What we can learn from wild turkeys
If you plan to travel around Western North Carolina or East Tennessee to visit friends or family and eat turkey for the coming Thanksgiving holiday, there is a good chance you’ll spot a few wild turkeys along the way. Although sometimes we humans may call one another “turkey” as a lighthearted insult, our species can […]
New book features letters from park archives
Most people come to Great Smoky Mountains National Park for its scenic vistas, waterfalls, and wildlife—seeking an escape to the great outdoors. But there are also wonders to discover indoors when you visit the Collections Preservation Center on the peaceful side of the Smokies in Townsend, Tennessee. Here, unbeknownst to many a park visitor, lie […]
Safe Passage film fest highlights road ecology
One of the great benefits and privileges of exploring Western North Carolina and East Tennessee is the opportunity to see a diverse array of wildlife wherever you go. But whether you live here or are just passing through, chances are you’ll mostly be watching the spectacle from behind a windshield. Driving from Great Smoky Mountains […]
What Horace Kephart can teach us about solitude, simplicity, and stillness
This article was originally published in 2020. We are sharing again in honor of Horace Kephart’s birthday, September 8, 1862. “Mountains! Think of them; speak of them; look upon them!… Here they are in all their majesty and abundance.” These words were written in 1905 by Isaiah Kephart, who supported his son Horace in a […]
Coming soon: The broad-winged hawk migration
As we prepare for the arrival of fall, we can also be on the lookout for a breathtaking wildlife spectacle that is a part of life here in the Southern Appalachian Mountains: the migration of the broad-winged hawk. Small forest-dwelling birds of prey, broad-winged hawks migrate annually to South and Central America from their breeding […]
Dykeman namesake among three new Smokies spiders
Although the word “spider” may elicit a “yuck” or an “ew” from many readers, the true nature of these oft-feared critters is not as icky as one might suppose. Arachnids provide essential services for humans and play key roles in balancing our ecosystems by keeping herbivorous insects in check. At the dawn of 2023, it […]
Yellow Jeep represents friendship for three Smokies lovers
The experience of being in nature on our public lands consistently inspires creativity, no matter the time of life. Over the past few years, I’ve become friends with GSMA member Carol Treiber, who is 88, and receiving the correspondence she sends from assisted living in Bryson City has been a constant source of joy. Carol […]
Wondering where the weasels are
Most visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park will never encounter a weasel. Yet these small members of a diverse family of stealthy carnivores are here in Southern Appalachia—and are likely watching us even when we cannot see them. The name “weasel” conjures up images of slippery, deceitful characters who often play the distastefully memorable […]
Understanding the ubiquitous bobcat
Even though you may never have seen one, the stealthy predator Lynx rufus is all around us here in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. Wily and elusive, bobcats are not only present but pervasive both in and out of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “Many people are surprised to learn how common they actually […]
Brian Railsback selected as 2023 Steve Kemp Writer in Residence
Great Smoky Mountains Association has announced Western Carolina University professor Dr. Brian Railsback as the recipient of its 2023 Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency. The annual residency, funded by GSMA, is designed to help writers of any medium connect in meaningful ways with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, providing space for each individual to focus on […]
