ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Eat from the forest floor with foraged mushrooms
July marks peak season for gathering wild edible mushroom in Western North Carolina, and many tasty varieties are already popping up on local restaurant menus.
News briefs: Thomas Wolfe Auditorium survey, WNC nonprofits receive $900K in awards
The questionnaire will advise the city on which updates and renovations of the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium best serve community needs. Once the survey is completed, Earl Swensson Associates Architects will draft programming and conceptual designs for the building.
Green in brief: Asheville releases guide to climate resilience, RiverLink plans sale of French Broad land for restaurant
“Building a Climate-Resilient Asheville,” debuted during a June 19 meeting of the city’s Sustainability Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment at The Collider, focuses on practical steps individuals can take to reduce their vulnerability to extreme weather.
ASAP hosts its 11th annual Farm Tour
Drinking water, sunscreen, hat, closed-toe walking shoes, cash and a camera: These items are all on the “items to bring” checklist provided by Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project to people embarking on the 11th annual ASAP Farm Tour on Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23. But the real key to a successful tour, according to tour coordinator Robin […]
News Briefs: New police chief, updated Flatiron proposal
Updated Flatiron proposal to return to City Council Developer Philip Woollcott and building owner Russell Thomas will make another appearance in front of Asheville City Council members on Tuesday, June 25, to gain approval for an updated version of the Flatiron Building project. The original plan would have converted the building into an 80-room boutique […]
Don’t Sweat it!
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
WNC a hot spot for vector-borne diseases
According to Buncombe County Health and Human Services, the county had 21 reported cases of Lyme disease in 2018. Western North Carolina is a hot spot for the disease as well as other vector-borne illnesses (those transmitted by carriers such as mosquitoes, ticks and fleas).
From CPP: To cut or not to cut? Disagreement over US Forest Service’s plans for trees
The U.S. Forest Service plans to harvest the majority of trees at 16 sites in Nantahala National Forest beginning next year as part of its Southside Project. Story by Jack Igelman, originally published by Carolina Public Press.
Out on a limb
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Seasons of Nuts
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.
Hidden hiking: Buncombe lands offer nature close to home
Some places in Buncombe County still offer outdoors solitude without a lengthy drive to Great Smoky Mountains National Park or an obscure corner of Pisgah National Forest. Mark Barrett offers the following guide to nearby destinations where you typically won’t meet someone at every turn.
Philip Curry tries on hemp shoes with Astral
Curry says his new line of shoes — made using natural hemp fiber — is both practical and environmentally conscious. “It was chosen because it deals well with water. It doesn’t rot; it doesn’t degrade with UV [ultraviolet radiation] compared to cotton or jute or other things. It’s really a strong, amazing material,” Curry says.
Conscious couples say ‘I do’ to eco-friendly weddings
With wedding season right around the corner, local wedding vendors are ramping up options for local couples.
In brief: Noise studied, teachers trained and wildflowers honored
Local divisions of the N.C. Department of Transportation won recognition in the state’s annual Wildflower Awards, while the city of Asheville studies noise and the Buncombe Partnership for Children deploys a $400,000 grant to train up to 60 new early childhood educators in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties.
Kathryn Long teaches nature connection at Growing Wild Forest School
Before Long cofounded Growing Wild in 2016, she taught in a conventional preschool. “I thought the kids were miserable, and it showed in their performance and behavior,” she recalls. “I started taking them outside for longer and longer periods of time, doing lessons with natural materials, and everyone did better.”
Zoë Mihalas gets young people outside
Mihalas received the Distinguished Service Award for Youth Education from Trout Unlimited last year for her work in creating a new generation of conservation-minded youth. She challenges young people to share photos of fishing or having outdoors fun with friends on Instagram to bridge the gap between nature and social media.
Shane Benedict leads Green River trash pickup
Started in 2011, the Green River Spring Cleaning has grown every year, with ever more participants paddling in to cover the Lower Green and the Upper Green. “Our goal is to work the entire Green River, from Lake Summit to Lake Adger, about 30 miles,” Benedict says. “That’s a lot, but I believe we can do it.”
N.C. Arboretum receives $1 million grant for statewide outreach
The N.C. GlaxoSmithKline Foundation donated $1 million to The North Carolina Arboretum with the intent to expand Project ecoEXPLORE from 23 WNC counties to all 100 counties across the state. The grant will also fund the arboretum’s Project EXPLORE teacher education program and Project OWL, a teacher certification program.
Area practitioners offer different takes on cause, treatment of leading foot complaint
Conventional and alternative practitioners differ on the causes, treatment and even the best name for common heel pain. But whether they believe the problem should be known as plantar fasciitis — indicating an inflammation of the tissues — or plantar fasciosis — a name that points to insufficient blood supply and resulting tissue deterioration, local practitioners agree that it’s the No. 1 reason people seek professional foot care.