Northern Pintail
Thanks to a head’s up from Tim Carstens last Sunday morning (1/15), I saw a drake northern pintail, Anas acuta,…
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WNC Alliance director appointed to MRC
The executive director of the Western North Carolina Alliance has been appointed to the state’s influential Mountain Resources Commission (MRC).…
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Pittillo to speak at Franklin meeting
Retired Western Carolina University professor and well-known regional fall color prognosticator Dan Pittillo will be the speaker at 2 p.m.…
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Grants available for renewable energy
Mountain Valleys Resource Conservation and Development is accepting applications from Western North Carolina farmers interested in generating renewable energy on…
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Why pitch in? One trail volunteer shares her story
Trail maintenance has an obvious benefit: it’s darn good exercise. But for Becky Smucker, a volunteer trail crew leader in…
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Friends of the Smokies receives $10K from REI
Moving mountains is no easy task, but volunteers and trail crews hauling boulders, digging waterbars and otherwise rehabilitating trails in…
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NOC wins prestigious outdoor award
The Nantahala Outdoor Center has been bestowed with the 2012 Outdoor Industry Association Outdoor Inspiration Award. It is the outdoor…
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Work continues on the French Broad River Paddle Trail
A volunteer work day to work on campsites for the French Broad River Paddle Trail will take place from 10…
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Watershed plan subject of Jan. 12 meeting
The Macon County League of Women Voters of Macon County will host a program on a newly completed study on…
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Whoopers and hoodeds
Cranes are cool. These big beautiful graceful birds jolt the souls of non-birders and birders alike. At five feet tall,…
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Hikers voices wanted: National forests ask trail users to step up and join the conversation
More than 5 million people hit the trails in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests last year — a number…
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Volunteer crews troll the forests to keep trails clear
Next time you hike a trail, pause a minute and give silent thanks to the legion of trail volunteers who…
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Garden seed ordering set for this month
The fourth-annual Group Seed Order will take place at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Jackson Street in Sylva on Saturday,…
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Calling volunteers for trail work at Gorges Park
Volunteers are needed at Gorges State Park in Sapphire to help build and maintain trails, with work parties scheduled weekly…
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Smokies’ partners renovate their final trail shelter in park
Volunteer organizations have donated labor and money to improve cooking and sleeping quarters for campers, while also reducing potential problems…
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Night hunting now legal for wild hogs
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission now allows hunting of feral swine and wild hogs at night — but hunters need…
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DVD of national fly-fishing competition available for sale
Learn topnotch, competitive-level fly-fishing techniques via a filmed fly-fishing competition that took place last year here in Western North Carolina.…
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AT Bald Trail permanently protected
The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy transferred 35 acres to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service to protect…
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WCU students help children with autism
A local fly-fishing guide and recreational therapy students at Western Carolina University teamed up recently to provide a fly-fishing outing…
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Rain for wind
This year’s ninth annual Balsam Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held Friday Dec. 30. As I was driving home from…
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Slope bound: Snow, let alone skiing, proves a novel experience for some first-timers
Living in the mountains of Western North Carolina, it is hard to imagine never seeing snow — but Elizabeth Comberg…
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The ethics of conservation in your own backyard
A program called “Land Ethics: Reconnecting with the Natural World” will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12 at…
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HCC a national model of sustainable practices
Haywood Community College’s hard work to build a sustainable campus is featured on a campus sustainability case study database. The…
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Farm and forest land eligible for tax breaks
If you have 10 acres or more of agricultural land or five acres of horticultural land and make a gross…
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Help the environment farming, the feds might help you
Farmers are eligible for grant money to help with projects to make their operations more environmentally-friendly through the USDA’s Natural…
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Group runs to inspire half-marathon hopefuls
If the holidays resulted in a few extra inches to your waistline and you’re determined to get fit, a free…
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Mount Mitchell gets new superintendent
Bryan Wilder, a veteran state park ranger, has been promoted to superintendent of Mount Mitchell State Park. Wilder takes over…
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A Wild Week in the Wilderness
The 22nd Annual Wilderness Wildlife Week is scheduled for Jan. 7-14 in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. This year’s Wildlife Week boasts…
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Origin of WCU white squirrel a mystery
A rare sighting of a white squirrel at Western Carolina University has workers there abuzz. The squirrel has been spotted…
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Gov. Purdue recognizes Save the Frogs Day
Gov. Beverly Purdue of North Carolina recently issued a proclamation officially declaring April 28 “Save the Frogs Day” in the…
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Group negotiates compromise to save old-growth stands
Conservation groups are hailing an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service that they say will protect an area of rare…
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Friends save tract bordering the park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park got an early Holiday gift on Dec. 14 when the Friends of the Smokies officially…
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National Park road updates hit Twitter
If you want to know which roads are closed because of weather conditions in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,…
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New NC bird habitat map online via Audubon
Audubon North Carolina has put out a new edition of Important Bird Areas of North Carolina, a full-color publication with…
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Start the New Year with a hike at Gorges Park
Gorges State Park is sponsoring a free, guided hike on New Year’s Day. This is a part of First Day…
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Frosty Foot trail races coming to Tsali
Feeling sprightly in the New Year? Then hit the trails in the Tsali National Forest Recreation Area Jan. 7 with…
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Walking trail at Lake Junaluska lengthened
The walking trail at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center is getting longer thanks to a new one-half mile extension…
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Become a Master Gardener
If you are in Jackson and Swain counties, it’s time to sign up for the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service’s Master…
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A wonderful Christmas gift
The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), Wild South, the Western North Carolina Alliance (WNCA) and the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition…
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Surf’s up on the Nanty: Paddler feedback integral to honing the new ‘Wave’
The common phrase heard among kayakers daring the Nantahala’s new wave: “It’s getting there.” The Wave in the Nantahala Gorge…
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WCU program receives grant to study impact of rising sea-levels
Western Carolina University’s Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines has received a $239,000 grant from the National Park Service…
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Celebrate the sun with solstice walk
Celebrate the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, by participating in a nighttime walk at 7 p.m. Thursday,…
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Ring in 2012 with a 5K run
The seventh annual Run in 2012 5K will be held at 11 a.m. Jan. 1 in Jackson County. The race…
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Christmas weekend hikes planned
Enjoy the outdoors this Christmas by participating in a series of guided hikes scheduled to take place during the holiday…
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Nationally and here at home, sales of local foods are surging
Local food sales are predicted to reach $7 billion nationally in 2012, according to a report released last month by…
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Master Stewardship on the ground
A North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) press release from Dec. 9 announced that work was underway, “… to restore…
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Tom Sawyer’s Tree Farm: A slice of Christmas with your choose-and-cut experience
Christmas tree farming is nothing new in Western North Carolina thanks to the perfect climate, perfect soil and preponderance of…
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Hay prices burning through your dollars?
Learn how to cut down on winter hay-feeding bills by utilizing winter grazing techniques. A “pasture walk” is set for…
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Come see ‘The Wave’ on the Nantahala
The Nantahala Gorge Worlds Organizing Committee will celebrate the completion of The Wave on Friday, Dec. 16, with a ceremony,…
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Working together to address wildlife habitat concerns
Work is under way on the first wildlife habitat enhancement project in Western North Carolina that relies on an outside…
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