Highlands Biological Station

Botany & Art Garden Tour
2025-07-30 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Halifax) | Highlands Biological Station Amphitheater, 930 Horse Cove Road, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

MAPS Bird Banding
2025-08-05 05:00 - 13:00 | Highlands Biological Station, 265 North 6th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

Behind the Scenes at HBS
2025-08-06 12:00 - 14:00 | Highlands Biological Station Amphitheater, 930 Horse Cove Road, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

Garden Tour
2025-08-13 12:00 - 13:00, 2025-08-27 12:00 - 13:00 | Highlands Biological Station Amphitheater, 930 Horse Cove Road, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

"Not From Around Here" Tour
2025-08-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Highlands Biological Station Amphitheater, 930 Horse Cove Road, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

Fall Migration (All Day Drop-In)
2025-09-06 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-13 10:00 - 16:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Saturdays in September! Drop-in station at the Nature Center.
Fall is a time when hawks, birds & Monarchs migrate! Stop into the Nature Center to learn more about these travelers.
Program funded by:

2025 Carpenter Lecture with Zoë Schlanger
2025-09-10 11:00 - 12:00 | Highlands Performing Arts Center, 507 Chestnut St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Join the Highlands Biological Foundation for a thought-provoking journey into the hidden lives of plants at this year’s Carpenter Lecture, a biennial community event established in honor of former HBF director Sonya Carpenter. Presented in partnership with Highlands Performing Arts Center, HBF is proud to welcome acclaimed science writer Zoë Schlanger for an illuminating presentation that will change the way you see the natural world.
Learn more: https://highlandsbiological.org/foundation/events/carpenter-lecture-2025/
REGISTRATION REQUIRED: https://highlandsbiological.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/highlandsbiological/event.jsp?event=2444&

Bartram's "Rare and Elegant Flowering Shrub"
2025-09-10 13:00 - 17:00 | Highlands Biological Station, 265 North 6th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

Fall Fungi Walk
2025-09-12 16:00 - 17:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Join us as we explore the Botanical Garden to see what mushrooms we can find during fall on the Plateau.
Weather dependent.
All ages welcome
FREE | No registration required
Meet at the Nature Center | 930 Horse Cove Rd.
Program funded by:

2025 Celebration of Place
2025-09-13 14:00 - 20:00 | Highlands Biological Station Amphitheater, 930 Horse Cove Road, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

Morning Bird Walk
2025-09-20 08:00 - 09:00 | HBS North Campus, 111 Lower Lake Road, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Eyes to the skies! Birders of all skill levels are welcome to join us as we take an easy walk around the garden to find our feathered friends. Binoculars available to borrow.
Weather dependent
All ages welcome
FREE | No registration required
Meet at 111 Lower Lake Rd
Program funded by:

Fall Migration (All Day Drop-In)
2025-09-20 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-09-27 10:00 - 16:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Saturdays in September! Drop-in station at the Nature Center.
Fall is a time when hawks, birds & Monarchs migrate! Stop into the Nature Center to learn more about some of the species of birds and butterflies who migrate in the Fall. This Saturday we’ll focus on the Monarch life cycle, where they migrate, and visitors can make a paper Monarch to participate in the Symbolic Monarch Migration project.
Program funded by:

A Legacy of Conservation: Lydia Sargent Macauley Memorial
2025-09-20 16:00 - 17:00 | Highlands Biological Station, 265 North 6th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

Nature Center Drawing Club
2025-09-24 15:00 - 16:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Do you enjoy drawing or find inspiration in nature? Join us for the Nature Center’s Drawing Club! Supplies will be provided, or bring your own. We’ll explore the garden trails, offer an optional drawing prompt, time to sketch, and an opportunity to share our work.
All ages welcome
FREE | No registration required
Meet at the Nature Center | 930 Horse Cove Rd.
Program funded by:

ecoEXPLORERS Club: Mycology Season
2025-09-27 11:00 - 12:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
The Nature Center is an ecoExplore Hot Spot! Join us for an ecoEXPLORE program, which we offer throughout the year for children in grades K-8 and their families! We’ll search for and photograph mushrooms on our trails and complete a Challenge towards earning the Mycology patch! ecoexplore.net
Ages 5-14 & accompanying adult(s)
FREE | No registration required
Meet at the Nature Center | 930 Horse Cove Rd.
Program funded by:

Leaf Walk
2025-10-03 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-04 14:00 - 15:00, 2025-10-10 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-11 14:00 - 15:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Celebrate Fall with a guided walk through the Botanical Garden to discover what leaves are changing & why.
All ages welcome
FREE | No registration required
Meet in the Nature Center
Weather dependent
Program funded by:

Leaf Art (All day Drop-In)
2025-10-04 10:00 - 16:00, 2025-10-11 10:00 - 16:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Stop in the Nature Center all day for a different way to make art with Fall leaves!
All ages welcome | FREE | Drop-in
Program funded by:

Highlands on the Half-Shell
2025-10-05 16:00 - 19:00 | The Meadow at Highlands Biological Foundation, 888 Horse Cove Rd, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Join us Sunday, October 5 from 4:00 to 7:00 PM for an outdoor Cajun-inspired celebration in the heart of Highlands. Set in the cozy Valentine Meadow at the Highlands Biological Station, this festive evening features a feast of Southern coastal flavors served up with community spirit and mountain charm.
Highlands on the Half-Shell is one of Highlands Biological Foundation’s largest annual fundraisers. Proceeds support our mission to stimulate, promote, and fund biological research and education in the Southern Appalachians. Your ticket directly supports our work and helps protect the incredible biodiversity of our region.
This beloved event is made possible by generous volunteers and community members who lend their time, talent, and tastebuds to create something truly special.
Purchase tickets: https://highlandsbiological.org/foundation/events/highlands-on-the-half-shell/

Black Bear Bonanza! (All Day Drop-In + Special Program @ 2pm)
2025-10-18 10:00 - 16:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Stop by the Nature Center all day for drop-in activities and learning all about black bears!
Then from 2:00–3:30 PM, join us for a special program co-led by Cynthia Strain, Chair of the Highlands B.E.A.R. Task Force. Together we’ll explore the world of black bears through engaging, hands-on activities and interactive learning.
Program funded by:

ecoEXPLORERS Club: Ecology
2025-10-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
The Nature Center is an ecoExplore Hot Spot! We’ll start a Challenge towards earning the advanced-level Ecology mission patch.
ecoexplore.net

Ages 10-13 and up & accompanying adult(s)
FREE | No registration required
Meet in the Nature Center | 930 Horse Cove Rd
Weather dependent
Program funded by:

Nature Center Drawing Club
2025-10-23 15:30 - 16:30 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Do you enjoy drawing or find inspiration in nature? Join us for the Nature Center’s Drawing Club! We’ll start with a drawing prompt and then spend some time out on the garden trails. Supplies will be available, but feel free to bring your own sketchbook and materials.
All ages welcome
FREE | No registration required
Meet at the Nature Center | 930 Horse Cove Rd
Program funded by:

Morning Bird Walk
2025-10-25 08:00 - 09:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Eyes to the skies! Birders of all skill levels are welcome to join us as we take an easy walk around the garden to find our feathered friends.
Binoculars available to borrow.
All ages welcome
FREE | No registration required
Meet at 111 Lower Lake Rd
Weather dependent
Program funded by:

Black Bear Bonanza! (All Day Drop-In)
2025-10-25 10:00 - 16:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Join us at the Nature Center for drop-in learning about black bears!
All ages welcome | FREE | No registration required!
Program funded by:
