Every Christmas season since 1900, birders across North and Latin America have braved wintry conditions to participate in the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count. On Monday, Jan. 1, Asheville’s ornithological enthusiasts will contribute their own observations to the Christmas Bird Count’s 118th year.
Advocates for clean water in North Carolina often focus on the eastern part of the state, which hosts one of the world’s highest concentration of hogs. But French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson emphasizes that Western North Carolina and its smaller farms are not immune from the water quality issues related to animal agriculture.
Xpress presents its 2017 Asheville Innovators
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.
Asheville loves its organic produce. But the same shoppers who scrupulously avoid conventional fruits and vegetables may not think twice about the practices used to raise another of Western North Carolina’s agricultural mainstays — Christmas trees.
By a host of measures, air quality has improved dramatically in Western North Carolina over the past decade. In 2017, the number of days with potentially hazardous levels of ozone set a historic low. But airborne particulates remain a pressing concern.
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.
A new herd of Berkshire hogs signifies a larger effort by the Biltmore Estate to honor its agricultural past in a way that also provides local, sustainably raised fare for the 21st-century palates of those dining at its restaurants.
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.
Area Realtors and architects are paying close attention to the effects of climate change on the built environment — and gaining new skills to help clients consider climate-related issues as they make real estate decisions. The Asheville chapter of the American Institute of Architects is hosting a conference, titled “Where Building Science Meets Climate Science,” at The Collider on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 2-3.
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.
The “Wicked Plants” exhibit at the North Carolina Arboretum brings to life the New York Times best-selling book, Wicked Plants:The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart.
Catch up on highlights you may have missed from last week’s Xpress — and see what we’ve got in store for you this week. Newspapers should be hitting the stands later this afternoon. Available at all Xpress distribution locations by Wednesday!
Municipal officials, wildlife experts and WNC residents talk bear-resistant trash cans, bird feeders and educational initiatives designed to protect citizens and wildlife living in close proximity to each other.
Hydroponics is taking off around the globe, the country and in Western North Carolina. But it’s not just backyard gardeners who want to reap hydroponics’ impressive list of benefits, which range from a rapid growth rate to less labor to water conservation to crop consistency.
When you think about the Great Smoky Mountains, your thoughts might not immediately jump to death and destruction. But that is exactly what adventure travel writer David Brill of Morgan County, Tenn., dives into with his new book, “Into the Mist: Tales of Death and Disaster, Mishaps and Misdeeds, Misfortune and Mayhem in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”
Many cultures around the world cultivate native, shade-loving plants beneath the forest canopy. Recently, more farmers in the United States have been getting excited about the potential of forest farming to diversify their crops while preserving natural environments. A forest farming workshop on Saturday, Sept. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 1, is geared to farmers of all levels who are interested in growing in the shade.
“Rooted in the Mountains,” a conference that explores the intersection of Western and native traditions that’s now in its eighth year, will take place at Western Carolina University on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 28-29, and includes a trip to the sacred site of Kituwah, the Cherokee “mother town.”
Grandfather Mountain lies along a major corridor for migrating raptors, which means that visitors to Linville Peak during September are likely to see tens, hundreds or even thousands of the birds of prey on their way to warmer climes.
The contaminated former site of the Beacon Manufacturing Co. in Swannanoa has stood vacant since a massive fire destroyed the plant in 2003. The property’s owners are asking state regulators for permission to redevelop the site, and the public has until Sept. 29 to submit comments on the proposal.
The Green Built Alliance — the organization previously known as the Western North Carolina Green Building Council — will roll out a new name and logo at its annual member networking and appreciation party on Thursday, Sept. 14, at Highland Brewing Co. The community is invited to join members at the event.
