Raleigh has long been known as the City of Oaks, but the region's fast-paced growth is threatening the lush canopy of trees that gave the city its nickname.

Why it matters: Between 2010 and 2020 alone, Wake County lost more than 11,000 acres of tree canopy, more than double the size of William B. Umstead State Park.

• Development pressures in the county haven't slowed since then, as the Triangle remains one of the fastest-growing areas in the country.

Driving the news: Trees for the Triangle, a local nonprofit, is hoping to turn the tide.

• The organization, founded in 2018, wants to plant 50,000 trees across the region by 2050, partnering with cities and other nonprofits to plant trees and operating a pay-what-you-can model for planting at people's homes.

State of play: David Klemp, Trees for the Triangle's executive director, said the nonprofit has so far planted 4,000 native trees across the Triangle, but it's hoping to ramp up its efforts in 2026 significantly.

What they're saying: "I kind of look at us like, 'Well, if we're going to lose trees from whichever combination of causes, then we'll take up the charge of planting trees back,'" Klemp, a former arborist in Raleigh's Urban Forestry Division, told Axios.

• "I can't plant as quickly as some folks are taking them down," he said, "but we can at least help balance that a little bit."

Zoom in: Trees for the Triangle is not alone in the fight. Other local organizations, like We Plant it Forward, and cities, like Raleigh and Durham, are working to restore canopy or bring it to places it's never been.

What's next: Trees for the Triangle and several other nonprofits, like Wake Audubon, are pushing for the next Raleigh city budget to add more money for tree planting.

• The goal would be to plant 24,000 trees by 2032, the 240th anniversary of the city's founding.

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Brandon Bussi, a goaltender the Carolina Hurricanes picked up last minute off waivers this season, now holds the record as the fastest goaltender in NHL history to win 10 games.

Why it matters: Bussi, who previously was on the Florida Panthers roster, is becoming a folk hero in Raleigh, riding a hot streak while filling in for the Canes' main goaltenders Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen.

• In the 12 games that Bussi has played this year, the Canes won 11 times, including a Sunday win in a shootout against the Philadelphia Flyers.

What they're saying: "I love making history in that form," Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said on Thursday after a game against the Washington Capitals. "When you get to know him, the story, and then he's just such a great kid ... We hope it continues. It's been a great ride here so far."

Zoom in: Bussi, a 27-year-old New York native, has bounced around the NHL for most of his career, including stints with the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers.

• But after college, he only got playing time in the minor league. His NHL debut didn't come until this season with the Canes, and he's technically too old to qualify as an NHL rookie.
• Bussi was actually driving to Charlotte to suit up for the Charlotte Checkers earlier this fall when he got a last-minute phone call that the Hurricanes were signing him and needed him in Raleigh, The News & Observer reported.

Between the lines: While starting the season as the Canes' third-stringer, Bussi is giving Carolina a lot of decisions to make. With both Kochetkov and Andersen healthy, Brind'Amour stuck with Bussi in net for the Canes' recent game against the Washington Capitals.

What he's saying: "You dream about being here," Bussi said after a win against the Capitals, according to NHL.com. "You work really hard to get here and try to stay here. I'm very appreciative for the opportunity and whenever the next one is, I'll be ready."

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🏈 UNC football coach Bill Belichick fired his offensive and special teams coordinators on Friday, after a disappointing start to his first year in Chapel Hill. (WRAL)

🏢 Residents of the Glenwood-Brooklyn neighborhood are suing the city of Raleigh over its vote to allow up to 30 stories to be built on the corner of Peace and West streets. (Triangle Business Journal 🔒)

🎓 Peter Hans, president of the UNC System, has made it the official policy of public universities in the state to make class syllabi public records. (News & Observer)

⚽️ N.C. State's men's soccer team is playing in the first national championship game in program history tonight at 7 against Washington at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary (WRAL)

The Cary Town Council is facing scrutiny over tuition payments it made for a town council member and a hotel billed for the town manager, who is currently on paid leave. (ABC11)

The most popular Zillow listing of 2025 in North Carolina was a $32 million mansion in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

• And if that sounds like a lot, just know that it was originally listed at $49,999,000.

Why it matters: Does it? For most of us, probably not, but it's fun to look.

Zoom in: The home is in Highlands, where it sprawls over a 40-acre mountaintop lot, according to the sellers.

• It's equipped with a helipad, pool, lake, croquet court and arched stone gates. And the views are stunning.

The big picture: Highlands and nearby Cashiers have become a trendy mountain destination for the super wealthy in recent years.

• The Wall Street Journal noted the area has one of the highest concentrations of wealth in the country, with at least four billionaires owning homes in Cashiers, including the scions of Tabasco and Russell Stover food fortunes.

By the numbers: The main house contains four bedrooms, eights bathrooms and seven fireplaces.

• The guest cottage has three bedrooms and three full baths, plus a fireplace.
• And there's a dining pavilion that contains a stunning ninth fireplace.

Address: 581 Sagee Woods Drive, Highlands, NC 28741