Learn to garden organically at UNCA
Early registration is now open for the 2011 Organic Growers School Conference on March 5-6 on the campus of the…
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Wildlife Advocates to meet at Lake J
The Western North Carolina Wildlife Advocates will meet from noon to 3 p.m. on Jan. 7 at the Lake Junaluska Conference and…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Invasion of the PUFIs
Don’t worry, PUFIs won’t harm you. They won’t even take you up to the mothership to probe and prod you…
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Cataloochee group raises more than $10,000 for chestnut restoration projects
A local group has raised more than $10,000 to support local, state and national efforts to bring back that mighty…
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Houck Medford steps down from Foundation
Dr. Carolyn Ward of Asheville was recently named as head of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. Ward replaces Dr. Houck…
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Casada takes home writing awards
A Swain County native now living in South Carolina has won several writing awards from the South Carolina Outdoor Press…
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Smokies fish expert, Steve Moore, earns national recognition
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Supervisory Fisheries Biologist Steve Moore was recently recognized with two national awards for his leadership…
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Cataloochee collects coats, food for the needy
Cataloochee Ski Area continued a long tradition of holiday giving to the local community recently with its 9th Annual Can-U-Ski…
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Foothills ‘missing link’ set for 2015 completion
The so-called “Missing Link” of the Foothills Parkway in east Tennessee is now scheduled for completion by 2015. Officials with…
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The Naturalist's Corner: A heartfelt thanks to the Stanbacks
I received an email last week from Ida Phillips, communications director for Audubon North Carolina, announcing that Lea Island, a…
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Mixing business with birding
A recent program brought together business owners and outdoor enthusiasts who shared a common desire — to promote birding while also…
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Support your local farms this winter
Harvests of sweet corn, tomatoes, and other produce wrapped up weeks ago, but Haywood County farmers still have plenty to…
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35th annual “Festival of Christmas Past”
Great Smoky Mountains National Park will hold the 35th annual Festival of Christmas Past celebration from 9 a.m. to 4…
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Cataloochee’s 50th season off to a great white start
Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley is off to another strong start to its season. “We’ve been open since Nov.…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Goose dilemma
A spin around Lake Junaluska the other day (12/2) turned up another unusual winter visitor plus highlighted the foibles and…
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Cataloochee Ski Patrol: Keeping you safe on the slope
The Cataloochee Ski Patrol began in 1961 as a group of friends who enjoyed skiing at the new Cataloochee Ski…
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Popular Maggie Moonlight Race returns in 2011
The Maggie Valley Moonlight Race will return in 2011, once again enticing runners from near and far to lace up…
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Birding trail workshop set for Dec. 9
A “Birder Friendly Community Workshop” will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Balsam…
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Visitation to the Smokies jumps over last year
Visitation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park through October is up for the year, and in October 2010 park…
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Jackson County Farmers Market to hold Holiday Bazaar
The Jackson County Farmers Market will remain open throughout the winter months. The market vendors will hold a Holiday Bazaar…
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N.C. parks prove popular with visitors
More than a quarter million visitors to North Carolina state parks used a new reservations system in its first full…
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Plans moving forward for Caring for Creation conference
Early registration is currently under way for the 2011 Caring for Creation experience at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center…
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JMCA marks 10 years with Dec. 9 celebration
The Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance is celebrating its 10th anniversary and holding its annual meeting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec.…
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Photography stands out among a mixed bag of interest
Putting all of Ed Kelley’s interests in separate, tidy little boxes just doesn’t work. There’s no way to separate Ed…
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The Naturalist's Corner: There’s jus’ sumthin’ bout a tree
I mean, where would you hang a tire swing if there were no trees? How could you lay back and…
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Trying to preserve a national treasure
The U.S. Forest Service spent the first two weeks of November felling approximately 150 dead and/or dying eastern hemlocks in…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Hey, can a squirrel get a lift around here?
The answer is, in the case of the federally endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel, a resounding yes. The North Carolina…
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Hybrids hike park’s environmentally sensitive fleet
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park recently took delivery of seven Ford Escape Hybrid vehicles that were purchased using a…
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Park photo contest open until Dec. 31
The National Park Service is accepting entries in the Share the Experience photo contest through Dec. 31. The photo taken…
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Clay County trail routed off private land
The U.S. Forest Service has rerouted a portion of the Rim Trail Clay County. The Rim Trail is a 26-mile…
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Take precautions while out hunting
During the holiday season, when family and friends gather, many go on traditional hunting trips. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission…
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Mountain grown Fraser fir Christmas trees
There’s nothing quite like a real Fraser fir Christmas tree. In recent years, the value and quality of locally produced…
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Anglers compete for prizes at Cherokee fly-fishing tournament
More than $2,000 is cash and $5,000 in prizes were won by anglers participating in the Rumble in the Rhododendron…
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Henson wins Service to Forestry award
Steve Henson, the executive director of the Clyde-based Southern Appalachian Multiple Use Council, has been awarded the N.C. Forestry Association’s…
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Students hike Siler Bald with AT speed hiker
Three Macon County school teachers (Joan Lansford and Jae Crawford, of Franklin High School, and Shelley Marshall of Union Academy)…
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Plants suck up toxins
Some common air pollutants found in cities can be absorbed by plants at far greater rates than ever suspected. The…
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Live owls, presentation at Asheville store
Steve Longenecker and his live owls will be at the Asheville Wild Birds Unlimited store presenting programs at 1 and…
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Redheads, rustys and hairys – oh dear
A beautiful morning and Lake Junaluska was calling again. I approached the lake along Golf Course Road on the side…
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Bat fatalities at wind energy turbines offer new insight into bat migration
New data suggest that bats, like birds, may follow specifically defined routes when migrating rather than simply migrating in a…
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White nose syndrome decimating bat populations
It’s only a matter of time before the fungal infection white nose syndrome (WNS) appears in North Carolina, say wildlife…
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Appalachian Trail undergoes repair
A collaborative effort between public and private entities was responsible for repair work on a section of the Appalachian Trail…
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Agricultural incentives offered in Haywood
Haywood County landowners can apply for cost-share grants to install practices that improve water quality on agricultural operations. Practices…
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Burning scheduled at Cade’s Cove
Fire managers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park plan to conduct a series of prescribed burns of fields in Cades…
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Cataloochee opens for the season
Cataloochee Ski Area opened for the season on Saturday, Nov. 6, making it one of the first resorts in the…
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Ogburn recognized for education work
The Environmental Educators of North Carolina are pleased to announce that Blair Ogburn, senior naturalist and education coordinator at the…
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Land Trust to hold fall celebration
The Land Trust for Little Tennessee will hold its annual Fall Celebration from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov.…
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The Naturalist's Corner
East Fork Headwaters Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy is still hoping for a Christmas present from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources…
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SCC offers new program in wilderness therapy
Southwestern Community College has started a new degree program whose graduates will likely become the leaders in the growing field…
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The Naturalist's Corner
A decade of Birding for the Arts This past Saturday morning (May 2) more than 20 arts patrons and bird…
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WNC’s largest private tract headed for conservation
The Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy has partnered with The Conservation Fund to purchase 8,000 acres in southern Transylvania County from…
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