A hybrid-powered party

They come bearing gifts of a musical sort, three bands determined to put a little more bottom end in your stocking and restore a note of celebration to this holiday season. Soul Train: The trio of bands will keep audiences moving as long as they can stand. Shake off the winter blues with a full […]

How little we know

The Lamar Alexander springtail (Cosberella lamaralexanderi) is a small, insectlike creature patterned with calico dots. Named for the senior senator from Tennessee, it is partial to dead leaves and plays a vital part in the whole forest food web. And here is the clincher: Until 2006, the Lamar Alexander springtail was completely unknown. A whole […]

Outdoor Journal

Dragon’s tale: For the first time this September, the annual Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad will offer dragon-boat racing as part of its sanctioned activities. You may have no idea what a dragon boat is, but if the idea is in the least bit intriguing, you’re invited to Lake Lure on Thursday, Aug. 21, and Friday, […]

Garden Journal

Knee-high to a grasshopper: For the budding naturalist, the North Carolina Arboretum is holding Wee Naturalist Classes beginning Monday, Aug. 25. Preschoolers will learn about trees, birds, bears, bugs, raindrops and a whole lot more. Each class might include a physical activity, critter visits, puppets, songs, art time, stories and short nature walks. The classes […]

Outdoor Journal

Feeling hot, hot, hot: Asheville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts, Montford Recreation Center and the Asheville Track Club will team up to host the Hot August Night 5K race on Saturday, Aug. 23, at 7 p.m.  Registration will be taken at Montford Recreation Center, located at 34 Pearson Drive, or at www.active.com.  Hark! Registrations received […]

Outdoor Journal

The darkest hour: INFINIT Custom Nutrition and Rusty Sprocket Productions LLC have teamed up to present the Night Train six-and-12 hour mountain-bike races, scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 9, at Fontana Village. Races begin at 10 a.m., with the six-hour event ending at 4 p.m. and the 12-hour event ending at a very murky 10 p.m. […]

In my solitude

text by Kent Priestley, illustrations by Nathanael Roney Alas, there you are: alone, surrounded by miles of sea. Your luggage is gone, so is your family. Your iPod was lost in the wreckage. Your BlackBerry was swallowed by a grouper. Your mind, baked by an unrelenting sun, is full of questions: Did I turn the […]

Garden Journal

Junior achievement: If nine teenage girls have their way, the expanse behind their residential cottage at Eliada Homes will soon be transformed into an organic garden, full of green and growing things. All they need to make it happen is your support. The young gardeners are asking the community for donations of soil amendments, fruit […]

Sound off on downtown Asheville

With Asheville’s Downtown Master Plan now under development, the city wants additional public input. Accordingly, the Asheville Downtown Commission and City Council will host another series of meetings over two days—Monday, July 28, and Tuesday, July 29—to hear residents’ concerns. The meetings will be held at the Asheville Public Works Building (161 S. Charlotte St.), […]

Outdoor Journal

Recreationists unite: The Cullowhee-based nonprofit American Whitewater is urging concerned paddlers to express their opinions on the National Forest Service’s draft Environmental Assessment for the upper portions of the Chattooga River, a stretch of river that has been closed to boats for nearly 30 years. The proposed management plan would allow limited boating, but AW […]

Garden Journal

The seeds of next year’s garden: The Tuesday, Aug. 5, meeting of the nonprofit Men’s Garden Club of Asheville will feature BB Barns Landscape Company owner Hunter Stubbs, speaking on the subject of “Sumptuous Summer: Preparing for a Great Performance.” Stubbs, former director of the horticultural program at Richmond Hill Inn, holds an M.S. in […]

Garden Journal

Save the date: Asheville-based author Cecil Bothwell will read from his new book, Garden My Heart: Organic Strategies for Backyard Sustainability, at Malaprop’s bookstore in downtown Asheville on Saturday, Aug. 2, at 7 p.m. Malaprop’s calls the book “a guide through the seasons and the weeds, with ideas about edible landscaping and vermiculture, backyard ponds […]

Outdoor Journal

Read all about it: Charleston, S.C.-based publisher The History Press has just released Will Leverette’s new book, Waterwise: A History of Paddling in Western North Carolina. Beautifully produced and full of fascinating information about the birth and development of whitewater paddling in the region, the book is available from local booksellers as well as online […]

Garden Journal

What-a-melon!: North Carolina is well known for its barbecue, but you may be less familiar with its variety of spectacular watermelons. Get a taste of these big, quenching fruits from around the state during the North Carolina Watermelon Tasting, scheduled for Friday, July 11, at the WNC Farmers’ Market. Call 253-1691 for details. On the […]

Outdoor Journal

Reel good time: The seventh annual Talking Trees Children’s Trout Derby will be held on Saturday, August 2, at the Oconaluftee Islands Park in Cherokee. The all-day event entertains up to 2,000 children annually. Activities include fly-tying exhibitions, fish-cleaning stations, wildlife and fisheries exhibits, food, music and door prizes. Trophies will be awarded. The Trout […]

Dusk to dawn

“You see that? That’s bad.” Bernard Arghiere pulls his SUV off Swannanoa River Road in Asheville and gestures toward a nearby bridge. After spanning the river, it touches down on the acres of pavement surrounding the Wal-Mart Supercenter. Dark knight: East Asheville resident Bernard Arghiere sees a future with less light pollution. Photo By Jonathan […]

Outdoor Journal

On your mark: Get ready for the Bele Chere 5K and Fun Run, setting out from McCormick Field in Asheville at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 26. For registration information, contact the Asheville Track Club at 252-7867 or visit the club’s Web site, www.ashevilletrackclub.org. And speaking of running: The Asheville Track Club’s July newsletter is […]

Garden Journal

They were here first: Hundreds are expected to drive, walk and crawl to Western Carolina University for the 25th anniversary of the “Cullowhee in the Landscape” native-plant conference scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, through Saturday, July 26, at the school. Conference topics will include the study, understanding and conservation of native flora, with a special […]