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First-ever releases on the Upper Nanty
 

First-ever releases on the Upper Nanty

The first-ever scheduled recreational whitewater releases on the upper Nantahala River — scheduled for Sept. 29-30 — will offer advanced…
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HCC to hold sawmill operation auction Sept. 22
 

HCC to hold sawmill operation auction Sept. 22

Haywood Community College will hold a sawmill operation auction at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 22, at the college. The…
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Symposium on carnivorous plants
 

Symposium on carnivorous plants

Carnivorous plants will be highlighted at the annual Native Plant Symposium at the Highlands Botanical Garden Sept. 13-15.
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Series finale focuses on nocturnal adaptations
 

Series finale focuses on nocturnal adaptations

The nocturnal adaptations of plants and animals will be the subject of the final Zahner series lecture at 7 p.m.…
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A grand gorge
 

A grand gorge

Somewhere in the deep reaches of Sugar and/or Grandfather Mountains, seeps, rivulets and trickles begin to mingle and grow and…
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Wrangling bison: A delicate dance with 2,000 pounds and four hooves
 

Wrangling bison: A delicate dance with 2,000 pounds and four hooves

As the small, all-terrain vehicle drew near, the buffalo snorted and then lowered its massive head. It shuffled its feet,…
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Buffalo rancher plans herd expansion into cattle country
 

Buffalo rancher plans herd expansion into cattle country

Frank King is on a mission to find the perfect meat. King, the owner of King Bio Natural Medicine, holistic…
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Haywood youngsters get lesson on trash
 

Haywood youngsters get lesson on trash

The Commission for a Clean County debuted its new project called KEEP IT CLEAN! at Riverbend Elementary School in Haywood…
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4-H Club comes center stage
 

4-H Club comes center stage

Youth with the 4-H Livestock Club in Haywood County will be front and center at the county fair this weekend…
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Serving it up farm fresh
 

Serving it up farm fresh

Chef Chris Dole will be creating dishes to sample using farm fresh, in-season foods from vendors at the Jackson County…
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Maggie Valley Moonlight Run set for Saturday
 

Maggie Valley Moonlight Run set for Saturday

Runners will kick up their heels down the main drag of Maggie Valley this Saturday evening in the annual night-time…
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Panthertown calling volunteers
 

Panthertown calling volunteers

Volunteers are needed to lend a hand this Saturday, August 25, for the trails of Panthertown Valley, a popular and…
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Scott’s Creek trails offer window on nature in the middle of town
 

Scott’s Creek trails offer window on nature in the middle of town

A nature discovery trail along Scott’s Creek in Dillsboro has been two years in the making and the Watershed Association…
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Kephart Days pays tribute to Smokies icon
 

Kephart Days pays tribute to Smokies icon

The life and contributions of Horace Kephart, an outdoor writer, folklorist and founder of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,…
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Guided bird walk to be held in Sapphire
 

Guided bird walk to be held in Sapphire

A 2.5-mile bird walk around Fairfield Lake in Sapphire will be led by two expert birders with the Highlands Plateau…
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The life and times of song sparrows unveiled by professor
 

The life and times of song sparrows unveiled by professor

A Western Carolina University professor studying social behavior of birds will present findings of his latest research at 7:30 p.m.…
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Telethon rallies funding support for Smokies
 

Telethon rallies funding support for Smokies

Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park raised $192,157 last week during the annual “Friends Across the Mountains” telethon broadcast…
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It’s in the wind
 

It’s in the wind

I was outside with Maddie (6) the other afternoon and there was a gentle breeze. “Daddy, doesn’t it smell like…
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King Of The Smokies Triathlon set for Lake J on Sept. 1
 

King Of The Smokies Triathlon set for Lake J on Sept. 1

The King of the Smokies sprint and international distance triathlons will be held at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center…
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Talk looks at learning outside the classroom
 

Talk looks at learning outside the classroom

Dr. Karen Kandl, associate director at the Highlands Biological Station, will speak on “Biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians: Learning outside…
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Labor Day LakeAlooza party at Fontana Village
 

Labor Day LakeAlooza party at Fontana Village

Fontana Village Resort will host a LakeAlooza party on Labor Day weekend. A full day of water activities at Fontana…
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Public television show focuses on environmental issues
 

Public television show focuses on environmental issues

This American Land, a new weekly half-hour series that delves into key environmental issues, is now airing on UNC-TV every…
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High school students complete WCU bike trek
 

High school students complete WCU bike trek

Eleven high school students from Western North Carolina had an opportunity to learn about biology and ecology this summer as…
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Volunteer needed at Oconaluftee
 

Volunteer needed at Oconaluftee

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting volunteers to help the park staff by roving the River Trail, Mountain…
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Photography classes turn the eye to nature in WNC
 

Photography classes turn the eye to nature in WNC

A field photography program that includes four Wednesday morning shoots, three evening group critiques and field discussions will be held…
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Aug. 16 telethon is great chance to help the Smokies
 

Aug. 16 telethon is great chance to help the Smokies

It’s amazing what can happen in just 60 minutes. Each year, the Friends Across the Mountains telethon showcases inspiring images…
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DuPont forest trip for seniors
 

DuPont forest trip for seniors

The Waynesville Parks and Recreation Department will offer a trip for seniors to DuPont State Forest near Brevard on Sept.…
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Interactive fishing map released
 

Interactive fishing map released

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission recently added a new interactive map to its website that identifies more than 500 public…
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Plant-insect symbiosis focus of hike
 

Plant-insect symbiosis focus of hike

Blue Ridge Parkway rangers will lead a “Sweet Summer Nectar” hike to the meadow near Sams Knob beginning at 10…
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Stoked for storks
 

Stoked for storks

As we started over the bridge on the Isle of Palms Connector, I noticed a line of large black and…
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AT celebrates 75 years
 

AT celebrates 75 years

As the legend goes, Earl Shaffer, the first man to hike the Appalachian Trail from end-to-end in 1948, used leather…
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Parking lot offers native plant lesson
 

Parking lot offers native plant lesson

The native garden located at the Bridge Park parking lot in the triangle surrounding the Jackson County Farmers Market sign…
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Arboretum hosting world renowned gardeners
 

Arboretum hosting world renowned gardeners

The Speaking of Gardening symposium Aug. 24-25 at the N.C. Arboretum will bring some of the world’s finest gardeners to…
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Family tours of Tuckasegee tributary
 

Family tours of Tuckasegee tributary

The Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River is offering guided adventure tours from 9 to 11 a.m. each Saturday morning…
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Group celebrating AT anniversary
 

Group celebrating AT anniversary

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Appalachian Trail with a summer games…
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New law legalizes night hunting of coyotes, boar
 

New law legalizes night hunting of coyotes, boar

New state hunting laws make it legal to hunt coyotes and feral swine at night on private lands. The laws…
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HCC to offer Hunter Safety courses
 

HCC to offer Hunter Safety courses

Haywood Community College’s Natural Resources Division and the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will offer Hunter Safety courses from 6-9:30…
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Outdoor Sportsman’s Day Aug. 18
 

Outdoor Sportsman’s Day Aug. 18

The WNC Sportsman’s Club and the Lake Logan Episcopal Center are sponsoring an Outdoor Sportsmans Day beginning at 9 a.m.…
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Dinner to benefit Elk Foundation
 

Dinner to benefit Elk Foundation

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will hold a fundraising banquet and auction on Aug. 18 at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Hotel…
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Lecture to center on extinct cougar
 

Lecture to center on extinct cougar

Dr. Ron Sutherland will give a presentation on the eastern cougar at 7 p.m. on Aug. 16 as part of…
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Seminars focus on forest stewardship
 

Seminars focus on forest stewardship

North Carolina State University’s Forestry & Environmental Outreach Program is co-sponsoring a series of four workshops for private forest landowners…
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Onward and upward
 

Onward and upward

Last week I wrote about the dark subterranean part of our little family adventure, which was a visit to Linville…
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Blue Ridge Breakaway breaks path for bike culture
 

Blue Ridge Breakaway breaks path for bike culture

By Paul Clark • Contributing writer Hundreds of bicyclists will soon be zipping along the scenic byways of Haywood County…
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Learn about seed saving and lending
 

Learn about seed saving and lending

A program on the local seed lending library in Jackson County will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 8…
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Learn to identify plants from the best
 

Learn to identify plants from the best

Dr. Dan Pittillo will lead a two-part workshop on plant identification beginning at 10 a.m. on Aug. 6 at the…
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Carnivorous plant tour in Highlands
 

Carnivorous plant tour in Highlands

The Highlands Botanical Garden will offer a free tour focusing on carnivorous plants of the Southern Appalachians at 10:30 a.m.…
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Teachers and students become park rangers
 

Teachers and students become park rangers

Local teachers and students will return to school with a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from a summer working…
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15K trail run at Camp Daniel Boone
 

15K trail run at Camp Daniel Boone

The Daniel Boone Scramble 15k Trail Run will take place on Aug. 11 at Camp Daniel Boone in Haywood County.…
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Teddy Roosevelt helps J-MCA raise money
 

Teddy Roosevelt helps J-MCA raise money

Joe Wiegand, regarded as the nation’s premiere Theodore Roosevelt impersonator, will bring the conservation-minded president to life during a fundraising…
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‘Why do you love AT’ video contest
 

‘Why do you love AT’ video contest

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) — to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the completion of the AT — is hosting…
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