For you the bells toll
Waiting in the ubiquitous checkout line, I spied a National Geographic special publication, “50 of the World’s last great places…
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Camping’s golden era: Short on gadgets, but flush with style
It was the golden age of camping. It was absent of Gore-Tex, Smart Wool, Nalgene water bottles or light-weight Titanium…
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Guided hike will explore historic parts of Cataloochee Valley
A guided hike in the Cataloochee Valley area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be held Thursday, Oct.…
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Take outdoor photos with the experts
The Lens Luggers outdoor photography group will host two excursions, Oct. 20 and 21, to give visual enthusiasts the opportunity…
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Join a guided hike to Hemphill Bald at Cataloochee Ranch
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy is leading a hike to Hemphill Bald at Cataloochee Ranch at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct.…
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Free seminar to cover ins-and-outs of conservation agreements
A free workshop for landowners interested in learning more about conservtion agreements with a land trust will be held from…
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Old time campin’ on tap in the Pisgah Forest
Historical and outdoor enthusiasts can go watch a small group of re-enactors in a reconstructed campsite of the early 1900’s…
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Tuckasegee to receive 19,600 trout this fall
The delayed harvest section of the Tuckasegee River in Jackson County, one of 15 spots on the Western North Carolina…
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Massey Branch Boat ramp to close
The U.S. Forest Service will close the Massey Branch Boat Ramp on Lake Santeetlah beginning Oct. 15 so that improvements…
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Raising hellbenders is no small feat
Biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission have launched a captive breeding program for the giant, odd-looking Hellbender salamander, also…
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Leaf lookers take heed
The U.S. Forest Service has launched a web site for “Leaf Viewing in Western North Carolina.” The site features scenic…
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A braver, newer world
Or at least a younger one anyway — one of the ranking members of the House’s Committee on Science, Space…
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Uncovering the past before it’s too late: Old Smokies’ homesites slowly succumbing to time and elements
As Don Casada veered off-trail and began bushwhacking his way over fallen logs and through overgrown shrubs along the shore…
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Ice Age comes alive in new exhibit
A new exhibit at The North Carolina Arboretum, After the Dinosaurs: The Age of Mammals and Ice, unlocks the mysteries…
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Free pesticide disposal day
A pesticide collection day for unwanted pesticides will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, at…
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Hike to Highland’s Rock Mountain
A guided hike to the summit of Rock Mountain in the Highlands area will be held from 9 a.m. until…
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Grants to help farmers put out new roots
Farmers in Western North Carolina can tap $3,000 to $6,000 grants from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to help…
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Survey shows outdoorsmen are environmentalists
A new national poll released last month shows sportsmen prioritize protecting public lands above energy production. The poll conducted for…
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Pick up winter gardening tips from leading WNC botanist
An organic winter gardening workshop be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Cullowhee home…
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Hikers needed for Mountain-to-Sea Trail routes
Hikers are needed to hike proposed Mountain-to-Sea Trail routes in Jackson and Swain counties in and give feedback about the…
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Learn about the how and why of fall colors
The Highlands Nature Center will host a program on fall colors from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct.…
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Catch fall colors with Parkway hike
Blue Ridge Parkway rangers will lead an easy to moderate 2.5 mile roundtrip hike to the summit of Sam Knob…
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Hikes with Land Trust for the Little Tennessee
The Land Trust for the Little Tennessee will host a guided hike to Yellow Creek Falls in Graham County on…
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What to bee-lieve
Apparently what was apparent to many scientists and researchers back in 2008 is becoming more apparent — or not. Honeybee…
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Up-and-coming: Gorges State Park unveils new visitor center
Gorges State Park born just more than 10 years ago is now finally on its way to becoming one of…
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Rooted in the Mountains symposium comes to WCU
The third annual Rooted in the Mountains symposium at Western Carolina University will be held from 10 a.m. to 6:30…
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Help sought in mapping historic settlements
When the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created in the 1930s and 1940s, hundreds of families were forced to…
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Take a volunteer vacation along the A.T.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Rocky Top Trail Crew is looking for volunteers to help reconstruct a remote section of the…
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Haywood Master Gardeners to give grants
The Haywood County Master Gardener Volunteer Association is accepting applications for grants for horticultural projects in Haywood County. The deadline…
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Help bring back the Cullowhee lily by planting bulbs
An effort to re-establish the Cullowhee lily on the Western Carolina University campus gets under way this fall with a…
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First whitewater releases hit the Upper Nantahala
Paddlers hungry to sample the newest whitewater run to hit WNC’s rivers will flock to the upper reaches of the…
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NOC serves up guest appreciation festival
Nantahala Outdoor Center will host its end-of-season Guest Appreciation Festival Sept. 28-30. A cornerstone of the annual event is the…
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Competition and culture at Forest Festival Day
Grab your axes. The 17th Annual John G. Palmer Woodmen’s Meet at The Cradle of Forestry in the Pisgah National…
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Dry Falls reopens after extensive rehab
The U.S. Forest Service reopened Dry Falls in the Nantahala National Forest Saturday, Sept. 22. The site has been closed…
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Introduce kids to the joys of mountain biking
Grab the kids and the bikes and head to the trails of Deep Creek outside Bryson City to celebrate ‘Take…
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Learn how to forage for edibles
Wild foods expert Alan Muskat of Asheville will lead a foraging workshop from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday,…
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Birds of prey to swoop into farmers market
Owls, falcons and other birds of prey will make an appearance at the Haywood Historic Farmers Market in Waynesville from…
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Birds and butterflies and flowers, oh my
I had the pleasure of leading nine women from the Great Smoky Mountains Audubon Chapter on an outing along the…
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Galax takes a beating from blackmarket trade
They operate in groups, or sometimes alone, packing duffle bags of the illicit product by foot through the Western North…
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Pour Le Pink 5K to raise money for breast cancer services
The Highlands-Cashiers Hospital Foundation will hold a breast cancer benefit 5K run/walk at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, in Highlands.…
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Streak along the Tuck for a good cause
The annual Smoky Streak run will be held Saturday, Oct. 6, along the Tuckasegee River in Sylva to raise money…
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Library to host local herbalist
Discover the world of herbs, from cooking to healing to the best ways to grow them, at 7 p.m. Tuesday,…
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Discover where Civil War history intersects with hiking trails
The Macon County Public Library will present “Hiking Through History” with Leanna Joyner at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in…
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‘Beauty Beneath the Dirt’ to be screened at REI
A film about three Appalachian Trail thru-hikers will be shown 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the REI in Asheville.…
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Celebrating 35 years of the Bartram Trail
The North Carolina Bartram Trail Society will celebrate its 35th anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 29, in Franklin with a program…
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Spotlight hunting of coyotes challenged
State wildlife officials have gone too far in their goal of putting a dent in the coyote population, particularly when…
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Nantahala Hiking Club hosts family hiking day
The Nantahala Hiking Club, along with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, is holding a free “Family Hiking Day” on Saturday, Sept.…
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Wildlife group can’t find a hero in state legislative
In an unprecedented move, the North Carolina Wildlife Federation has declined to honor a Legislator of the Year for the…
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Foliage forecaster predicts good, but spotty, colors
Visitors to Western North Carolina’s mountains can look forward to a good display of color this autumn, although some areas…
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Monarchs migrate through WNC
A program called “Bring Back the Monarchs” will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, at the Cradle of…
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