Nature

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 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 […]

Even though late summer brings the promise of cooler weather to the Piedmont, we still have the sultry presence of two old-fashioned and fragrant Southern favorites in our gardens – the ginger lily and the tuberose. Everything about the ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium) speaks of its origins in the tropical regions of Asia. This lush, […]

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 […]

Sept. 1 marks a sad centenary in our nation’s natural history. In the early days of World War I, a passenger pigeon died alone in her cage at the Cincinnati Zoo. “Martha” had lived her entire life in captivity. She was the last of her kind. The estimated population of passenger pigeons had once been […]

As you hike along the Uwharrie Trail, you may come upon a newly installed Uwharrie Trail audio tour marker and wonder what it is. If you have cell service, you can click on the QR code shown and hear a short story about the historic, natural or cultural significance of the very spot to which […]

“A paddle a day keeps the doctor away.” That isn’t quite the famous saying, but it rings just as true. Kayaking and canoeing are fun and healthy ways to enjoy the outdoors, and there is plenty of water to be paddled nearby. One of those great streams in the N.C. Piedmont that’s now easily accessible […]

If you live in the Southeastern United States, you’ve probably seen the shrub pictured above. Despite its attractive clusters of white flowers that lead to big purple fruits, privet is another invader to hate. Free workshop The Greater Uwharrie Conservation Partnership will hold a free Invasive Species Workshop Aug. 22 at Montgomery County Community College […]

Walk through the forest at Redlair Preserve, an approximately 750-acre property preserved in Gaston County, and you will see in the understory something that look like a design by Dr. Seuss: A medium-sized tree sporting massive flowers and tropical-looking leaves that can grow 30 inches long and a foot wide. The trees are bigleaf magnolia […]