Garden Journal

The host with the most: These may be tough times for wildlife, but one Western North Carolina town intends to make life a little easier on our furred, feathered and scaled friends. Weaverville has registered with the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat project (www.nwf.org/backyard), which has certified more than 85,000 sites nationally—yards, schools, parks, […]

Outdoor Journal

Baddle royal: Paddlers will again flock to the Green River Narrows near Saluda next month to compete in Jerry’s Baddle, an outdoor event honoring the life of the late Green paddler Jerry Beckwith, who died of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in 2006. The Baddle includes individual and team biathlons that consist of running the treacherous Narrows […]

Garden Journal

Testing, testing: Aiming to help local farmers increase profits, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service will establish demonstration plots in Buncombe County, showcasing enterprises that could boost on-farm incomes. This year alone, the service plans to create plots for vegetables, small fruits, medicinal herbs, livestock, nursery production and ornamental plants. In a similar vein, NCCES […]

Outdoor Journal

Now presenting: Diamond Brand Outdoors in Arden will host a talk by Carolina Day School’s Cathy Walters on Saturday, April 5. For the past two years, Walters has been selected as a teacher/volunteer for Alaska’s Iditarod, the 1,150-mile sled race deemed by some to be “the last great race on Earth.” What would egrets do?: […]

Garden Journal

Late to the party?: The Organic Growers School takes place this Saturday, March 8, at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. If history is any judge, the event may be sold out, but the procrastinators among you might want to visit the OGS Web site (www.organicgrowersschool.org) or call 255-5522 to get the definitive answer […]

Outdoor Journal

Park it: Visits to the U.S. National Whitewater Center in Charlotte just got a little more expensive. Beginning March 24, the attraction will charge a daily parking fee of $5 per car. But here’s the good news: Parking passes also entitle their holders to a $5 discount off purchases of $25 or more at the […]

Outdoor Journal

Rough waters: The Cullowhee-based outdoor-skills training center, Landmark Learning, just announced its 2008 schedule for a wilderness- lifeguarding program called Wilderness StarGuard. Adapted for remote settings and murky waters, the course is intended to provide important water-safety skills to a whole slew of people, including “backcountry guides and trip leaders, private expedition groups, park rangers, […]