Articles About Environment and Planning
As I write this article, we’re in the wake of our second major snowstorm this season – several inches of pretty snow capped with an ugly layer of ice. I’m stuck in a condo in Atlanta, negotiating slippery sidewalks with an elderly terrier. My plans to drive up to the Uwharries for the week are […]
The snow at Christmas in 2010 was a rare event in the Uwharries as it was in much of North Carolina. These photos were taken by Ruth Ann Grissom and Watson Ross as they enjoyed the event. Read story related to these photos.
We’ve had some heavy machinery on our land in southern Randolph County the past few months. Rest assured – this earth-moving equipment has NOT been there to prepare the land for a subdivision, fast-food chain or strip mall. It’s part of a wetlands restoration project through the state Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP). When streams or […]
Photos chronicling the restoration of a stream through the North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP). This project, flowing into the Uwharrie River in southern Randolph County, allows water to flow in a slow, meandering path from a breeched pond to the river. The project replaces compromised streams and ditches that had caused silting and water […]
Ask an outdoor enthusiast to name a special natural area in the state and he might mention mountain bogs, Carolina bays or longleaf pine savannas. If pressed to identify one in the piedmont, he might squint and scratch his head and stammer. The piedmont is often described as fragmented, cultivated and compromised. The gentle hills […]
It’s no secret that the Charlotte region has been rapidly growing more urban over the past few decades. Yet despite the record expansion of the urbanized area experienced during economic boom times, private landowners cling to over two million acres of undeveloped land in the Charlotte metropolitan region. Why do these remnants of green persist? […]
During our recent hike in the Birkheads, I noticed more than ever one of the most significant aspects of being in the woods this time of year – and that is just how quiet it is. Other than the occasional loud sounds of crunching leaves under our feet, most of the normal sounds of the […]
This region is home to a variety of native species that are both important naturally and historically occurring species, and also important game species. White-tailed deer, gray squirrel, and wild turkey are just a few of the more commonly encountered ones that fall into this category. For a number of these, certainly for the turkey […]
Four years ago, my sister, Amy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her treatment – six rounds of chemo, two surgeries and 33 sessions of radiation – took a toll on her right shoulder. Her surgeon suggested some basic exercises for strength and mobility. She also started swimming laps. She liked being buoyant in the warm […]
Sunday night I received a photo from Tommy Barbee, showcasing his supper. “Look at what a farm boy can create,” he said. The picture displayed a bright green salad, replete with cucumbers, tomatoes, and more; all of which he had grown there at Barbee Farms. As a locavore (someone who eats a local diet), this […]
Last week, Ruth Ann Grissom’s article focused on seed collection of longleaf pines. Few would argue with the fact that the longleaf pine ecosystem is definitely one of the most beautiful and diverse there is, with a variety of rare and really cool plant and animal species. Unfortunately, longleaf pine forests and savannahs are also […]
The ground between Roberdo and Wadeville sometimes shakes when the Warrior football team of West Montgomery High takes to the field, but last October the tremors were due to a special project on land adjacent to the campus. The “West Montgomery tract” includes an 80-acre stand of mature longleaf that the US Forest Service has […]