The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project is gearing up for its annual Farm Tour in September. Also in local green news, a new solar lending program from Sugar Hollow Solar, the West Asheville Garden Stroll spotlights the Horney Heights neighborhood, N.C. Arboretum hosts Monarch Butterfly Day and more.
Sarah Jones Decker, a volunteer at Carolina Mountain Club, discusses the joys of being outside with like-minded hikers.
The Carolina Mountain Club marks its 100th anniversary with a new book. Plus, an author uses Black Mountain as a inspiration for her YA novel, a Buddhist monk will discuss his book and Citizen Vinyl presses an album celebrating Southern music.
Asheville is one of 18 communities across the U.S. and Chile selected for the work, which will help scientists understand how cities experience extreme heat.
“In Pisgah [National Forest] or the Smokies, it’s very difficult to know exactly who owned the land before it became public. With DuPont, it’s not,” explains author Danny Bernstein. “You can trace all of the land to somebody who sold it or gave it away to the state.”
Jennifer Pharr Davis, owner of Asheville-based Blue Ridge Hiking Company, says there’s a simple reason behind the pent-up demand for outdoor recreation: In a world where many activities are either unsafe or unavailable, going for a hike is very appealing.
“My whole world seems to be closing,” says Danny Bernstein, an Asheville-based outdoors writer who regularly leads hikes for the Carolina Mountain Club and Friends of the Smokies. “Staying 6 feet apart is easy on the trail. But how can we have outdoor activity if almost every piece of public land is closed?”
“Spending time in nature makes people healthier, both physically and mentally. It’s now accepted that trees, streams and trails heal. Doctors are prescribing an outdoor cure for their patients on prescription pads.”
This week, learn about screenings of “A Walk in the Woods” at the Carolina Cinemas, “First in Forestry: Carl Schenck and the Biltmore Forest School” at the The Carolina Mountains Literary Festival, and “Riding My Way Back” at the Free Rein Center.
Thank you for your great article about Gary Sizer’s thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail, or AT for short [Tales From the Trail, Feb. 18, Xpress]. I’d like to add a few points: Not all 2,000-milers are thru-hikers. If your life doesn’t allow you to spend five to six months hiking the trail, you can become […]
