Western North Carolina Sierra Club group (WENOCA) is following guidance from the national Sierra Club to cancel all in-person meetings, events, hikes and outings until at least April 12 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That date may be extended if needed. Our April 9 program meeting on the Nantahala/Pisgah forest management plan revision has been rescheduled and adapted so that you can join us safely from your home. The event will now move forward and online, to April 2 at 7 p.m. Join us for this important meeting! Please register in advance for the webinar here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about how to log in by computer or call in by phone. The discussion will feature Sam Evans of Southern Environmental Law Center, Josh Kelly of Mountain True, and David Reid from WENOCA. This webinar will provide background about the Nantahala/Pisgah plan revision that will be critical in helping you submit informed comments to the U.S. Forest Service. (The comment period was due to end on May 14, but the USFS has indicated it will extend the period; no date has yet been set.) You can learn more about the draft plan and get updates on the comment period by signing up at the N.C. Sierra Club’s Pisgah-Nantahala campaign page on AddUp . We’d love for you to be part of this event and to keep attention on this important issue. Please join us online! Until further notice, the WENOCA Group has cancelled all hikes, outings and in-person committee meetings. That includes the March 26 showing of the film Ay Mariposa, co-sponsored by WENOCA. We hope to resume our monthly program meetings soon. We are grateful for your passion and involvement, and want you to continue to be actively involved in our work. So please, for now, keep in touch online! Watch for further information by email, on our website, and on our Facebook page.

Come on out and Contra Dance with the Old Farmer’s Ball. Free lesson starts at 7:30 PM and the dance starts at 8.

Where: Reasonover Creek Trail, DuPont State Recreational Forest

Meet: Columbus, Food Lion parking area, east side, @ 8:30

5.3-miles, moderate; trail type – loop

Hikers will experience the natural beauty of DuPont’s Fawn Lake, Lake Julia, and Reasonover Creek on this trek!Following Fawn Lake Road past the small lake, the trail will lead hikers over an abandoned airstrip where we will follow Camp Summit Road to Lake Julia for stunning views of the lake and a snack. This one-hundred-acre man-made lake is surrounded by beautiful rocky cliffs. After taking in the sights at the lake, we’ll pick up the Reasonover Creek Trail. Along this portion of trail, there are a few places that we’ll have to cross Reasonover Creek – there may be the opportunity to rock-hop, but be prepared to get your feet wet or take the time to take off and put on your boots!  Hopefully, we’ll have the opportunity to see spring wildflowers along the way…maybe even a bird or two!

Contact [email protected] with additional questions.

Conserving Carolina is sponsoring a Friday hiking series this fall, free, guided, and open to the public. The hikes will meet at various locations (noted for each date) and will leave promptly at 8:45 a.m. Hikers should plan to return to the area in the late afternoon, time varying with group size, distance of hike, and drive time. Car-pooling will be organized at the meeting locations. If you’re coming from an area closer to the trailhead, please contact Pam Torlina (email above and number below) to make other meeting arrangements.

Be sure to wear appropriate clothing and sturdy footwear. Bring a bag lunch and/or snack and plenty of water for yourself. In case of inclement weather, call the Conserving Carolina office, ext. 300, before 8:15 a.m. on the date of the hike, and/or check our Facebook page and calendar. Please also remember to bring any medication that you may need in the event of an emergency (ie: epinephrine, nitroglycerine, insulin, etc.). Hike leaders will carry a first aid kit; however, it may not contain specific medication for your individual needs.

See where the cougars and otters sleep overnight, meet black bears that are not commonly on display, learn the ins and outs of what it takes to care for the animals year-round, observe a training session and find out why the animals call Grandfather Mountain home.

Offered on weekends, April – October.

WANTED: STRONG LEGS, POSITIVE ATTITUDES, & WAGGING TAILS

Bring your best human friend or prized pooch for a charity hike up Bearwallow Mountain! Hike the 1-mile trail to the grassy bald of Bearwallow Mountain with fellow conservation-loving pet owners to enjoy the panoramic views. Proceeds benefit Conserving Carolina and the Blue Ridge Humane Society. Pre-register by March 8 to receive a t-shirt!

Registration for this event is $20 and includes an event t-shirt when signed up by March 8. There is no registration cut off and day-of registrations will be accepted.

Check-in will begin at 10:00AM at the trail head. All participants–humans and their furry friends–must check in prior to the start of the hike.  Proceeds benefit Conserving Carolina & Blue Ridge Humane Society.

On exhibit Saturdays and Sundays from 12 – 4 p.m., Rocky Cove Railroad is a G-Scale (garden scale) model train that demonstrates the coming of trains to western North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century. The exhibit is located below the Grand Promenade. Please note, Rocky Cove Railroad will not operate in rainy or wet conditions.