Articles About Environment and Planning
You have probably heard of a number of “Friends” groups, such as “Friends of State Parks,” or “Friends of the Library,” or any of a number of other groups. These groups are typically nonprofit organizations formed to help support the work of a local, state or federal government agency. These groups don’t have to be […]
Last fall, as the trees surrendered their leaves, I discovered four large hornets’ nests along my regular mile-long route through Atlanta’s Piedmont Park. Despite passing within a few feet of them on an almost daily basis throughout the spring and summer, the hornets had never given me a bit of trouble. The bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula […]
Since the invention of zoning codes early in the 20th century, they have focused on separating uses. Houses could not mingle with offices or stores or apartments, and offices could not mingle with shops or factories, no matter how small or unobtrusive the factory. Apartments over stores were banned. Buildings were required to be set […]
During one hike over my summer internship with The Land Trust for Central NC, we were able to spot a small and sweet little bird. Here, in the Uwharries, if you hear birds calling “peetsah” or making sounds that are akin to funny laughter, they are most likely flycatchers. We have Great Crested and Acadian […]
A few years ago, a woman in the Uwharries called to tell me about a mysterious occurrence she had witnessed. She and her husband were driving home late one evening after a high school football game. Rounding a curve on Okeewemee Road, they saw an owl swoop down and try to snatch a small creature […]
With its scenic rock outcrops and bluffs, swift rapids, diversity of wildlife, and beautiful pastoral setting, the Rocky River is a little known paddling pleasure found in our region. Starting in Mooresville, it continues into Cabarrus, Union, Stanly and Anson counties, before joining the Pee Dee River. I have had the good fortune to do […]
The following is an excerpt from Chuck McShane’s new book, A History of Lake Norman: Fish Camps to Ferraris, published by the History Press. Flood plains don’t respect our artificial political boundaries. So when the waters filled up Lake Norman, a 660-acre peninsula of Mecklenburg County just south of the Iredell County line remained dry, […]
“Downtown was the center of the universe. And then it all changed.” Matt Cullen, CEO of Rock Ventures, a major real estate player in downtown Detroit, was speaking to out-of-town visitors and describing changes in the once thriving, now seriously ailing Motor City. I was in town for a conference (Meeting of the Minds 2014) […]
The Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia) with a wingspan of 5-6 inches, is the largest moth found in North America. They are a member of Saturniidae family, or giant silk moths, and inhabit hardwood forests east of the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. and Canada. They live only 5-6 days typically and are mostly nocturnal, but […]
Talk of the Towns is a PlanCharlotte series visiting planners from the 14-county Charlotte region. This installment takes us to Iredell County. This county of 162,708 people covers a lot of ground – from Charlotte suburbs on Lake Norman shores, to an older industrial county seat of Statesville, to rural communities in the northern part […]
These days it seems as if there is an app for everything. Besides a whole host of social media options including Facebook and Instagram, and nearly every game you can imagine, you can monitor your diet, map your run, track your finances, read a book, and even find the closest – and cleanest – public […]
As you kayak along the Uwharrie River, you’ll likely see longnose gar. These strange dinosaur-like creatures are hard to miss, with their large size of 2 to 3 feet, their brownish olive coloring, and long narrow snout and sharp teeth. Another species related to the gar and found in some parts of the state, but […]