

Pitch in to cleanup along the Pigeon River in Canton

Volunteers are needed for a cleanup day along the walking trail and stream bank of the Pigeon River at Canton…
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Marathon mountain bike race rolls in to Tsali
 

Marathon mountain bike race rolls in to Tsali

A 12-hour bike race in Nantahala National Forest near Bryson City will test the mettle and stamina of participating peddlers.…
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Duckett’s Produce enters tenth season
 

Duckett’s Produce enters tenth season

Duckett’s Produce has reopened for a tenth season at three locations in Haywood County, including Maggie Valley, Crabtree and Canton,…
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Salamander to be celebrated at Cradle of Forestry
 

Salamander to be celebrated at Cradle of Forestry

The Southern Appalachians have the world’s highest diversity of salamanders, and Salamander Saturday will introduce some of the key players,…
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Avian experience coming to Sapphire
 

Avian experience coming to Sapphire

A raptor demonstration at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, at Sapphire Valley Community Center will give participants a chance to…
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Story of the Cullowhee lily to be told at Lake J
 

Story of the Cullowhee lily to be told at Lake J

The tale of the once-common Cullowhee lily will take center stage at the next meeting of the Tuscola Garden Club,…
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Obstacle race serves up family-friendly adventure
 

Obstacle race serves up family-friendly adventure

The Merrell Adventure Dash, held at 4:30 p.m. May 24 in the Nantahala Gorge, will give participants of all ages…
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Ducks on the Tuck fundraiser floats into Swain County
 

Ducks on the Tuck fundraiser floats into Swain County

Ducks — of the rubber variety — will take to the Tuckaseegee River 1 p.m. Saturday, May 24, in an…
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Parkway project funding announced
 

Parkway project funding announced

More than $700,000 in funds raised from license plates, gifts and grants will go toward projects and programs on the…
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