Main Street Mile to blaze through downtown Waynesville
 

Main Street Mile to blaze through downtown Waynesville

The second annual Waynesville Main Street Mile will be held on Friday, August 12. The race ends at the historic…
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Another notch in the conservation of Yellow Mountain
 

Another notch in the conservation of Yellow Mountain

Another 207-acre tract on Little Yellow Mountain in Mitchell and Avery counties has been saved from development thanks the efforts…
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Hundreds of athletes to descend on Lake Logan this weekend
 

Hundreds of athletes to descend on Lake Logan this weekend

Haywood County will be crawling with runners, bikers and swimmers this weekend for the Lake Logan Multi-Sports Festival on August…
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Gone Fishin’ at the lake
 

Gone Fishin’ at the lake

A Gone Fishin’ program will be offered from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, August 13. Participants will meet…
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Farm to School movement takes off in Jackson County
 

Farm to School movement takes off in Jackson County

A Farm to School movement, an effort to get fresh, healthy foods in front of school kids, has taken off…
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Haywood farmers bone up on business skills and planning
 

Haywood farmers bone up on business skills and planning

Nine Haywood County farmers and growers boosted their business planning with agriculture-specific training through Mountain BizWorks. Bethel farmer Skipper Russell,…
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Haywood farmers market makes shopping festive
 

Haywood farmers market makes shopping festive

Haywood Historic Farmer’s Market will pull out all the stops this Saturday, Aug. 6, with a festival celebrating the full…
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OK, this polar bear walks into a Scottish bar…
 

OK, this polar bear walks into a Scottish bar…

That’s probably not the exact scenario but a recent article in Current Biology claims that most, if not all, of…
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The great outdoors: New Franklin outfitter store proves a big hit with enthusiasts
 

The great outdoors: New Franklin outfitter store proves a big hit with enthusiasts

With the explosion of outdoor sports over the past few decades in Western North Carolina, perhaps it shouldn’t come as…
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Extreme dog action comes to Cherokee
 

Extreme dog action comes to Cherokee

Dogs performing aerial tricks and other extreme stunts will come to Cherokee for the Carolina Dock Dogs exhibition Aug. 5…
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Hundreds of children await Talking Trees Trout Derby on Aug. 6
 

Hundreds of children await Talking Trees Trout Derby on Aug. 6

Kids ages 3 to 11 will swarm the river bank at Oconaluftee Island Park in Cherokee for the 10th annual…
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Learn angling tips from the pros
 

Learn angling tips from the pros

Owners of the region’s largest fly shops and fishing outfitters will share insight on local waters at the next meeting…
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Swain 4-H’ers learn outdoor basics
 

Swain 4-H’ers learn outdoor basics

Swain’s newest 4-H Club, the Outdoor Adventurers, hiked Clingmans Dome to the observation tower and participated in two Junior Ranger…
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Scenic byway lands to get protection
 

Scenic byway lands to get protection

North Carolina’s land trusts, including the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, have for a…
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Hop on board tour to learn about beer brewing
 

Hop on board tour to learn about beer brewing

Learn to put a little hop in your brew on a tour of Hop’n Blueberry Farm and Pisgah Brewing Company.…
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Heritage celebration held at Waterrock Knob
 

Heritage celebration held at Waterrock Knob

Appalachian crafters, old-timey demonstrations, Cherokee culture and mountain music will be celebrated during a special event at the Waterrock Knob…
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Hunting safety courses planned at HCC
 

Hunting safety courses planned at HCC

Learn how to be safe in the woods while hunting through a series of Hunter Safety courses at Haywood Community…
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Campers get lessons in water quality
 

Campers get lessons in water quality

Young campers from the Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville were given a hands-on lesson about water quality in…
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Map leads the way to Haywood farm spots
 

Map leads the way to Haywood farm spots

The new 2011 edition of the Haywood County farm map and brochure has been released. The new publication lists more…
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Tour the trees of downtown Sylva
 

Tour the trees of downtown Sylva

An opportunity to learn about the trees in downtown Sylva and surrounding areas takes place Thursday, Aug. 11, with a…
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Feeling dumb – go take a hike
 

Feeling dumb – go take a hike

A recently published study in Proceedings, an online medical journal of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that regular aerobic…
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Old growth’s last stand: Joyce Kilmer Forest marks 75th anniversary
 

Old growth’s last stand: Joyce Kilmer Forest marks 75th anniversary

That the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in Graham County isn’t what it once was is true — the large hemlocks…
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Run for Joyce Kilmer
 

Run for Joyce Kilmer

A 5K and 10K race will be held in conjunction with the 75th anniversary events for Joyce Kilmer on Saturday,…
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High school students stage run to help humanity’s water woes
 

High school students stage run to help humanity’s water woes

The Franklin Blue Planet 5K for Clean Water, a charity run, will be kick off at 9 a.m. August 6…
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Folkmoot gives 5K a festive flair
 

Folkmoot gives 5K a festive flair

The annual Folkmoot 5K Walk/Run and Kids’ Fun Run, held in conjunction with the Folkmoot Dance and Music festival, will…
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Master Gardeners offer mini-grants for projects
 

Master Gardeners offer mini-grants for projects

The Haywood County Master Gardener Volunteer Association is offering grants for research or education in the areas of environment, gardening…
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BatFest to shed light on the world of nocturnal flying mammals
 

BatFest to shed light on the world of nocturnal flying mammals

BatFest 2011 will be held from 2 p.m. until 5:30 p.m Sunday, July 31, in Crossnore, giving the public an…
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Bear photographer to share insights at talk
 

Bear photographer to share insights at talk

Bill Lea, renowned nature photographer, will present “Understanding the Black Bear,” a free lecture at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, July…
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Calling fly fishing volunteers
 

Calling fly fishing volunteers

The Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education is recruiting experienced fly fishing anglers who are interested in volunteering.  The Pisgah Center…
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Cherokee elder to share insight on natural world
 

Cherokee elder to share insight on natural world

Jerry Wolfe, an elder of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, will give a presentation titled “From the Cherokee…
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Roan Mountain makeover includes new observation deck
 

Roan Mountain makeover includes new observation deck

Roan Mountain Gardens Recreation Area has reopened after a year-long renovation project funded by $700,000 in federal stimulus money. Located…
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Anniversary celebration salutes Joyce Kilmer
 

Anniversary celebration salutes Joyce Kilmer

A celebration honoring the 75th anniversary of the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in the Nantahala National Forest will be held…
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Western NC develops as a hotspot for natural products
 

Western NC develops as a hotspot for natural products

WNC Naturally, an event to strengthen the natural products industry, will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. August…
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Man vs. nature
 

Man vs. nature

Unless you are of a philosophical bent, you might want to skip this last installment of the spotted owl trilogy.…
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Twenty years and counting: Tracking the health of the Little Tennessee
 

Twenty years and counting: Tracking the health of the Little Tennessee

For two decades, the Little Tennessee Watershed Association in Franklin has been monitoring the health of the river’s water basin…
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MedWest Triathlon winners
 

MedWest Triathlon winners

Jason Mehler of Asheville crossed the finish line as the overall winner during the MedWest Triathlon held Saturday, July 9,…
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Well-known Asheville hiker joins AT board
 

Well-known Asheville hiker joins AT board

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy recently announced that Asheville resident Lenny Bernstein, plus two other North Carolinians, have been elected to the…
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See the Little T on guided canoe trip
 

See the Little T on guided canoe trip

A guided float down the Little Tennessee River will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, July 21,…
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State of the Streams to shed new light on the Little Tennessee
 

State of the Streams to shed new light on the Little Tennessee

After 21 years of monitoring the health of the Little Tennessee Watershed, the group most responsible for that work will…
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Science program geared toward girls, archaeology
 

Science program geared toward girls, archaeology

Want to give your daughter a taste of what it means to be an archaeologist? Girls ages nine through 14…
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Hike Double Top with Balsam Mountain Preserve naturalists
 

Hike Double Top with Balsam Mountain Preserve naturalists

Explore Balsam Mountain Preserve with two hikes this month, including to Jackson County’s most iconic and distinctive mountaintops. The 4,400-acre…
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Get out that camera and focus on learning good photography skills
 

Get out that camera and focus on learning good photography skills

There are opportunities abound for amateur photographers in the region, from the very youngest to those more advanced in years.…
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WCU gets grant for multi-use trail
 

WCU gets grant for multi-use trail

Western Carolina University has won a $5,000 grant from a bicycle parts manufacturer to support construction of a multi-use, community…
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Purple paint on trees to serve as new ‘no trespassing’ sign
 

Purple paint on trees to serve as new ‘no trespassing’ sign

Before you go gallivanting about hunting or fishing on private property, be aware that a new law passed by the…
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Boating safety course offered at HCC
 

Boating safety course offered at HCC

Learn to float your boat safely at a July 18-19 boating safety course at Haywood Community College. The program is…
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Support local farmers, local good-deeds conservation group through popular gala
 

Support local farmers, local good-deeds conservation group through popular gala

It’s a busy day at the farmers market, and William Shelton is red-faced and sweaty as he hands out boxes…
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More owl pellets
 

More owl pellets

I mentioned in last week’s Naturalist’s Corner that I found the decision by U.S. Fish & Wildlife to kill barred…
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Learn to set a sense of place in upcoming workshop for writers
 

Learn to set a sense of place in upcoming workshop for writers

Registration for a space-limited nature writers’ intensive workshop scheduled for this fall is now open. The Wilderness Society, a national…
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Expert fly fisherman to offer rod, casting advice
 

Expert fly fisherman to offer rod, casting advice

The Plateau Fly Fishing Club will host a free casting clinic with the senior guide for Davidson River Outfitters at…
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Job Corps getting in on the green movement
 

Job Corps getting in on the green movement

As part of a new green curriculum, students from Oconaluftee Job Corps will be helping on a variety of projects…
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