Cold Mountain
Charles Frazier’s acclaimed novel Cold Mountain presents geography as symbolic of human conditions. To his central character Inman, the mountains represent healing and salvation and are the goal of his trek homeward.
European Wild Boars
In the long history of invasive species in Appalachia, no story is more striking that that of the European wild boar. Often called Russian boars. . .
Extinct Species
The Appalachian region is the home of more species of plants and animals than any other temperate forest on earth. Through the long stretch of geological time, life forms have come and gone.
Floods of 1916 and 1940
Many people in the mountains of Appalachia vividly remember September, 2004. During that month, the rains and winds of Hurricanes Frances and Ivan combined to swell the French Broad, Catawba, and Pigeon Rivers to record flood levels. Several fatalities and millions of...
Ghost Towns
Towns do not survive forever. Western North Carolina has a number of its own lost towns. They disappeared for a number of reasons.
Grandfather Mountain
Over 700 million years ago two gigantic plates within the earth’s crust slammed together. Among the results was the creation of one of the highest peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountain range, Grandfather Mountain. At 5,964 feet, the mountain is one of Appalachia’s most visited attractions and one of its most unique natural wonders.
Tonya Carroll (B.A., 2007 M.A., 2009) with Bruce Frazier (Carol Grotnes Belk Endowed Professor in Commercial & Electronic Music) in the recording studio.