The Plunge plans for 11th year

It’s Plunge weekend in Canton as the 11th annual Plunge Benefit-t-t-ting Kids in the Creek and Environmental Education takes place 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Champion Credit Union Aquatics Center.

The event raises money for Haywood Waterways Association’s Kids in the Creek and environmental education programs, with participants choosing whether to dip their toe or fully immerse in the frigid water. Costumes are encouraged, and a variety of fun activities are planned alongside the event, including Base Camp on the Go outdoor activities, bonfires and live music.

The cost to participate is $10 for youth under 18, $35 for adults or free by raising sponsorships. Walk-ins welcome. To register or donate, visit goplunge.org. For a hard copy registration form, contact Haywood Waterways at 828.476.4667 or info@haywoodwaterways.org.

Sign up for volleyball

It’s time to register for volleyball in Jackson County, with signups now open for youth clinics and a women’s volleyball league.

Players ages 14 and up who are in high school or older can register for the women’s volleyball league through Feb. 28 online at rec.jacksonnc.org. Games will be played Thursday nights in Cullowhee. Team fee is $250.

Youth currently in grades 3-8 can sign up for a six-week youth volleyball clinic that will meet Tuesdays starting March 7. Registration is open through Feb. 28. Grades 3-5 will meet 5:30-6:30 p.m. and grades 6-8 will meet 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. Fee is $45.

For more information, contact Andrew

Sherling at 828.293.3053, ext. 6 or andrewsherling@jacksonnc.org.

Spring Break Camp now enrolling

Registration for Spring Break Camp at the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville is now open.

Camps run April 3-7 for rising kindergarteners through rising third graders. The experience will be heavy on outdoor adventure and first-hand experience with the creatures that live in the streams flowing through Arboretum property.

Learn more at ncarboretum.org/educationprograms/discovery-camp.

Parkway Foundation selects new leaders

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, which is the nonprofit partner of the Blue Ridge Parkway, has confirmed new leadership to its organization.

■ New officers were elected to the Board of Trustees. Bob Stout of Blowing Rock, who previously served as vice chair, was named chairman. Virginia resident Whitney Brown was named vice chair, Winston-Salem resident Bob Lassiter was selected as treasurer and Winston-Salem resident Julie H. Moore continues to serve as secretary.

■ David Huff of Asheville, Roberts Bass of Winston-Salem and Sam R. Johnson of Dahlonega, Georgia, joined the Board of Trustees.

■ Marsha Ralls Hershman of Asheville, Deanna M. Ballard of Blowing Rock and Charles Hauser of Winston-Salem joined the Council of Advisors.

■ Kevin Brandt was selected as the new development director for Virginia. Based in Lynchburg, he previously served as project manager for the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.

Since 1997, the Foundation has raised more than $20 million to support the Blue Ridge Parkway. A portion of that funding comes through sales of the Blue Ridge Parkway specialty license plate in North Carolina. Learn more at gettheplate.org.

Improved Population Estimate Coming

The Wildlife Commission believes the elk herd is “certainly at the 200 mark, if not somewhere over it,” Howard said, but in the coming months the agency will have a more accurate number to share. The current figure is an educated guess based on population counts performed by the Wildlife Commission, Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. But a study now underway in partnership with the University of Tennessee will return a much more specific tally.

Called a genetic mark-recapture study, the process allows researchers to estimate the number of individuals in a population by collecting feces and using DNA testing to determine how many different elk left the deposits. Then they return to the field, collect and test more feces, and figure out the proportion of the samples that came from elk already identified in the first round. This allows them to estimate how many individuals are in the entire population. The more rounds of data collection and testing go into the model, the more accurate that estimate becomes.

“Back in the old days, you used to put tags on animals, and then you tried to go catch them again and how many did you catch that had tags or whatnot,” Howard said. “Now we don’t even have to touch the animal. We match it through DNA. So it’s amazing how far technology and science has come.”

Howard said the graduate student conducting the research will finish this spring, with a final report available in May. Those results will help inform the future of any elk hunting program beyond fall 2024.

“Could this be something that happens every couple of years? Is it something that happens every year?” Howard said. “We’re going to have to take this data and this information that we get, stay on top of it and continue to monitor it and see how often we can begin to offer that level of opportunity with the elk herd.”

Monday & Saturday Dinner Service

Monday 4 p.m.-8 p.m.

Friday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Experience a Casual, Relaxing Atmosphere

perfect for all walks of life, from families to golf groups to ladies who lunch. We pride ourselves on using fresh ingredients from our gardens and supporting local farmers. The details are priority.

Join the Great Backyard Bird Count

The Highlands Biological Station in Highlands will celebrate the Great Backyard Bird Count on Friday, Feb. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 18, part of a worldwide event organized by the Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Both days, birders of all skill levels are invited to meet at the North Campus of the Highlands Biological Station to participate in “Early Bird Strolls” 9 to 10 a.m. They’ll get an introduction to the Great Backyard Bird Count before taking a walk around campus in search of feathered friends. Binoculars will be provided.

A family-friendly event 3-5 p.m. Feb. 18, called “Bird’s the Word!,” will wrap up the weekend at the Nature Center. Borrow childsized binoculars to spot birds around Lindenwood Lake, go on a scavenger hunt in the Botanical Garden and learn how scientists need our help to count the birds in our backyards.

The Great Backyard Bird Count was launched in 1998, and this year bird watchers of all ages are invited to help create a real-time snapshot of bird populations by reporting their sightings between Friday, Feb. 17 and Monday, Feb. 20. Participants can count birds for as little as 15 minutes or for as long as they wish over one or more of the four days, completing those counts in their backyard or anywhere in the world. Each checklist submitted helps researchers learn more about how birds are doing and how to protect them.

To participate, report sightings online at www.birdcount.org. Highlands Nature Center programs are free and supported by the Highlands Biological Foundation.

Learn to grow

Get ready for gardening season with a seminar covering everything from planning to harvest, 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Center in Waynesville.

Presented by Master Gardener Volunteer Bonnie Refinski-Knight, the program will cover planning garden beds, starting veggies from seeds, following a garden calendar, improving the soil and composting. Class size is limited, with a signup deadline on Feb. 17.

Cost is $10. Makes checks payable to Haywood CEDS and drop off or mail to Extension – Learn to Grow Class, 589 Raccoon Road, Suite 118, Waynesville, NC 28786. Include your email address with the envelope so class materials can be sent in advance.