WORD FROM THE SMOKIES
During the COVID lockdown of 2020, I launched “Word from the Smokies,” a column that now appears in five regional news outlets and educates readers in park gateway communities about the science, culture, and ecological initiatives of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The most current columns are written by my staff, but these links lead to articles with my byline.
April 26, 2025: Field guide will educate about the life of insects
March 22, 2025: Shedding light on the nature of venomous snakes
September 28, 2024: Students learn about birds in Ecuador and Smokies
August 24, 2024: Masa biography reveals stunning discoveries
September 28, 2024: Students learn about birds in Ecuador and Smokies
April 22, 2024: April 30 is deadline to apply for writers conference
March 5, 2024: Tremont Writers Conference returns
February 4, 2024: Park partner rebrands as ‘Smokies Life’
January 20, 2024: Strange species make ‘accidental’ appearances
December 25, 2023: Endangered Species Act turns 50
December 16, 2023: Database aids study of George Masa photography
November 23, 2023: Ensuring sustainable wild turkey populations
October 21, 2023: Letters reveal colorful characters, park history
September 30, 2023: Safe Passage film fest highlights road ecology
September 2: Broad-winged hawk migration coming soon
August 5, 2023: Dykeman namesake among 3 new Smokies spiders
July 1, 2023: The world of weasels
May 20, 2023: Understanding the ubiquitous bobcat
April 15, 2023: New book teaches kids to be bearwise
April 8, 2023: Apply for writers conference by end of April
March 18, 2023: Learn about conservation on your property
March 4, 2023: George Ellison: Too much and not enough
Feb 18, 2023: Project uncovers stories of Black life in the park
Feb 11, 2023: Local novelists to help lead conference
Feb 4, 2023: What happens when we relocate box turtles?
December 10, 2022: Museum of the Cherokee Indian honors ancestors
November 26, 2022: Sometimes bears cross roads to get garbage
November 12, 2022: Celebrate trees with Smokies Life
October 29, 2022: Parks as Classrooms’ experiences engaging
September 24, 2022: Elk Fest returns as herd enters 21st rut season
September 3, 2022: New salamander species found hiding in plain sight
August 6, 2022: Safe Passage facilitator is Conservationist of Year
July 30, 2022: Remote cabin memorializes noted Southern artist
July 9, 2022: North Shore decoration days continue
June 18, 2022: Bodacious Bear to help BearWise team raise funds
June 11, 2022: Stage Set for wildlife enhancements on I-40
May 28, 2022: Renovator breathes life into Cataloochee structures
May 7, 2022: Writer in residence finally gets to popular park
April 30, 2022: Parks shine a light on the magic of fireflies
April 9, 2022: Dazzling lights endanger birds
April 2, 2022: Marker honors pioneering photographer
March 19, 2022: Data monitoring protects species for long haul
March 5, 2022: TEDx speaker champions safe passage
February 26, 2022: Northern river otters stage a comeback
February 12, 2022: A Day in life of Forestry Technician Kate Beckner
February 5, 2022: Remembering Poet Laureate Ella V. Costner
January 22, 2022: Living with bears requires humans to adjust
January 8, 2022: Science and Education Center Conceived 40 Years Ago
December 26, 2021: Fates perform on video benefiting Safe Passage
December 18, 2021: Community scientists discover 70+ new species
December 11, 2021: Supervisory forester leaves legacy of preservation
December 4, 2021: Wilson helps provide safe passage for wildlife
November 27, 2021: Learn something from the wild turkey
November 20, 2021: Artist Elizabeth Ellison is pure Smokies
November 13, 2021: Keys to wildlife crossings in Pigeon River Gorge
October 16, 2021: Professor discovers 4 new snakes in 6 years
October 2, 2021: Park scientists, writers reflect on ‘habitat’
September 25, 2021: Two firefly species seen for first time
September 18, 2021: Safety first as elk herd enters 20th rut season
September 4, 2021: Teen conservation leaders get new perspective
August 28, 2021: A chance encounter with Russula mushrooms
August 21, 2021: Podcast explores influence of Black musicians
August 14, 2021: 21,183 species described in park – and DLiA keeps on discovering
July 31, 2021: Plan like a ranger when you visit parks
July 24, 2021: Internship bridges an educational gap
July 17, 2021: Saving our Smokies by picking up one piece of litter at a time
July 10, 2021: Road ecology comes to Southern Appalachia
July 3, 2021: Time to try birding beyond the backyard
June 26, 2021: BearWise basics can save lives
June 19, 2021: A firefly season recap from the experts
June 12, 2021: Meet wild creatures native to ‘sky islands’
May 29, 2021: ‘Raingers’ aid understanding of rainfall
May 1, 2021: Charismatic beetles light up the night
April 17, 2021: How Oconee bells led botanists on a 200-year wild botanical goose chase
April 3, 2021: 3rd year of sochan gathering for Cherokee
March 20, 2021: NC father-daughter team discovers aquatic organism
March 6, 2021: Children’s book looks at need for wildlife crossings
February 20, 2021: Writer makes Great Smokies her park
February 13, 2021: Biological science technician loves her ‘muddy, sweaty’ work
February 6, 2021: Entomologist reflects on role of women in science
January 30, 2021: Beyond the shadow of the woodchuck
January 23, 2021: Smokies birds may have benefited from Clean Air Act
January 16, 2021: NC field station enhances park research
December 19, 2020: New bee discovered after fire
December 5, 2020: Wildlife biologist for Eastern Band of Cherokee shares indigenous knowledge
November 21, 2020: The conservation success story of the iconic wild turkey
November 14, 2020: Wild turkeys are intelligent, community-minded
October 31, 2020: Study adds to knowledge of fire-enhanced fungi
October 25, 2020: Pandemic creates hardship for longtime sorghum demonstrators
October 3, 2020: Come and explore the controversy, mystery and awe of Kephart’s legacy
September 26, 2020: Assassin bugs discovered in Smokies
September 19, 2020: Don’t kill It! Spiders protect us from disease
September 12, 2020: Grassy balds are the place to be during the pandemic
August 29, 2020: The tiny beetle who acts as janitor and farmer to our forests
August 22, 2020: Ellison and McCue: Kephart brought them together
August 1, 2020: The Great American Outdoors Act will mean upgrades for the Smokies
July 26, 2020: Park Superintendent Cash launches Hikes for Healing
July 18, 2020: Meet the ranger who works to prevent search and rescue
July 5, 2020: The Obscure Tale of the Appalachian Cottontail
June 27, 2020: Great American Outdoors Act will be a game changer
June 21, 2020: Saving aquatic wildlife becomes education park ranger’s passion
May 31, 2020: Bear without boundaries: Social media complicates living with bears today
May 24, 2020: The unintended consequences of accidentally feeding bears
May 17, 2020: Let’s get back to the basics to avoid conflicts with bears
May 10, 2020: Small species play big role in Great Smokies
May 3, 2020: Give it up for the birds – there’s no time like the present to watch and learn
April 26, 2020: How to get your firefly-watching fix
April 19, 2020: What Horace Kephart can teach us about solitude, simplicity
April 5, 2020: Decisions to close the Smokies builds on legacy of paradox and radical thinking