WNC, Naturally

10/18/2026

WNC Sierra Club Monthly Meeting: Nov 4 - The Conservation Power of Art
When: Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.
Where: Reuter Center of UNCA, 300 Campus View Dr, Asheville, Room 102 or online via Zoom.
Mark your calendars for our Nov. 4 program about the conservation power of art, featuring local artist Spencer Beals and Doc Varn of Preserving a Picturesque America.

Spencer Beals is an Asheville-based artist and community organizer. He has been making art in the River Arts District full-time for the last four years despite losing his life’s work in Hurricane Helene. He continues to host Sketchbook Club, Nature Journaling Club and conservation-based art and storytelling events.

Doc Varn will talk about his work with the nonprofit Preserving a Picturesque America (PAPA) to continue the tradition of using the power of the arts to preserve and conserve across the country. He will share stories and visuals of how they find the exact locations where artists of the 1800s created the art that inspired the creation of state and national parks across America. Once rediscovered, regional artists create modern depictions of these locations to share how things have changed, sometimes in triumph and sometimes sharing our mistakes.

The WNC Sierra Club meets monthly in Room 102 at UNCA’s Reuter Center on Campus Drive and simultaneously on Zoom. For more information, contact WNC Sierra Club Chair Judy Mattox at [email protected].

Parking at UNC Asheville: If you do not have a parking sticker from OLLI, you'll need to register for parking either ahead of time at unca.aimsparking.com or at the Reuter Center on the night of the meeting. The latest information about fees and requirements can be found at that link. There are no visitor fees after 5 p.m.

10/17/2026

Outstanding!

This is a celebration/announcment that has been a long time coming due to the verification process and other boxes that had to be checked. However, UCPL is super excited to share that the Homeschool Enrichment Group of 2025 successfully found and identified the first ever Hellbender Salamander of Rocky Fork State Park! The kids were ecstatic to make the discovery, and Ranger Cory Franklin went through all of the proper channels to verify that we had, indeed, caught a Hellbender. We are super pleased that our group participated in this important find in our community as the presence of a Hellbender, per Ranger Cory, is an indicator of the health of the environment at Rocky Fork. What a wonderful accomplishment by our homeschool group and Rocky Fork Ranger, Cory Franklin!


💜

10/17/2026

I have, as of this morning, finished my steroid taper. 169 ten mg pills over 7 weeks. I have been led to believe that my cough (which has been constant for close to three months) should end within a couple of weeks. I surely hope so. I'm scheduled for a CT scan on the 23rd and will meet with my oncologist on the 27th to see if all this has knocked my cancer down. We will also chart my future treatment at that time.

10/09/2026

Walked for .65 miles today, and drove myself to the allergist this morning! I am improving, but the cough is still persistent. I will finish the steroids in two weeks and hope that will improve the coughing. I go for a CT scan on the 23rd then see the oncologist on the 27th to see if all this has helped with the cancer. Fingers crossed.

10/02/2026

I just walked .45 miles with a walker and oxygen tank. Twenty minutes outside on a beautiful day!

10/02/2026

Outstanding!

BIG NEWS on completed Blue Ridge Parkway road work!

Release: The National Park Service today announced the completion of a more than $100 million rehabilitation of 75 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina. The project was funded by the Great American Outdoors Act, landmark legislation signed into law by President Donald J. Trump in 2020. The investment improves critical infrastructure and visitor access along one of America’s most iconic scenic roadways.

The multiyear project included improvements along the Parkway from milepost 229.6, north of Doughton Park, to milepost 305.1, near Grandfather Mountain. The work addressed long-standing maintenance needs while preserving the Parkway’s historic character and supporting safe, reliable access for visitors.

"We are thrilled to have completed this work in advance of the busy fall season,” said Tracy Swartout, Blue Ridge Parkway superintendent. “This historic investment will serve Parkway visitors and neighboring communities for years to come. The Parkway is also an important economic driver for the region, connecting millions of visitors with gateway communities and serving as an important travel corridor for area residents.”

The project included repaving and rehabilitating the Parkway’s mainline motor road and repairs and improvements to drainage structures, curbs, walks, shoulders, guardrails, overlooks and signage. The National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration jointly managed the work.

Photo: Newly reconstructed section of the Blue Ridge Parkway near milepost 242 in Alleghany County, N.C. NPS Photo.

09/27/2026

Two years ago today. We were so lucky compared to so many.

09/22/2026

Truth.

MEDIA RELEASE: Smokies Reminds Visitors That Elk and Bears Are Not Disney Employees

GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Great Smoky Mountains National Park would once again like to remind visitors that wild animals are, in fact, wild.

Fall is an exciting time in the Smokies. Bull elk are full of testosterone, black bears are eating up to 20,000 calories a day, and tourists are stepping into fields with iPhones because they “just want one quick picture.”

During the rut, bull elk may charge anything they see as a threat. This includes other elk, vehicles, dogs, and Gary from Ohio, who believes maintaining a safe distance means standing 12 feet away instead of six.

Visitors must remain at least 25 yards from elk. Your rental SUV does not make you invisible, and holding your phone in front of your face does not create a protective force field.

Black bears must be given at least 50 yards. If you are close enough to get a detailed selfie, whisper “Hey, buddy,” or ask the bear to look toward the camera, you are too close.

Park officials would also like to clarify the following:

• A traffic jam is not an official wildlife viewing area.

• Pulling halfway onto the shoulder and turning on your hazard lights does not magically remove your vehicle from the road.

• Elk do not understand that you drove all the way from Florida.

• Bears are not impressed by your confidence around animals.

• Your unleashed dog is not “really friendly.” It is an appetizer with a collar.

• Rangers are not ruining your vacation by asking you to back away. They are trying to prevent your vacation photos from becoming evidence.

If an animal changes its behavior because of you, you are too close. If a ranger is yelling at you, you are definitely too close. If the bear has your car keys, the situation has progressed significantly beyond the recommended viewing distance.

Please enjoy the wildlife responsibly this fall. Use binoculars, remain inside your vehicle, and remember: the goal is to leave the park with beautiful memories, not a viral video titled “Tourist Learns Why Elk Have Antlers.”