Rock Outcrop & Cliff Ecology
2 Credit Hours
June 8–12, 2026
Instructor: Dr. Laura Boggess, Mars Hill University & Mr. Gary Kauffman, USFS (Emeritus)
Cost: $500.00
Cliffs and rock outcrops are among the most striking and ecologically distinctive landscapes in the Southern Appalachians. These environments support rare, endemic, and specialized species shaped by extreme conditions and long-term geological processes—yet they remain understudied, in part due to their inaccessibility.
Highlands Biological Station lies within one of the most rugged and geologically diverse regions of the Appalachians, offering access to unique communities such as high-elevation granitic domes, rocky summits, cliffs, and montane red cedar woodlands.
In this weeklong, field-intensive course, we will explore the emerging field of cliff ecology and conservation. Most of our time will be spent outdoors, developing field skills, observing species assemblages, and examining how organisms interact with one another and with their physical environment. Through complementary lectures, readings, and discussions, we will consider the natural history of these ecosystems, the ways humans engage with them, and how we can shift our relationship toward stewardship and reciprocity.
By the end of the course, you will have built a strong foundation in cliff and outcrop ecology, connected with a community of like-minded peers, and deepened your relationship with the distinctive landscapes of the Southern Appalachians.
Dr. Laura Boggess
Laura Boggess is a professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at Mars Hill University, where her teaching and research focus on lichen ecology, cliff and rock outcrop communities, and plant conservation in the Southern Appalachians. She was a student at Highlands Biological Station in 2005 as part of UNC Chapel Hill’s Institute for the Environment field program. That semester inspired her to pursue a career in ecology, and she has been returning to HBS ever since. She is excited to be teaching this weeklong intensive cliff and rock outcrop ecology course for the fifth time, and for the fourth time in collaboration with botanist and her long-time friend Gary Kauffman. Her work blends natural history, community science, and conservation practice, and she especially enjoys offering the opportunity to deepen our connection to the plants, lichens, and landscapes of the Southern Appalachians.
lboggess@mhu.edu
Gary Kauffman
Before retiring in January 2025, Gary served as a botanist and ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service in North Carolina for 32 and a half years. During his first decade, he was responsible for botanical resources across 500,000 acres of the Nantahala National Forest. By the time he retired, his role had expanded to cover 1.3 million acres across all four national forests in North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast.
Gary coordinated programs focused on invasive plants, forest botanical products, the maintenance and restoration of rare plants, and the stewardship of both rare and common plant communities. His additional duties included providing botanical expertise and NEPA compliance support for projects, as well as contributing to forest plan revisions. Although not formally positioned in research, he co-authored several publications on topics including the description of a new vascular plant, ginseng management, community modeling, and monitoring of federally listed species.
He holds a master’s degree in botany and mycology from Ohio University, where he studied the ecological role of cellular slime molds. Originally from north-central Ohio, Gary grew up on a 220-acre dairy and chicken farm.
geumrad@gmail.com