ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Collaborative works to reduce I-40 animal deaths
At least 35 bears have been struck and killed since May 2018 in the 28-mile stretch of I-40 between the Maggie Valley exit and the Foothills Parkway in Tennessee. The Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Connectivity Project, a joint effort of at least 19 governmental and nonprofit groups, is working to bring that death rate down.
Have a Cow
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Matthew Willey painting 50,000 bees across U.S.
Willey says people started gravitating to the project as soon as he started to work. “I’d turn around as I was painting, and there’d be a grandfather and a young girl with face piercings that didn’t know each other until they started talking about bees,” he says. “There was this connection that was happening.”
Red pandas to make public debut on Valentine’s Day
Leafa and Phoenix arrived in Asheville from Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo in November and have since been under quarantine at the WNC Nature Center. The public gets its first look at the pair in the new exhibit at noon on Thursday, Feb. 14.
Endangered Species Act changes could hinder hellbender conservation
Conservationists have been attempting to list the species under the federal Endangered Species Act since 2010, but as Elise Bennett with the Center for Biological Diversity explains, regulatory changes to the act proposed by the administration of President Donald Trump could hamper the path to protection for hellbenders and other at-risk wildlife.
Business is booming at the region’s independently owned pet shops
As an independent pet retailer, “Business is good,” says Jenna Wilson, who owns Patton Avenue Pet Co.’s three outlets. Other locally owned pet suppliers agree: WNC pet owners want the best for their family members, and they often shop local for high quality pet food, treats, supplies and toys.
News in brief: I-26 connector meeting, Hump Mountain, veterans train service dogs
According to the project website for the planned Interstate 26 Connector project in Asheville, the N.C. Department of Transportation has been meeting with community groups about the roadway since 1989. On Tuesday, Dec. 4, NCDOT will again convene local stakeholders. Also: a major public land acquisition in the Cherokee National Forest, and a new community service option for veterans involved with the criminal justice system.
In-home services help pets and owners with end-of-life transitions
Many pet owners say home-based veterinary palliative and hospice care and, when the time comes, euthanasia have helped them and their companion animals through end-of-life transitions.
New publication shares benefits of intentional wildfires
Craig Harper with the University of Tennessee notes that negative public perception about prescribed burning generally arises from a lack of understanding about how fire benefits the landscape. “Many people will argue for increased diversity on national forests, but they don’t want disturbance,” he says. “If you don’t have disturbance, then it is impossible to have increased diversity.”
Rescue groups use special events to link adoptable animals with new families
Local animal rescue organizations leave few stones unturned in their efforts to match homeless pets with loving families. How do adoption events fit into the mix?
Asheville’s rodent activity concerns residents, officials
Michael Waldvogel, an extension associate professor at North Carolina State University who specializes in urban and industrial pests, says Asheville’s booming restaurant scene and ongoing construction create the right conditions for a spike in rodent activity.
Locals work to protect monarch butterflies
Every fall, between late September and early October, monarch butterflies migrate from the Northeastern U.S. to Mexico, with many passing over the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although fewer monarchs are making the trip these days due to habitat loss and other factors, local monarch enthusiasts are working to study and protect their populations.
Conscious Party: The Mane Event
The fundraiser for Heart of Horse Sense takes place June 9 at Horse Sense of the Carolinas’ Marshall farm.
Local agencies wrestle with livestock impacts on water quality
Advocates for clean water in North Carolina often focus on the eastern part of the state, which hosts one of the world’s highest concentration of hogs. But French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson emphasizes that Western North Carolina and its smaller farms are not immune from the water quality issues related to animal agriculture.
Brother Wolf prepares for transition to sanctuary
Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is readying its new sanctuary in Leicester to house companion and farmed animals. Halfway through the organization’s transition year, grand plans and fundraising continue at BWAR, while some question what they see as a realignment of the nonprofit’s mission.
Conscious Party: A Winter’s Tail
The Friends of the WNC Nature Center’s long-running holiday celebration returns Dec. 2 with a full day of family-friendly activities.
WNC hunters keep traditions alive
Devotees of bow and black powder rifle hunting say they enjoy the expanded season permitted for hunting with those less-than-modern technologies. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is considering changes to hunting times next year to give buck deer more opportunity to mate before hunting season begins.
Coming up in the Nov. 1 issue, and highlights from the past week
It’s time to get to the polls, Buncombe voters! We’ve got your general election voter guide, with Q&A with candidates for Asheville mayor and City Council, as well as a roundup of other contested Buncombe municipal races.
Going batty: Get to know these misunderstood mammals
According to Katherine Caldwell, a biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission in Asheville, it’s “almost incomprehensible,” the number of flying insects bats snap up on their nocturnal hunting expeditions. While their spooky reputation is slowly giving way to a more nuanced understanding of bats’ critical role in the ecosystem, we still have a lot to learn about these unusual mammals.
Fantastical fidos and felines: Howl-O-Ween pet costumes
Does your furry friend have their annual Halloween disguise? If not, don’t despair! Thanks to Asheville Pet Photography, Bone-A-Fide Pet Boutique, the Asheville Humane Society and Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, we have some last minute inspiration from some of the fanciest pets around. With just a little creativity (or perhaps a trip to your local pet store) your […]