Pictured is a typical Cherokee “thong" tree, named for the technique used by Native Americans who bent and tied a sapling to the ground to produce a permanent 90 degree angle in the tree.

On Thursday, June 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Highlands Biological Foundation’s “Think About Thursdays” summer event series continues with a guided hike to explore Ancient Cherokee Trails in the Highlands area.

The Franklin Garden Club and the Macon County Master Gardeners were recently invited to the home of Lois Selfon for a Worm Composting Workshop presented by Professor Ronda Sherman from NC State.

Professor Sherman demonstrated how to build and maintain an inexpensive “worm bin” in which worms are used to transform food wastes and other organic matter into fertilizer.

According to Sherman, out of the hundreds of different species of worms worldwide, only a half-dozen can productively be used for this purpose and only one that can be used in this part of the world.

In addition to the workshop, the many participants also enjoyed a luncheon and a walk through Selfon’s gardens.

Forest Service to host Kids Fishing Day at Cliffside Lake picnic area

 The USDA Forest Service’s Nantahala Ranger District invites children, ages 15 and under, to the annual Kids Fishing Day Saturday, June 4, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cliffside Lake, just west of Highlands on U.S. 64.

The event introduces kids to the basics of fishing and helps them gain an appreciation for the sport and for fish habitat. Volunteers will be on-hand to teach children the craft of casting, baiting the hook, and reeling in the catch.

After a period of inactivity, the Voluntary Agricultural District has been reestablished with a newly appointed board of five individuals from around the county who are actively involved in some sort of agriculture. At last week's meeting of county commissioners, Mike Breedlove of the Macon County Soil and Water Conservation District presented a list of five new potential board members to the commissioners for approval.

In 1997, an ordinance was adopted by the county to “encourage the voluntary preservation and protection of farmland from non-farm development, recognizing the importance of agriculture to the economic and cultural life of this county.”