X-AwardsLooking to let out your inner Lebowski while helping young people in WNC? Then put together a team, raise some sponsorship dollars and join Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC for its 31st year of bowling to benefit area kids.
Elaine Ingham’s manifesto: Let your garden’s wisdom guide your gardening and your life
“We need to educate people to understand that plants can, indeed, take care of themselves without people getting in the way,” asserts Elaine Ingham, an iconic figure in organic farming and a world-renowned soil microbiologist who is returning to Western North Carolina for two upcoming engagements later this week.
Shepherd addresses Asheville’s American Meteorological Society
Given the title of the talk — Zombies, Sports, and Cola: What does it mean for Communicating Weather and Climate? — Shepherd had quite a bit of explaining to do. Remarkably, however, the former NASA scientist managed to demonstrate, with these seemingly disparate subjects, how a significant portion of the public (mis)understands meteorology — and how the problem may be solved.
Thru-hiking history: Swannanoa Valley Museum launches 2015 Rim Hike series
The series will begin on Saturday, March 7, with a hike starting at Camp Rockmont for Boys, ascending to Cedar Cliff and “The Garden of Eden” — famous for its abundance of sunbathing serpents in the warmer months.
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding campaigns
Crowdfunding platforms make it possible for individuals and organizations of any size to harness social networks and raise startup capital for projects that might otherwise fail due to lack of funding. This week: self-reliance through chickens, new adventures at Firestorm Books and a re-published Tarot classic.
Web bites: Aphrodisiac tea with Marc Williams
Asheville ethnobiologist, herbalist and educator Marc Williams recently joined Xpress in the test kitchen at Selina Naturally in Arden to discuss herbal teas and ways certain herbs can help us nurture love in our lives.
Asheville named top “coolest town” by Matador Network
No stranger to fawning lists, Asheville ranks no. 1 on this roundup. Why? Location, community and Southern culture.
Southern culture: Getting down-to-earth with home mushroom farming
“Growing mushrooms at home is extremely rewarding,” says Tyler De Francisco, a hog and sheep farmer and owner of Sugar Creek Meats in Leicester. He keeps around 200 mushroom-growing logs on his property just for fun. “The quality is phenomenal, compared to anything that you can buy in the store.”
Conscious Party: On the catwalk
This unique fashion show features upcycled clothing designed from items found at Goodwill stores.
Karsten Delap shares tale of ice climbing on Looking Glass Falls
“This climb pushed the line on the margins of safety that I usually keep,” writes Delap.
Surfing the skies: Gliders fly high above Mount Mitchell
More than just birds are soaring the winds above Mount Mitchell. Dozens of pilots from around the country will soon attempt to fly motorless gliders over 20,000 feet above the area’s highest peak. They hope to be propelled upward by a natural phenomenon known as wind waves, which crest when air currents blow against the mountain ridge from the northwest.
Cardiac rehabilitation builds heart stamina and confidence
We expect cardiac patients to fit a typical risk model: older, with a family history of heart problems, a poor diet, under high stress and a tobacco user. But what happens when someone who is the picture of perfect health suddenly needs cardiac rehabilitation?
Waggers and readers make a winning pair
Usually when dogs lie down flat, their ears also flop down — but not Bree, a certified therapy dog. Her ears stand up straight, pivoting toward children’s voices as they read at the Waggers and Readers program at the South Asheville-Oakley Public Library. On Feb. 14, Bree, a 10-year-old German Shepherd, was on the job with her […]
Stone medicine offers the healing power of the earth
“Stones are truly as fundamental as it gets,” says Sarah Thomas, owner of Clarity Acupuncture and Clarity Stone Medicine, who has been studying Chinese medicine and the applications of stones in healing for the past eight years. “Indigenous cultures of the past such as the Taoists and Native Americans realized that everything in nature had a purpose […]
Tales from the Trail: Walking Appalachia from Georgia to Maine
Since its initial construction in 1937, 15,524 people are said to have completed the thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail — “2,000-milers,” they’re called. Inspiration behind embarking on such a physically and mentally challenging journey varies from person to person, but deep down it satiates core human needs for renewal and a reconnection with nature.
Rabbi Fuchs-Kramer talks about the many paths to a heart wisdom
“I believe two things to be true: First, that each of our faith traditions are unique, with strengths and insights all our own,” says Rabbi Fuchs Kreimer, who will be speaking at Mars Hill University on Tuesday, March 3.
Zombies in the forecast? Former NASA scientist Marshall Shepherd at UNCA Feb. 23
What do zombies, sports and cola have to do with the weather? On Monday, Feb. 23, Dr. Marshall Shepherd — the director for the program in atmospheric sciences at the University of Georgia — intends to tackle that question in a presentation titled “Zombies, Sports, and Cola: What does it mean for Communicating Weather and Climate?” The […]
Conscious Party: An elegant opera affair
WHAT: Asheville Lyric Opera Winter Gala WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 21, 6 p.m. WHERE: DoubleTree by Hilton, 115 Hendersonville Road, Asheville WHY: The Asheville Lyric Opera is taking this year’s benefit fundraiser to new heights, increasing the elegance and opulence of the event by moving location to the DoubleTree Hotel. And since fine art, food and […]
Business of Farming Conference emphasizes local food production
Over 200 farmers and future farmers converged at UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center for Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s Business of Farming Conference. The conference, now in its 12th year, is an opportunity for farmers to discuss the business side of farming and make connections that help them market their crops more effectively.
Medical intuitives: Seeing the way to better health
One day in massage school Teresa Eidt “saw” the inside of her client’s abdomen. “I was in awe. I was shown a cancerous ulcer on the internal wall of her abdomen,” she says. “My career changed at that moment.” Eidt went on to become a medical intuitive — a healer who can see a client’s energy. Tammy […]
Women at risk for cardiovascular disease now more than ever before
Park Ridge Health wants people to know that heart health isn’t just a concern for geriatrics. “Our focus today is targeting younger women with education,” said Maya Kommimeni, MD, of the cardiology unit at Park Ridge Health. “Heart disease is becoming a larger problem with younger women due to diabetes and obesity.” In observance of […]