At the Shiloh Community Garden, generations gather to connect with one another and with the environment.
WNC experts discuss sustainability of outdoor recreation
As people flock to Western North Carolina to take advantage of the region’s abundant outdoor recreational opportunities, they also bring a human impact to wild places.
Conscious Party: Muddy Sneakers’ 10th anniversary
The education nonprofit’s anniversary party takes place May 11 at the Brevard Lumber Yard.
Gardening club continues legacy of service, friendship
“There are 22 women’s garden clubs in Asheville; this is the only men’s garden club,” says member Gerry Hardesty. The Men’s Garden Club is carrying on a tradition of community service and education that spans nearly eight decades, and it welcomes new members.
Woodson Branch School offers a nature-based education to youths
Nature-based schools are catching on around the country. The Woodson Branch Nature School, located in Hot Springs and Marshall, is a local manifestation of the trend, which emphasizes outdoor learning and unstructured outdoor play.
Conscious Party: Green Built Alliance Disc Golf Tournament
The fundraiser for the sustainable design nonprofit takes place April 14 at Lake Julian Park.
Wildly prolific: Cooking with WNC’s native spring perennials
Some of Western North Carolina’s freshest spring ingredients are found outside the garden.
CTS contamination has poisoned more than drinking water
For nearly 30 years, the CTS of Asheville Superfund site has been a source of physical and social toxicity for the surrounding community. With remedial efforts to address the source of contamination finally underway, residents, activists and others reflect on the triumphs and tribulations of the decades-long battle for a clean-up and accountability.
Power to the people: Best of WNC 2018 voting begins
With a far out feeling, voting has begun for the beloved annual Best of WNC awards. Only you can decide who’ll be feelin’ it in the new summer of love, when winners are announced this August. You have until 11:59 p.m. on the night of Saturday, April 28 to complete your ballot and make sure your voice is heard. […]
Mountain roots: Asheville digs into the culinary uses of kudzu
Although originally lauded for its ability to stop erosion, kudzu fell from grace when its vigorous vines started to take over the landscape of the South. But a group of Asheville permaculture enthusiasts choose to view the plant in a more favorable light.
Smart Bets: Bike Love
Asheville on Bikes’ annual fundraiser takes place Feb. 24 at Salvage Station.
Despite environmental concerns, salt still most effective de-icer
To keep cars from slipping and sliding — and crashing and smashing — when weather conditions turn roads icy, the city of Asheville and the N.C. Department of Transportation treat local motorways with salt. While the substance can impact water quality and the health of wildlife, officials say they mostly succeed in balancing environmental and traffic safety concerns.
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HUMOR ISSUE: Predictions for the coming year
SATIRE: Xpress takes a loving look at local media, food and politics.
UPDATED: Racial tensions mar WNC holiday events
Separate incidents in Canton and Buncombe County over the past week highlight the racial tensions that have dominated headlines throughout 2017 in WNC and across the country.
CTS clean-up moves forward as community wrestles with torrid past
Cleanup efforts are finally beginning at the CTS of Asheville Superfund site on Mills Gap Road, but past controversies and a lack of trust in Environmental Protection Agency officials continued to dominate the discussion during a Nov. 30 public meeting to review the impending remedial projects and address residents’ concerns.
Protection just the first step for conservation nonprofits
As local land trusts bring thousands of acres under protection, the challenges of maintaining the health of those lands grow. And raising money for ongoing efforts to control invasive plant species, deter pests and protect water quality can be a much tougher sell than the initial push to save a beloved tract from the threat of development.
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.
Livestock judging, showing teaches 4-H kids value of responsibility
Young participants in Buncombe County 4-H programs learn a wide range of skills. Some involve caring for farm animals, while others — like responsibility, teamwork and persistence — apply to a wide variety of subjects and situations. Xpress talks with kids and their families about their 4-H experiences.
Cherokee conference celebrates power of place
ASHEVILLE, N.C.— In a field on the outskirts of Cherokee stands a nondescript mound about 6 feet high, covered in grass and flanked by woods and mountains. Though it appears to be little more than a rise in the land, it is a sacred site for the native people of the Carolina mountains: Kituwah, the […]