Outdoors
Purging the pigs: Pilot program aims to knock back feral swine populations
When Europeans first began exploring North America, they knew precious little about the land toward which they traveled — or what they’d find to eat once they arrived.
Grants awards fuel WNC conservation projects
Conservation projects in Western North Carolina will receive $6.6 million of the $70.3 million in N.C. Land and Water Fund grant awards announced this fall.
Notes from a plant nerd: Gentians, pronounced like ‘gen-shun’
It used to be, when I was first getting into wildflowers, that I would see the gentians begin to bloom, and my heart would sink a bit. The melancholy would start to grow, and I’d get a little sad knowing that the end of the wildflower season was getting near. See, I consider gentians to be the last wildflower to bloom in the fall. Now I know that this isn’t exactly true, as the flowers of witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, only start blooming in the fall and can continue to bloom through December.
Photographer to share leaf season tips
Get the most out of leaf season on the Blue Ridge Parkway with a webinar featuring photographer J. Scott Graham at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 6.
Draft red wolf plan released
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a draft version of a plan to guide recovery of the critically endangered red wolf, with a virtual public meeting to offer an update on the Red Wolf Recovery Program 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5.
Visitor survey starting in the Pisgah-Nantahala
Every five years, the National Forests in North Carolina surveys its visitors to glean a wide range of information, and the process will begin in the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests Saturday, Oct. 1.
Experience leaf season in Highlands
Join the Highlands Nature Center at 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout October for the Autumn Amble leaf tour exploring the Highlands Botanical Garden.
Tour the Waynesville Watershed
Hike the Waynesville Watershed during a guided hike offered Thursday, Oct. 13, starting at the Waynesville water treatment plant on Rocky Branch Trail.
Birding course offered by Folkmoot
A six-week course on birds and birding will kick off at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center in Waynesville.
