Instructor: Ed Schwartzman (Joe Pye Ecological Consulting) Please note that this course may not be taken for graduate credit. The Southern Appalachians are an area of high bryophyte diversity, and this course will introduce students to common and some rare mosses, liverworts, and hornworts of the region. The class will survey bryophyte diversity by visiting and sampling from a variety of habitats in the vicinity around Highlands, NC. Laboratory work will involve extensive use of microscopes, and identifications will rely on microscopic characters and use of dichotomous keys. Students will explore diagnostic features for bryophyte identification and learn common taxa in the field and closeup using microscopes. Lectures will cover differences among mosses, liverworts, and hornworts as well as morphological features used to distinguish bryophyte taxa. No prior bryology experience or studies are necessary to take the course, though students should be willing to work with microscopes and use diagnostic keys for identification in the lab. The course is geared towards botanists, natural resource professionals, naturalists, and students. Prerequisites: a botany, plant science, or plant taxonomy course or permission of instructor.   Prerequisites: None Cost: $500 course fee + $300 housing fee (if staying on-site) Click here for the syllabus.

Instructor: Dr. John Morse (Clemson University Emeritus) Please note that both sessions of this course are identical - you only need to sign up for 1 session. Natural history and taxonomy of mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera), including systematics, ecology, and behavior of larvae and adults, with emphasis on those aspects important in ecological studies, biological monitoring of water quality, and sport fishing.  Insects will be collected from mountain stream habitats, and identifications will be done in the laboratory. Prerequisites: Students are expected to have prior training in zoology, but not necessarily entomology. Cost: $1000 course fee + $600 housing fee (if staying on-site) Click here for the syllabus.

Dr. Jessi Allen (EWU) and Dr. James Lendemer (NYBG) This course will focus on lichen identification, both in the lab and in the field, including basic morphology and chemical tests, keying, and sight identification of common genera. We will also discuss the ecological and evolutionary importance of lichens. Prerequisites: None Cost: $300 course fee with on-site housing available for $120/person (Thursday night - Monday morning) Click here to register.

Instructors: Dr. Sarah Stellwagen (UNC - Charlotte) and Dr. Kefyn Catley (Western Carolina University Emeritus) Spiders are one of the most diverse groups of animals, and the many different ecosystems within and surrounding the southern Appalachians provide an ideal setting for collecting and learning about these unique organisms. This course will present a comprehensive introduction to spider natural history including systematics, morphology, behavior, physiology, and ecology. Specimens will be collected during daily field trips, and identification skills practiced in the laboratory. This year, the course will also include a day which focuses on Opiliones (daddy-long-legs), a related arachnid order. Prerequisites: general biology, ecology, or permission of instructor Cost: $1000 course fee + $600 housing fee (if staying on-site) Click here for the syllabus.

Dr. Alan Bessette and Arleen Bessette (Authors of multiple mushroom field guides) ** This workshop is currently full and has an extensive waitlist. If additional spots open up we will let the public know via social media and on our website. This workshop will focus on the mycological diversity of North & South Carolina, and the Southern Appalachian Region. Activities will consist of lectures/presentations on topics such as (but not limited to): Identification Techniques, Major Groups of Fungi, Ecology, Edibility & Toxicity; daily field work (forays); and laboratory/class activities where participants will be introduced to the use of field keys, microscopy, documentary photographic techniques, and more. Designed for beginners wanting a solid introduction to mycology, and for more advanced individuals wishing to pursue their personal mycological interests, this workshop facilitates learning in a relaxed group setting in a unique and mycologically rich area. Click here for the syllabus. Prerequisites: None Cost: $500 course fee + on-site housing for $300 per person for duration of workshop

Instructor: Dr. Paul McKenzie (USFWS, Emeritus) This class will include a detailed description of the grass flower, inflorescence type, habitat and ecological associations, Tribal affinities, distribution, and habit differences. The class will be taught in four parts: 1) power point presentation and classroom instruction, 2) examination of important features with hand lens and dissecting scope, 3) team keying of grass specimens, and 4) field identification. Dichotomous keys, hard copy print outs of power point presentation, and other handouts will be provided by the instructor. Tips for proper collection; processing; label development; herbaria deposition of grass specimens; and suggested websites/electronic tools helpful in grass study will also be discussed. Suggested references/materials recommended or required (*) include the following: 1. Hand lens (*): A 16x is preferred over a 10x loupe. 2. Clark, L.G. and R.W. Pohl. Agnes Chase’s First Book of Grasses- (1996)- the Structure of grasses explained for beginners. 4th Smithsonian Books. Washington, D.C. 127 pp. This book is inexpensive and an absolute must for anyone wanting to understand grass identification. 3. “Plant Identification Terminology- An Illustrated Glossary” by James G. Harris and Melinda Woolf Harris (2001)- Second Edition. Because dichotomous keys will often use terms related to various plant structures or texture that some students are unfamiliar with, a good illustrated glossary that both defines and illustrates terms is highly recommended for any plant identification course. I have yet to find one better than this one and at $20.95 for a paper back copy from Amazon, it is a steal Pre-requisites: None, but individuals with experience in plant taxonomy or have taken another plant identification class will grasp the material quicker.

Instructor: Dr. Brian Byrd (Western Carolina University) Check back later for a description and pre-requisites.

Instructor: Dr. John Morse Natural history and taxonomy of mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), and caddisflies (Trichoptera), including systematics, ecology, and behavior of larvae and adults, with emphasis on those aspects important in ecological studies, biological monitoring of water quality, and sport fishing.  Insects will be collected from mountain stream habitats, and identifications will be done in the laboratory. Pre-requisites:Students are expected to have prior training in zoology, but not necessarily entomology

Instructor: Dr. Howie Neufeld (Appalachian State University) A short course on basic plant ecophysiology instrumentation and techniques, designed for beginners and advanced students alike. Students will learn the operating principles behind plant gas exchange (photosynthesis and transpiration), pigment extraction, and plant-water relations. This will include measuring plant water stress and hydraulics, which is how plants move liquid water in their stems. Students will become proficient in the use of portable gas exchange systems, pressure chambers for measuring water stress, hydraulic conductance systems, and fluorescence systems for measuring leaf stress. Much of the course will be field-based and measurements will be done on native plants in the lab and field; weather permitting, students will take field trips to different plant habitats in the Southern Appalachians and learn about the environmental factors governing growth and survival in these unique areas. After mastering the instrumentation and theory during the first week, students will work in groups to plan and conduct a field experiment during the second week, the results of which will be presented at a mini symposium at the conclusion of the course. Pre-requisites: Students must have completed the introductory biology sequence at their institution

Instructors: Dr. Rada Petric (UNC-Chapel Hill) and Dr. Ed Pivorun (Clemson University) This course will emphasize the mammalian fauna of the Southern Appalachians. We will have traditional lectures on mammalian anatomy, evolution, orders, physiology and ecology for about 1 ½ hours every morning. Field work will emphasize live trapping techniques. Mammals tend to be nocturnal. Thus, all traps will be set out in the late afternoon and will be checked early the next morning. These efforts will allow the student to become familiar with as many living local species of mammals as possible. The field work will examine the importance of specific habitats for the distribution and density of specific species. After a short break, we will move into the lecture setting until noon. In the early afternoon, after lunch, we will spend another 1 ½- 2 hours to do some more of the traditional mammalogy labs on anatomy, identification and keying. An interactive DVD/flash drive provided to each student contains high resolution images of the skulls of each species native to the Appalachian forests. This is an excellent study aid that is used in conjunction with the actual skulls and study skins of each species. Pre-requisites: Introductory biology, zoology, or permission of the instructor.