National Parks Conservation Association connects veterans to the outdoors

Tranquil water bubbles in a cold mountain stream. In the distance, hikers can be heard making their way to the trailhead. Trees are adorned with lichens and mosses. The sun is shining, and there is not a cloud in the sky. It is a fantastic day for a hike. One of the thousands of visitors […]

Berea College Magazine publishes ‘A Search for Safe Passage’ author reflection

In a December article for Berea College Magazine, A Search for Safe Passage author and Berea alumna Frances Figart reflected on all that led up to her work advocating for safe wildlife crossings in the Pigeon River Gorge and beyond. In the article, Figart recalled that, as a child growing up in eastern Kentucky, she often […]

Safe Passage facilitator Jeff Hunter named Wildlife Conservationist of the Year

Work hard; play harder. This catchy philosophy of work-life balance can be aptly ascribed to Jeffrey Hunter of Burnsville, an avid long-distance hiker and fan of the Grateful Dead who was recently named Wildlife Conservationist of the Year in the North Carolina Wildlife Federation’s Governor’s Conservation Awards…

Stage is set for wildlife enhancements on Interstate 40

If you’ve traveled Interstate 40 between Asheville and Knoxville lately, you know there is some construction going on not far from the boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But what exactly is happening? First of all, for some time the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has been gearing up to replace five bridges […]

TedX speaker champions Safe Passage project for wildlife

When Nikki Robinson walked out onto the stage during the final dress rehearsal for TEDx Asheville last month, the spotlights of the Diana Wortham Theatre shining in her eyes, she thought, “This is what it feels like to be a deer in the headlights.” And then she smiled and relaxed a bit, realizing the irony […]