Doing battle with the world's deadliest animal: WCU researchers join the fight against mosquito-borne diseases
Sure, mosquitos are an important link in the food chain for amphibians, birds and other insects, but they’re annoying, they’re…
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Sorghum festival comes to East Tennessee
The 25th Annual Sorghum Festival will allow visitors to have the opportunity to observe sorghum cane being processed into molasses…
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Volunteers needed for the ‘Big Sweep’ stream cleanup
Haywood Waterways is calling for volunteers to take part in a county-wide cleanup event that removes tons of trash from…
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HCC hosts Dahlia Ridge Trail Run
Haywood Community College will hold the second annual Dahlia Ridge Trail Run on Saturday, Sept. 14. This 5K is a…
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GSMNP employees receive education award
A team of Great Smoky Mountains National Park employees was recently awarded the 2023 Excellence in Education Award at a National Park Service…
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Join Franklin Bird Club for Macon County walks
The Franklin Bird Club leads walks along the greenway on Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. Walks start at alternating locations:…
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Smokies spenders pump billions into local economies
A new National Park Service report shows that 13,297,647 visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2023 spent $2.2…
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Moderate drought expands in WNC
Last week brought a moderate drought back to parts of Western North Carolina, and the latest state drought monitor report…
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Word from the Smokies: Dedicated Smokies volunteer force protects elk and people
At 3:30 p.m., traffic flows smoothly along U.S. 441 past the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. The 80-some elk living in this…
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Haywood County reminds residents of mosquito dangers
As the summer season comes to an end, Haywood County Health and Human Services is urging residents to take immediate…
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Pause on ginseng harvesting continues in WNC national forests
The U.S. Forest Service announced that its pause on issuing permits to harvest American ginseng on the Nantahala and Pisgah…
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Smokies Life now accepting applications for writer’s residency
Smokies Life, a nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, is now accepting applications for its fifth Steve Kemp…
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Fall Plant Sale at Lake Junaluska
The Lake Junaluska Fall Plant Sale will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 7, at the Nanci…
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Smoky Mountain Beekeepers hosting intro to beekeeping class
The Smoky Mountain Beekeeping Association is hosting an Introduction to Beekeeping class from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday,…
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Drought returns to Western North Carolina
After a month reprieve following an early-summer drought, parts of six North Carolina Counties — Haywood, Transylvania, Jackson, Swain, Macon…
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From mosquitos to medical school, WCU alumnus shares his story
Joe Davis, a double alumnus of Western Carolina University with a bachelor’s in emergency medical care and a master’s in…
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Local scout troop getting back on its feet
Scout Troop 318 of Waynesville, a troop with over 60 years of history, will be making a fresh start after…
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Enjoy the Mountain State Fair in September
Organizers with the Mountain State Fair sponsored by Ingles Markets are busy preparing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the fair…
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Volunteers needed for Little Tennessee
Mainspring Conservation Trust seeks volunteers to participate in the annual Little Tennessee River Cleanup starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept.…
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Cherokee river cleanup honoring Long Man
Long Man, Ganvhida Asgaga, is a revered figure among the Cherokee, whose head lays in the mountains and feet in…
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Haywood Waterways hits septic repair milestone
Since 2006, Haywood Waterways Association (HWA) and the Haywood County Environmental Health Department, with grant funds, have repaired 200 failing…
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Want to monitor water quality?
In 1996, the Volunteer Water Information Network (VWIN) program was established as a water quality monitoring program for many Western…
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Highlands to host native plant symposium
Highlands Biological Station is excited to announce the 2024 Native Plant Symposium, scheduled for Sept. 13-14. This two-day event will…
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Smokies announces Clingmans Dome closures
Clingmans Dome Road will be closed the mornings of Sept. 10, 12 and 16 to facilitate special educational programs for…
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Waynesville tennis courts to be resurfaced
The tennis courts located at Recreation Park at 285 Vance St. in Waynesville will be closed from Aug. 27 through…
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Hometown Pride: Bryson City welcomes home Olympic medalist
Evy Leibfarth may as well have been born on the river. Her parents met while working as raft guides on…
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WNC Sierra club to host talk on lithium mining, electric vehicles
Learn about the challenges and success of mining resources related to our transition to clean energy at the WNC Sierra…
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Tsali Ultra to host NC USATF Championships
The Tsali Ultra Trail Race, in its 15th year of operation, will host the NC USATF 50-Kilometer Trail Championships on…
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Burning trash violates state law
The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality is reminding North Carolinians: If it doesn’t grow, don’t…
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Jackson to install new baseball field lights
Jackson County Public Schools announced it is officially going out for construction bids to install lighting systems on its baseball…
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Word from the Smokies: Course helps students compare Smokies and tropical ecology
Deeya Khambhaita wasn’t sure what to expect when she signed up for a three-week summer course titled Comparative Temperate–Tropical Ecology…
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EcoFair comes to Waynesville
Come out to Grace Church in the Mountains of Waynesville Aug. 17 for the Creation Care EcoFair, the theme of…
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NPS recruiting trail crew volunteers, campground hosts and Clingman’s Dome rovers
Great Smoky Mountains National Park managers are recruiting volunteers for a variety of positions across the park. Opportunities include helping…
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Cherokee hosts Qualla Country fishing tournament
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is welcoming anglers to the Qualla Country Fishing Tournament. With a $15 entry fee…
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Smokies Life welcomes new CEO Jacqueline Harp
Smokies Life, a nonprofit partner to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, announces Jacqueline Harp as its new chief executive officer.…
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What lies beneath: Behind the scenes at Winding Stair Farm & Nursery
It’s a hot and sunny afternoon on the outskirts of Franklin. At the corner of Highlands and Saunders roads sits…
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Learn about Hellbenders with Highlands Biological Foundation
The Highlands Biological Foundation is hosting its final Zahner Conservation Lecture of the season. Lori Williams, a Wildlife Diversity Biologist…
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Smokies Life CEO recognized with lifetime achievement award
Laurel Rematore, CEO of Smokies Life, will be recognized with the Excellence in Cooperating Association Partnership Award at the National…
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Interested in forest valuation?
Alexandra Lewis, a USDA Forester in the Nantahala Ranger District will offer a presentation to shed light on valuation of…
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Pisgah View State Park comes into focus
Buncombe County’s first state park, near the eastern gateway to Haywood County, remains on track for a 2025 opening after…
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Word from the Smokies: Shedding light on the nature of venomous snakes
Summer in Southern Appalachia affords many opportunities to watch and learn more about our diverse species of wildlife. Near the…
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Angling for the podium: How Michael Bradley has taken the fly fishing world by storm
Most folks who get into fly fishing do it despite the fish, which seldom cooperate and sometimes get in the…
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Input sought on environmental justice initiative
People can soon comment on an environmental justice initiative outlined in Gov. Roy Cooper’s Executive Order 292. The order reestablished an…
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Word from the Smokies: Park program welcomes people with disabilities into the backcountry
Growing up, Blount County native Carly Pearson considered time outdoors a way of life. When she wasn’t exploring the stunningly…
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Highlands lecture series to host NASA scientist
The Highlands Biological Foundation (HBF) announced the next lecture in their Zahner Conservation Lecture Series, taking place at 6 p.m.…
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Waynesville project seeks to elevate quality of life
The Town of Waynesville is applying for the Urban and Community Forestry Financial Assistance Program grant. The goal is to…
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Wildlife sanctuary gives a new start to orphaned fawns
Nestled away on seven acres in a nondescript warehouse above Canton, not visible from the road, sits an animal rehab…
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Trail volunteers visit Japan for exchange
This July, the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) is embarking on a landmark journey to Japan, marking a momentous step in…
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'You Are Here': U.S. poet laureate unveils Poetry in the Parks project
Anyone who has ever found themselves looking at a public map — from a trailhead to a mall directory — has…
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Word from the Smokies: Smokies cities make strides toward ensuring bear, human safety with new trash bins
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to an estimated 1,900 black bears — about two per square mile —…
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