Free photography program offered at Wildlife Center
 

Free photography program offered at Wildlife Center

Improve your outdoor photography skills at a free program scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 24, at the…
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Not-so-strange bedfellows
 

Not-so-strange bedfellows

I was encouraged by a recent press release from the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. The release stated, “In a show…
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Welcome AT hikers: Franklin gears up for stream of thru hikers with annual Trail Days bash
 

Welcome AT hikers: Franklin gears up for stream of thru hikers with annual Trail Days bash

Susan Sakna and her two dogs were far from their home in Massachusetts. But like many Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, Sakna…
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WCU beats ASU in ‘Battle of the Plug’
 

WCU beats ASU in ‘Battle of the Plug’

Western Carolina University won the three-week "Battle of the Plug" challenge against Appalachian State University, reporting a higher percentage of…
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WNC Alliance gets new board members
 

WNC Alliance gets new board members

One of the region's most storied conservation groups, Western North Carolina Alliance, has some new blood on its board. From…
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Guided nature walk focusing on amphibians
 

Guided nature walk focusing on amphibians

Learn about slithery things at "On the Lookout for Amphibians," a program on amphibians followed by a guided amphibian hike…
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Anglers getting ready for some spring action
 

Anglers getting ready for some spring action

The Fontana Marina Classic Bass Tournament will be held March 17 and March 18 with overall prizes of $5,000 in…
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Foundation gives in big way to parkway
 

Foundation gives in big way to parkway

Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation has given more than $650,000 to the Blue Ridge Parkway for projects and programs this year.…
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Help cleanup the lake you love
 

Help cleanup the lake you love

Lake Junaluska will have its annual clean-up day on Saturday, March 24. The lake is down for silt removal, which…
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Mountain Treasures
 

Mountain Treasures

In 1987 the U.S. Forest Service issued a "final" forest management plan — a plan so vague and so lacking…
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Laurel Garden Club supports plant rescue efforts
 

Laurel Garden Club supports plant rescue efforts

The Laurel Garden Club is giving the Highlands Biological Station a grant to purchase a greenhouse package for the propagation…
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Third-annual Meadowbrook Cubs runs and health fair
 

Third-annual Meadowbrook Cubs runs and health fair

Cubs on the Run 5k Race and Fun Run/Walk is set for 9 a.m. March 24 in Canton, following a…
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Registration under way for trail workshop at WCU
 

Registration under way for trail workshop at WCU

Volunteers interested in assisting with construction and maintenance of a new trail at Western Carolina University are invited to participate…
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Spring hikes focus on fauna
 

Spring hikes focus on fauna

Two great opportunities to learn about and enjoy spring wildflowers are coming up, both under the guidance of the Land…
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Get ready for Polar wade into Bear Lake
 

Get ready for Polar wade into Bear Lake

Well, it might not exactly live up to the name "Polar Plunge" given the current spate of warm weather, but…
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See the elk, help a good cause
 

See the elk, help a good cause

WNC Nature Center's most-popular offsite excursion, to see the elk in Cataloochee Valley, is coming up from 2 p.m. until…
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Report: Blue Ridge Parkway adds up to jobs, money
 

Report: Blue Ridge Parkway adds up to jobs, money

A new National Park Service report shows that more than 14.5 million visitors spent $299 million along the Blue Ridge…
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Roller derby debut upcoming in Bryson City
 

Roller derby debut upcoming in Bryson City

The Smoky Mountain Roller Girls, an all female roller derby league, will hold its debut competition from 5 to 7…
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New Friends of Panthertown president brings wealth of skills
 

New Friends of Panthertown president brings wealth of skills

Margaret Fry Carton of the Cashiers area has been elected president of the Friends of Panthertown, a nonprofit that protects,…
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Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a land ethic for our time
 

Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a land ethic for our time

A documentary on Aldo Leopold, the famous forester and environmentalist, will be screened at 6 p.m. March 15, at the…
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Cleanup leaders in Haywood recognized
 

Cleanup leaders in Haywood recognized

Winners of "Community Pride" awards through Haywood County's Commission for a Clean County will gather at noon, Feb. 15, at…
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Locally-grown food isn’t just hip, it’s an economic tool
 

Locally-grown food isn’t just hip, it’s an economic tool

A two-day conference titled “Growing the Appalachian Food Economy: A Forum on Local Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture” will be…
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Sprouting an idea: Seed exchange puts down roots in Sylva
 

Sprouting an idea: Seed exchange puts down roots in Sylva

Borrow seeds in the spring, grow your garden in summer, give them back in the fall. That’s the premise of…
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Eat wings on the run in Finger Lickin’ race
 

Eat wings on the run in Finger Lickin’ race

Runners will have a chance to mix running and chicken-wing-eating as a Western Carolina University student organization, the Western Athletic…
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A different martial arts style comes to Sylva
 

A different martial arts style comes to Sylva

Aikido, a form of martial arts that means “the Way of Spirit Harmony,” will be offered in Sylva from 7:30…
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WCU’s Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon
 

WCU’s Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon

Runners still have time to register for Western Carolina University’s Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon and 5-K at early…
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Farmers get new community kitchen
 

Farmers get new community kitchen

Thanks to an $8,000 grant from WNC Agricultural Options, the Jackson County Farmers Market in Sylva will open a community…
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Re-discovering Cherokee Trails focus of program
 

Re-discovering Cherokee Trails focus of program

The historic Cherokee trails in Jackson County and the surrounding areas will be highlighted during program held at 7 p.m.,…
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Learn how to take care of your fruit tree
 

Learn how to take care of your fruit tree

The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service will hold free fruit tree workshops that will cover the basic needs of apple, pear…
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Learn to grow your own mushrooms
 

Learn to grow your own mushrooms

The Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance will hold a workshop on shiitake and oyster mushroom cultivation at 2 p.m., March 24, at…
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Bass fishermen set sights on Fontana Lake
 

Bass fishermen set sights on Fontana Lake

A bass tournament hosted by Fontana Village Resort will be held on Fontana Lake March 17 and March 18. With…
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Land Trust gets “heroes” thumbs-up
 

Land Trust gets “heroes” thumbs-up

The Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust was awarded an honorable mention in “eco-preservation” category of Southern Living magazine’s “Heroes of the New…
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Spring equinox on stage at planetarium presentation
 

Spring equinox on stage at planetarium presentation

A special StarLab Planetarium presentation will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, March 9, at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute…
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What light over yonder horizon shines?
 

What light over yonder horizon shines?

Due to a lack of foresight and copious amounts of poor planning, I found myself last Sunday evening (Feb. 26)…
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HCC students serve up animal calls at annual wild game dinner
 

HCC students serve up animal calls at annual wild game dinner

Chris Graves had just parked a school van in a field, and his wildlife students were filing out for some…
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Explore history with a guided hike in the Smokies
 

Explore history with a guided hike in the Smokies

Join Friends of the Smokies for a guided hike along Kephart Prong Trail, followed by a visit to the Oconaluftee…
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Smokies volunteers needed at Oconaluftee and Clingmans Dome
 

Smokies volunteers needed at Oconaluftee and Clingmans Dome

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting for a variety of volunteer opportunities at Oconaluftee and Clingmans Dome for…
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The bear is back
 

The bear is back

The iconic bear specialty license plate that raises dollars for Friends of the Smokies is being sold again, with an…
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Monitoring to root out erosion sources in Haywood
 

Monitoring to root out erosion sources in Haywood

A $500 grant was awarded to Haywood Waterways Association by the Haywood County Community Foundation to expand Haywood Waterways’ sediment…
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Mountain fly-fishing team lands line-up of top notch coaches
 

Mountain fly-fishing team lands line-up of top notch coaches

The N.C. Fly Fishing Team, who count the region’s best fishermen among their ranks, has now hooked one of the…
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HCC Wildlife Club to host wild game dinner
 

HCC Wildlife Club to host wild game dinner

The sixth-annual Wild Game Dinner is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, March 2, at the Haywood County Fairgrounds.  …
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Greenhouse space available in Waynesville
 

Greenhouse space available in Waynesville

If you are short on greenhouse space but want to grow your own plants, consider using the Old Armory Recreation…
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Environmental group wants to duke it out with energy company
 

Environmental group wants to duke it out with energy company

Greenpeace activists, in what promises to be a long, high-profile campaign against Duke Energy for perceived environmental wrongs, launched the…
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Counting at Kituwah
 

Counting at Kituwah

This year was the 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, a citizen-science project created by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and…
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Battle of the Plug: WCU raises the stakes on a national energy conservation competition
 

Battle of the Plug: WCU raises the stakes on a national energy conservation competition

Things have gotten slightly darker at Western Carolina University. The Cullowhee-based college is battling Boone’s Appalachian State University in the…
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Program to discuss mercury fall-out
 

Program to discuss mercury fall-out

A program on mercury pollution in mountain waters will be held by the Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River at…
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A new trail winds its way to WCU
 

A new trail winds its way to WCU

Construction of nearly five miles of multiuse trail for walkers, hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers on Western Carolina University’s…
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Race — or crawl — in the upcoming Assault on Black Rock
 

Race — or crawl — in the upcoming Assault on Black Rock

The second-annual Assault on Black Rock trail race in Jackson County will take place beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, March…
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Dillsboro growers’ fair seeking vendors
 

Dillsboro growers’ fair seeking vendors

Vegetable and flower growers wanting to participate in The Full Spectrum Farms — Growers’ Fair in March can submit vendor…
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Help root out unwanted plants along the AT
 

Help root out unwanted plants along the AT

Help root out those unwanted invasives in the forests by volunteering from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, March 3,…
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