Unsung heroes of the Smokies: Camp hosts Nancy and Bob Furlow
When they drove into Smokemont Campground earlier this year, Nancy and Bob Furlow had never been to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As full-time RVers, the couple, married for over three decades, thought Smokemont would be just another stop on their long-running tour across the country. “We noticed that the whole time we were here, […]
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 […]
Serving the Smokies: Barry Hipps looks back on 35 years of GSMA
A lifelong connection to the Smokies is woven into Barry Hipps’ legacy of service. Thirty-five years ago, Hipps sat on the board of directors for Great Smoky Mountains Association, then known as Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association, and later returned to the organization to become a long-time member of GSMA’s retail team. Hipps comes […]
What are mycorrhizal fungi?
Often overlooked and underappreciated, fungi fulfill diverse ecological roles in nature. They act as decomposers, breaking down dead plant and animal material and returning vital nutrients to ecosystems. They form mutualistic partnerships, benefiting a wide range of organisms from plants to animals. Some fungi even exhibit parasitic behavior, attacking living organisms to steal nutrients and […]
70 years of partnership: Trio of leaders reflects on GSMA legacy
In 2023, GSMA celebrates its 70th year of continuous operations supporting Great Smoky Mountains National Park—a major milestone that has us looking back to chart the evolution of the organization and the work it has accomplished over that time. An interview with the late Terry Maddox along with Steve Kemp and Kent Cave in the fall […]
Park stores a destination for books, caps, T-shirts, and—of course—bears!
Tasked with a mission to preserve our country’s most spectacular places unimpaired for this and future generations, the National Park Service stresses a simple ethos: Take only photos, leave only footprints. As tempting as it might be to take home that lovely wildflower or a box of smooth river stones, leaving Great Smoky Mountains National […]
A wild awakening: An interview with David Brill, part 2
David Brill is one of the Smokies’ great living storytellers. Having contributed more articles to Smokies Life journal than almost anyone, he’s also published several book-length meditations on the paradoxically destructive and regenerative power of nature and the complex relationship with it we must all learn to navigate as humans. He considers himself a writer […]
A wild awakening: An interview with David Brill part 1
Longtime readers of Smokies Life will recognize the name David Brill like that of an old friend. Starting with the first issue in 2007, Brill has published upwards of 20 stories in the magazine’s pages…
Anderson Design Group interviews GSMA’s CEP Laurel Rematore
Anderson Design Group, a family-owned business based in Nashville, TN, creates poster art to document the wonder of America’s 63 national parks.
Ridgerunners: Stewards of the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies
There are many jobs that contribute to the preservation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park for future generations, like rangers who oversee backcountry campsites, park biologists who study the flora and fauna of this amazing region…
