Our History | Highlands Biological Station

Highlands Biological Station  ·  Est. 1927

Our History

Nearly a century in the heart of the southern Blue Ridge — a story of research, education, and conservation rooted in one of the world's great biodiversity hotspots.

  • 24-acre campus
  • Highlands, North Carolina
  • A center of Western Carolina University

Where the mountains teach

Since its founding in 1927, the Highlands Biological Station has grown into a 24-acre campus with five residences that welcome up to 52 guests, fully equipped research and teaching laboratories, indoor and outdoor classrooms, a historic WPA-built Nature Center, and distinctive native plant Botanical Gardens.

Today, HBS pursues its educational and research mission through a web of programs and partnerships — supporting science and graduate training, teaching field biology, hosting visiting classes, collaborating with regional conservation nonprofits, and bringing the natural world to learners of every age.

  • 01Research support. Financial and facility support for scientific research and graduate training.
  • 02Field courses. Academic courses across a range of field biology disciplines.
  • 03Visiting classes. Hosting university groups and other educational visitors.
  • 04Conservation. Collaborating with local and regional conservation nonprofits.
  • 05Outreach. Programs for K–12 students, community members, and lifelong learners.
  • 06Stewardship. Caring for gardens, trails, collections, and a living archive of the region.

A global hotspot for salamanders

Research as rich as the forest itself

Science at HBS spans the remarkable biodiversity of the southern Appalachians — plants, insects, fungi, mammals, birds, fish, and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. And, above all, salamanders. As a global center of diversity for the lungless family Plethodontidae, the region has made HBS a long-standing hub for salamander research, alongside studies in taxonomy, ecology, evolution, conservation, ecophysiology, and ecosystem dynamics.

  • salamanders
  • plants
  • insects
  • fungi
  • mammals
  • birds
  • fish
  • aquatic ecosystems
  • evolution
  • conservation

1927The year it all began

A complete database of research products from HBS is being compiled. For works published since 2000 — and the theses and dissertations behind them — explore the records below.

The Research Record

Chronological Record of HBS ResearchPublications · 2000–2023 Alphabetical Record of HBS ResearchPublications · by author HBS Theses & DissertationsGraduate research · 2000–2023 Institute for the Environment PapersStudent research

A century in the making

From one room to a research landmark

Follow the line of the Station's life — every clearing along the trail a chapter in nearly a hundred years of discovery.

  1. The founding

    A museum is imagined

    Clark Foreman and a dedicated circle of local citizens found the Highlands Museum Association, devoted to the appreciation of the region's natural and cultural heritage — laying the cornerstone of a lasting institution.

  2. July 4

    Doors open to the public

    The Association opens its first museum in a one-room addition to the Hudson Library — the beginning of public exhibits in Highlands.

  3. First science

    A laboratory begins

    The first research laboratory opens at the newly incorporated Highlands Museum and Biological Laboratory, marking the start of formal scientific research on site.

  4. Architectural blueprint for the original Highlands Museum building, drawn in the late 1930s.
    WPA museum blueprint
    Built by hand

    Breaking ground

    Construction begins on a dedicated museum building at the Station, designed and built through the efforts of the Works Progress Administration.

  5. The Highlands Museum's outdoor amphitheater, opened in 1941.
    The open-air amphitheater
    Research meets education

    A shared public space

    The Highlands Museum and its outdoor amphitheater officially open, uniting the Station's research and education missions under open sky.

  6. Momentum

    A period of growth

    Research expands across multiple disciplines and government funding rises sharply — laying the groundwork for a nationally recognized center for field research and education.

  7. Early residential buildings constructed at the Station to house visiting scientists and students.
    The first residences
    Room to stay

    Building a community

    New research facilities and the first on-site residences arrive, expanding the Station's capacity to host visiting scientists, students, and long-term projects.

  8. Learning in the field

    Courses & the Grant-in-Aid program

    Field-based academic courses bring hands-on learning to students, and the Grant-in-Aid of Research program is established with support from the National Science Foundation to fund student-led research.

  9. The Highlands Botanical Garden, a living collection of native southern Appalachian plants.
    The Botanical Garden
    A living collection

    The Botanical Garden takes root

    The Highlands Botanical Garden is established for education and research. Much of its land is generously donated by the Foreman family, extending their legacy of conservation.

  10. Imagery marking the Station joining the University of North Carolina system in the mid 1970s.
    Into the UNC system
    A wider reach

    Joining the University of North Carolina

    HBS becomes an inter-institutional center of the UNC system, strengthening academic partnerships statewide. The Highlands Biological Foundation is also established to support the Station's mission.

  11. Fieldwork representing the partnership with the Carolina Environmental Program, later the UNC Institute for the Environment.
    Institute for the Environment
    New partners

    An interdisciplinary alliance

    HBS partners with the Carolina Environmental Program — later the UNC Institute for the Environment — broadening opportunities for interdisciplinary research, education, and outreach.

  12. Renovated research laboratories at Highlands Biological Station.
    Renewed laboratories
    Renewal

    A campus reimagined

    A period of major upgrades: renovated laboratories and dormitories, enhanced outdoor learning spaces, and continued development of the Botanical Garden for a growing community.

  13. Western Carolina University branding marking HBS as a multi-campus center.
    A center of WCU
    A new chapter

    Western Carolina University

    HBS becomes a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University, solidifying its role within the UNC system and expanding its capacity for research, education, and public engagement.

  14. The story continues

    From a single room beside a library to a 24-acre campus welcoming researchers, students, and curious visitors from around the world — the Highlands Biological Station's "continuous project" carries on, with the next chapter still being written in the field.

The people behind the place

Founding figures

The Station's early years were shaped by visionary scientists and leaders who recognized the singular ecological value of the southern Appalachians.

Botanist · 2nd Director

William C. Coker

A prominent botany professor at UNC–Chapel Hill and the Station's second Director, Coker was among the first researchers to conduct scientific work in Highlands.

Portrait of Clark T. Foreman, founder and first president of the Highlands Museum Association.

Founder · 1st President

Clark T. Foreman

Founder and first President of the Highlands Museum Association, Foreman helped establish the Station's foundation. He served in the U.S. Department of the Interior under President Roosevelt and was grandson of the founder of The Atlanta Constitution.

Herpetologist

Clifford Pope

A herpetologist with the American Museum of Natural History, Pope broadened the early Museum's vision, urging its board to support research and helping bring both Coker and Reinke to Highlands.

Zoologist · 1st Director

Edward E. Reinke

The first Director of HBS and a zoology professor at Vanderbilt University, Reinke was among the earliest scientists to base his research in Highlands, helping lay the foundation for a premier field station.

Cover of a Highlands Biological Station annual newsletter featuring archival photography.

A series from the vault

Notes from the Archives

Step back in time as we uncover the stories behind the people, places, and historic buildings that shaped the Station. From visionary founders and groundbreaking scientists to the evolution of our beloved campus, we hope these glimpses deepen your connection to our mission — and inspire future discovery.

Explore the series

For the curious

Further reading: the story of HBS

The Station's legacy has been chronicled in books, essays, and scientific publications. A curated selection follows.

  1. 2017Bruce, Richard C. Lungless in Highlands: A brief history of research and education on plethodontid salamanders at Highlands Biological Station. Herpetological Review 48(3): 576–581.PDF
  2. 2012Costa, James T. & Ralph M. Sargent. Highlands Botanical Garden: A Naturalist's Guide. Highlands Biological Foundation, Inc. (Introduction, pp. 2–7)
  3. 2013Costa, James T. Highlands Biological Station — Our "continuous project." Essay on completion of the 2013 HBS master site plan.PDF
  4. 1963Howell, Thelma. The Highlands Biological Station, Inc. American Zoologist 3(3): 342–343.PDF
  5. 1977Sargent, Ralph. Biology in the Blue Ridge: Fifty Years of the Highlands Biological Station, 1927–1977. Highlands Biological Foundation.
  6. 2001Shaffner, Randolph P. Heart of the Blue Ridge: Highlands, North Carolina. Faraway Publishing. (Chapter 17: pp. 343–354)
  7. 2017Woodley, Sarah K., James T. Costa & Richard C. Bruce. Introduction to the Special Highlands Conference on Plethodontid Salamander Biology. Herpetologica 73: 177–179.PDF