The Bare Dark Sky Observatory at Mayland Community College near Burnsville will hold its grand opening on Thursday, June 1 beginning at 4 p.m. The observatory is the only International Dark Sky Association-certified dark sky park in the southeastern U.S., and it features the region’s largest telescope dedicated to research and recreation.
Asheville, NC
Less than 20 years old, geocaching is a new sport that’s gained a lot of ground in its short existence. Western North Carolina is prime territory for geocachers, who use GPS devices to find and hide containers stashed in precise locations around the world. The Haywood County Fairgrounds will host one of the country’s premier geocaching events on Saturday, May 27.
At a May 19 workshop, the greenway advocacy organization Friends of Connect Buncombe hosted a national expert, along with several local bright lights, to discuss strategies for supercharging greenway development.
The 2017 Garden Jubilee in downtown Hendersonville May 27 and 28 will feature more than 250 regional vendors along Main Street, offering their gardening tips and tricks along with their plants. Expect to see thousands of annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs, including rare selections, along with outdoor furniture and decor.
Microgreens are increasingly big business, with local restaurant diners and home chefs embracing the tiny, yet flavorful, leaves. Xpress talked to growers to find out where you can try the greens — and even how you can grow them at home.
The Mother Earth News Fair returns to the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Fletcher May 6-7. Somewhere around 20,000 attendees are expected to gather to learn about and share skills for sustainable living and self-reliance.
The festival returns to Hot Springs Campground & Resort Friday-Sunday, May 5-7.
Asheville residents turned out in scores to show solidarity with the National People’s Climate March on Saturday, April 29. The procession marched through downtown, waving banners and signs, and chanting slogans urging government leaders to recognize climate change data. The marchers, which ranged in age from small children to older residents (and a couple dogs), […]
The Garden Helpline of the Buncombe County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers is now open to provide information, advice and and even a little handholding for anyone with a gardening-related question. The service is free, and volunteers are available by phone or in person at the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension office.
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a new album by Searra Jade, a short film set in Appalachia and the latest book by outdoorsy author Gary Sizer.
From pickleball to bike polo, opportunities to find community while being active abound in WNC — and you don’t have to be traditionally athletic to join in the fun.
We all have to breathe to live, and the good news is that here in Western North Carolina, the quality of the air we all share is much better than it was just a few years ago. Across North Carolina, government employees are monitoring air quality and the associated health risks to make sure they stay within specified legal parameters. Meanwhile, citizen volunteers are also collecting data and working to make more information available to the public.
This year, the city of Asheville and its partners got serious about the environment, scheduling not just a mere Earth Day celebration, but a full roster of activities for Asheville Earth Week.
(Go to the bottom of this article for a listing of local tailgate markets) When the springtime flowers start popping up in the mountains, the tailgate markets are never far behind. Though the full harvest is still around the corner, many markets have already begun selling fresh, local foods in outdoor locations around the region […]
After the annual show of tulips at Biltmore fades, another floral exhibition bursts into bloom, this time with plants native to the Southeast. Biltmore’s 15-acre Azalea Garden is the largest on the grounds and features one of the country’s most extensive collections of the multicolored shrubs.
When the WNC Nature Center learned the city of Asheville’s subsidy for the facility would shrink by more than half over three years, the environmental education attraction wasn’t immediately sure how it would make up the funding shortfall. But it didn’t take long to figure it out: the Nature Center met the three-year goal in only one year. The attraction is expanding to meet demand, and visitation is setting new records nearly every month.
Each month during the warm season, Garage TRS hosts an outdoor fundraiser with live rock music, food, free beer and bike-themed entertainment. The first iteration of 2017 takes place on Thursday, March 30 and benefits Brother Wolf Animal Rescue.
A group of innovative strategies collectively known as “in situ remediation” could dramatically improve the prospects for addressing groundwater and soil contamination at several local hazardous waste sites more quickly and at lower cost.
From the Ani Katuah to white settlers and tobacco farmers, barns and buildings have played a central role in defining the culture of the Southern Appalachians. Shelter on the Mountain: Barns and Building Traditions of the Southern Highlands traces the evolution of local building practices.
After diving into Lake Junaluska, Polar Plunge participants (and spectators) can enjoy a chili lunch and several bonfires. Proceeds from the fundraiser, which takes place on Saturday, Feb. 4, will go to Haywood Waterways Association’s environmental education and stewardship programs.