About · Est. 1927
Discovering a global biodiversity hotspot
Highlands Biological Station, a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University, fosters research, education and conservation focused on the rich natural heritage of the southern Blue Ridge.
Founded 192724-acre campus4,118 ftMinutes from downtown Highlands
01 · Campus
Three places, one station
HBS works to understand the remarkable biodiversity of our region and to share the Plateau’s natural wonders with neighbors and visitors, from visiting researchers and academic courses to free programs for all ages.
02 · Our story
Nearly a century
Founded in 1927 by biologists and community members, HBS grew from a single room beside a library into a center for discovery and environmental education, with the support of Western Carolina University and the Highlands Biological Foundation.
- 1927The Highlands Museum Association is founded by Clark Foreman and local citizens.
- 1928The museum opens on July 4 in a one-room addition to the Hudson Library.
- 1931The first research laboratory.
- 1941The WPA-built museum and outdoor amphitheater officially open.
- 1960sField courses and the Grant-in-Aid program begin.
- 1961The Station’s climate record begins.
- 1962The Highlands Botanical Gardens are established by botanists Ralph M. Sargent, Henry Wright, Henry R. Totten and others.
- Mid-1970sHBS becomes a UNC system inter-institutional center, and the Highlands Biological Foundation is established.
- 2001Partnership with what is now UNC’s Institute for the Environment begins, and the Nature Center is renovated for year-round programs.
- 2018HBS becomes a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University.
- 2020MAPS bird banding begins on campus with the Blue Ridge Bird Observatory.
- 2026Structural repairs to the Nature Center: “letting the light back in.”
- 2027One hundred years on the Plateau.
03 · The Plateau
Why Highlands?
A cool, wet mountain world that ranks among the most biologically diverse temperate regions on Earth.
Did you know?
A few things we like to tell visitors
Shuffle the deck
The Plateau
About 10,000 species are known from the region around Highlands.
Rain
The Station’s rain gauge has averaged 86.65 inches a year since 1961. The wettest year on record, 2020, brought 137.33 inches.
Plants
Some 1,400 kinds of flowering plants grow in the region.
Fungi
About 2,300 fungi have been described here, and as many as 20,000 may exist.
The gardens
The Highlands Botanical Gardens are the highest public native plant botanical gardens in eastern North America.
The museum
The Station’s museum opened on July 4, 1928, in a one-room addition to the Hudson Library.
A big storm
In September 2004, 32.37 inches of rain fell at the Station: the most of any month in the record.
Campus
Over half of the 24-acre campus is natural area, including an old-growth ravine, a bog and Lindenwood Lake.
The Nature Center
School tours of the Nature Center and gardens include a hemlock more than 400 years old.
Lectures
The Zahner Conservation Lectures carry on a tradition of summer talks that began in the 1930s.
Birds
Since 2020, bird banders have run a MAPS station on campus, part of a continent-wide effort to track North America’s birds.
Research
Research at HBS has produced 281 papers, reports and books since 2000.
04 · Our people
The people behind the Station
05 · Get in touch
We’d love to hear from you
Questions about directions, programs or partnerships? The HBS office is open Monday to Friday, 8 to 5.