“Since 2017 Energy Savers Network (ESN) has been hard at work weatherizing over 1,400 low-income homes in Buncombe County,” says Steffi Rausch, director of operations for Energy Savers Network.
Warren Wilson and UNCA launch new programs aimed at climate change
Xpress recently caught up with faculty from both programs to learn more about how the two institutions are thinking about environmental studies in the wake of Tropical Storm Helene.
Inside the fight to conserve Richmond Hill
Conservation easement saves large parcel next to Richmond Hill Park, thwarting a decade of attempts to add large developments.
The story behind a geologist’s viral tutorial
After Tropical Storm Helene, people were desperately trying to understand what had just happened to turn their mountain refuge into an unrecognizable hellscape. Geologist and landslide researcher Phillip Prince thought he might be able to help.
Feeling the burn: An exodus of staff has made it hard for NC Forest Service to fight wildfires
Extensive personnel shortages at the NC Forest Service hampered the agency’s ability to manage the wildfires that raged in Western North Carolina this spring, state and county officials say.
Why the Forest Service is logging after Hurricane Helene — and why some say they should slow down
Of the nearly 800,000 acres of trees that Helene downed, about 187,000 lie in national forests. Salvage logging — a practice scientists and forest advocates have long questioned — is the Forest Service’s primary method of handling such a large disturbance.
Sustaining community: Electrify Asheville-Buncombe discusses 2042 renewable energy goals
“As our grid evolves toward renewable energy, transitioning means a cleaner, more efficient environment,” says Sophie Mullinax, chief administrative officer of Let’s Go Electric/Electrify Asheville-Buncombe.
Sustaining community: A healthy lifestyle benefits more than the individual
“If I am healthier, I can help others more often and reduce the load on our first responders and those trying to help us,” says David Thomas, a lifelong recreational cyclist, kayaker, angler and hiker.
Sustaining community: Finding ways to stay motivated amid climate emergencies
To stay positive, UNCA student Olivia Williams says she reminds herself of “all of the intellectual, strong and determined students that surround me in my environmental science classes at school.”
Environmentalists say federal policies put forests at further risk
A crowd of about 150 people attended a forum designed to educate community members about nonprofits that focus on public resources, land and wildlife, especially given recent federal policies that could pose long-term challenges.
Sustaining community: Local student offers simple ways to make a difference
“Buy local groceries when you can and research where your food comes from,” says Kathryn Wolfe co-president of the A.C. Reynolds High School Environmental Club.
From CPP: WNC forest plan under pressure from storm devastation, lawsuit and Trump
The suit is the third connected to one of the two WNC national forests that the Virginia-based nonprofit legal organization has filed since early 2024.
Smart Bets: Roots So Deep
Hickory Nut Gap Farms and UNCA co-host this film screening and discussion on April 9.
EPA freezes money for WNC clean energy projects
Three days after a WNC church secured funding for solar panels, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) froze $20 billion in climate and clean energy grants, putting energy efficiency and resiliency projects in limbo across the country.
Future wildfires will likely be more severe, county warns
Ryan Cole, Buncombe County Emergency Management assistant director, said that while some fallen trees left by Helene are not dried out enough to be considered a fire hazard, the accumulation of debris over the next several years will increase the likelihood of more intense fire seasons.
Nature Center reopens after damage from Helene
Hit hard by Tropical Storm Helene, WNC Nature Center exceeds its own expectations by opening March 17 with a few renovations and expansions too.
WNC trout fishing this summer? Where anglers can go in Hurricane Helene aftermath
Post-Helene debris and waterway changes have made some of the public’s favorite fishing rivers inaccessible for the season, which peaks in spring and fall, though some trout fishing is allowed year-round.
Smart Bets: Paddling Film Festival World Tour
The celebration of World Water Day benefits local environmental nonprofit MountainTrue.
Smart Bets: Historic Home Tour
The Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County invites self-paced exploration of four lovingly restored and preserved Chestnut Hill homes Feb. 22-23.
Green roundup: County commissioners support eastern hellbender
“The eastern hellbender is one of only three giant salamanders on the planet,” said District 3 Commissioner Parker Sloan during the Feb. 4 meeting. “They’re down to about 59%, so we’ve lost roughly half of the eastern hellbenders.”
Upcoming forum looks at historic floods to help find future solutions
“Historic Floods and Landslides — What Have We Learned” will take place on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2-4 p.m., at the Bo Thomas Auditorium on the campus of Blue Ridge Community College.
