Word from the Smokies: 'Gradient of spring' offers opportunity for exploration

By the third week of April, spring is in full bloom throughout the picturesque valleys of Great Smoky Mountains National…
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Orchid Festival comes to WNC

The Western North Carolina Orchid Society (WNCOS) and The North Carolina Arboretum will host the 23rd Asheville Orchid Festival entitled…
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Group limits for Whiteoak Sink

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced group size limits for the popular wildflower season at Whiteoak Sink. 
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DEQ reminds everyone that burning trash is illegal

The open burning of trash, metal, plastic and all other man-made materials not only harms the environment and poses a…
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New fishing tournament comes to Haywood

Haywood Waterways will host the county’s first fishing tournament. 
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Wildlife officials offer guidance for wildlife encounters

With spring arriving and wildlife encounters set to increase as the weather gets warmer, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has…
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Hike the Smokies with Haywood Waterways

Haywood Waterways Association will lead two hikes to Mouse Falls in the Big Creek Watershed of the Great Smoky Mountains…
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Overlook on Newfound Gap Road temporarily closed

Carlos Campbell Overlook on Newfound Gap Road is closed temporarily while maintenance crews assess cracks in the pavement and sidewalk. 
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Waynesville Rec hiring summer camp counselors

Waynesville Parks & Recreation is currently hiring for summer camp counselors for Base Camp 2024. 
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Friends of Panthertown awarded grant

Friends of Panthertown was recently awarded an Environmental Enhancement Grant by the North Carolina Department of Justice for a remediation and restoration project. 
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Register for youth volleyball

Registration is about to close for Jackson County youth volleyball league. 
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Finding healing and acceptance at the end of a trail

Peter Conti seemed destined for a life of chronic pain.  For nearly two years after a devastating motorcycle accident left…
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Weigh in on NC river quality

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources is now accepting public comment on the proposed list…
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Native plant sale extended

The annual native perennial plant sale sponsored by the NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteers has been extended. 
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Blue Ridge Parkway license plate sales top $570,000

North Carolina drivers raised $574,461 to enhance the Blue Ridge Parkway by purchasing or renewing the national park specialty license…
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N.C. Forest Service celebrates Arbor Day

Arbor Day will be observed March 22 in North Carolina.  N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said tree planting is a…
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Applications open for state ag grants

Applications are now being accepted for the N.C. Agriculture Manufacturing and Processing Initiative, which has been created to fund and…
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Jackson Chamber welcomes EcoForesters

The Jackson County Chamber and Visitor Center Ambassador Team held a grand opening/ribbon cutting ceremony for its new members at EcoForesters,…
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WNC Environmental Summit comes to HCC

Join the WNC Environmental Summit March 23 at Haywood Community College. Paul Allen from “Feed Me Foam” will showcase his…
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Join wildflower, bird walks at Lake Junaluska

Lake Junaluska’s Corneille Bryan Native Garden is offering wildflower walks on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. from March 27 through May…
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Register for Fire Mountain Inferno
 

Register for Fire Mountain Inferno

Registration is now open for the Fire Mountain Inferno mountain bike event in Cherokee. 
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Public comment period open for migratory bird seasons

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is seeking public comment on the 2024-2025 migratory game bird hunting seasons for…
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Lawsuit challenges Forest Service timber targets

A lawsuit filed last month in a Washington, D.C., federal court alleges the U.S. Forest Service’s practice of setting “timber…
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Research measures disease impact on elusive mountain rabbit

Researchers are concerned that the Appalachian cottontail’s population may be impacted by a fast-spreading virus, RHDV2. 
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New program aims to electrify homes

The WNC Sierra Club is hosting a few public events to explain how the Federal Inflation Reduction Act has incentives…
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Clean up Richland Creek

Join Haywood Waterways to clean up Richland Creek in Waynesville. 
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Author to discuss new trail guidebook

Join Brent Martin, director of the Blue Ridge Bartram Trail Conservancy, as he discusses the guidebook he wrote for William…
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Greenhouse space available at Old Armory

Get an early start on this year’s garden by renting space at Waynesville’s Old Armory Recreation Center Greenhouse beginning March…
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Presentation to focus on conservation strategy

Join Mainspring Conservation Trust on March 18 for a presentation on conservation strategy in Western North Carolina by Mainspring Conservation…
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Waynesville park reopens after damage

Allens Creek Park in Waynesville is open once again after being closed due to necessary cleanup efforts following recent adverse…
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Prescribed burns scheduled for Cataloochee

Officials plan to burn approximately 96 acres in Cataloochee Valley at Great Smoky Mountains National Park this week. Weather permitting,…
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MST hosts annual membership meeting

Join the Mountains to Sea Trail community for an annual membership meeting — a meeting that will also offer opportunities…
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Public input sought for trail rehab project

The Nantahala Ranger District is seeking public input to implement trail rehabilitation and repairs along with other work within the…
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Soldiers for sustainability: Common fly could help address pollution, boost sustainability

They can eat just about anything and multiply like crazy. They live all over the world, in a variety of…
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Keep telling the story

When I first arrived in Western North Carolina just after New Year’s Day, 2014, I wasn’t planning to stay. 
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Land protected in Sandy Mush

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) closed on a conservation easement to protect 29 acres of farmland.
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Smokies see increased visitation

Last week, the National Park Service announced that 400 national parks reported a total of 325.5 million visits in 2023,…
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Join Smoky Mountain Beekeepers for a series of talks

Red maples are popping, and it appears spring has sprung. As the weather improves, local beekeepers’ hives are buzzing back…
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Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest hikes, work projects

March brings unstable weather in the mountains, but it can also ushers in occasional springlike conditions. A pair of events…
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Biotech leader contributes $90,000 to study microbial life in Smokies

Microbial Insights has donated over $90,000 worth of advanced microbial analyses to support Discover Life in America’s research initiatives within…
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March kicks off 2024 ozone season

March 1 marked the beginning of the 2024 ozone season as state and local environmental agencies renew their daily air…
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Road maintenance shuts down roads in WNC recreation area

The U.S. Forest Service is working on road maintenance and improvement projects in the Fires Creek Recreation Area near Hayesville.
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WNC outdoors recreation survey highlights economic impact of industry

The MADE X MTNS Partnership released the results of the Western North Carolina Outdoor Recreation Participation Survey, conducted in partnership with the…
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Learn about conservation in WNC

The speaker series “Where We Live: History, Nature, and Culture” will continue this month with a presentation explaining the role…
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Join educational hike March 18

A UNC-Asheville geology professor will lead an educational hike March 18. 
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Green Energy Park returns to normal hours

After completing its maintenance cycle, Jackson County’s Green Energy Park in Dillsboro will resume normal operations and will be open…
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Carolina Mountain Club builds trail at North Canton Elementary

The tangle of trees and vines beyond the playground fence at North Canton Elementary School used to be a no-go…
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Camping fee increase proposed for Parkway

The Blue Ridge Parkway is proposing a significant increase to camping fees, with public comments accepted through Friday, March 15. 
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Help fill the West Fork with trout

Volunteers are wanted to help the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stock trout into the West Fork Pigeon River in Haywood…
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Meet the birds of Lake Chatuge

Join MountainTrue’s 18th annual caravan around the Lake Chatuge shoreline to view a variety of birds 7:30-9:30 a.m. Saturday, March…
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