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.
Asheville
For 70 years, the Minerals Research Laboratory on Coxe Avenue has collaborated with mining companies and educational institutions to develop more efficient processes for extracting the state’s mineral resources as well as ways to reuse potentially harmful byproducts.
Check out this list of weekend highlights and visit the Mountain Xpress Community Calendar for a complete list of weekend events! EXHIBITIONS ‘Running From Madness’ at PUSH Skate Shop 25 Patton Ave., 225-5509, facebook.com/PushSkateShop/ Through MO (1/23) – Running From Madness, a group show curated by Maxx Feist. Lisa Klakulak Jewelry Exhibition at Mora Contemporary Jewelry 9 Walnut […]
“You have to take time to look at yourself, look at your spirit and where you come from, and let the spirit guide your interests and love.”
For several weeks this past spring, Trudie Henninger led a class of kindergarteners outside to monitor and study the changes in nearby redbud trees. The process was slow. The kids grew restless. “They’re not doing anything, they’re not doing anything!” they insisted. But then one day, the whole class came running inside, chanting, “They’re blooming, […]
Economically and ecologically valuable, oak trees dominate the forests of our region. But forest experts say that when the mature oak and hickory forests are cut, they are increasingly being replaced by fast-growing and aggressive yellow poplar. Researchers have been seeking solutions to the problem for decades, with little success. A new study in Bent Creek hopes to change that.
Swannanoa residents met with members of the Community Advisory Group, federal and state environmental protection officials Thursday evening to review the 2016 Record of Decision for the Chemtronics Superfund site. The EPA also revealed the presence of a new contamination detection on the property.
A “doughnut hole” of contamination in DuPont State Recreational Forest likely will be cleaned up in the coming year as a remediation plan moves forward. State officials held a public comment session on Thursday, Dec. 1 at the Transylvania County Public Library, but only a half dozen people attended and just one came forward to comment. […]
Whether triggered by climate change or normal variability in cycles of temperature and drought, recent wildfires have been some of the most extensive in living memory. With tens of thousands of acres burned, scientists and fire management officials weigh in on the effects of the fires.
As Dogwood Alliance celebrates its 20th anniversary, the local organization reflects on its accomplishments influencing the wood sourcing practices of some of America’s largest corporations. Now the group is poised to take on an even larger challenge: fighting European environmental regulations that Dogwood Alliance says are paradoxically endangering Southern forests.
Nonprofits Root Cause and EcoForesters celebrated local and regional efforts to promote sustainable forest stewardship and the use of local forest products on Nov. 12. The organizations presented four awards recognizing local groups and individuals who advocate for sound forest management practices.
Press release from U.S. Forest Service and Southern Area Incident Management Team: Incident Resources: 17 crews, 6 helicopters, 1 fixed wing, 64 engines, 16 dozers, 4 water tenders, and 809 total personnel. Boteler Fire (Clay County): The fire continues to be active due to dry conditions and continually falling leaves. Light winds yesterday enabled crews […]
The Asheville Museum of Science held a soft opening from 10 a.m. until noon at its new location in the Wells Fargo building at 43 Patton Avenue. In addition to the opening reception, an official ceremony was held to celebrate a $400,000 grant awarded to the museum from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority.