Highlands Biological Station

CANCELED: Who's Hoo Begins (Ages 4-6)
2020-07-14 09:00 - 11:00 UTC | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Get to know your nature neighbors! Go searching for salamanders in streams, come across caterpillars creeping through the Botanical Garden, and learn about animal life cycles.
Registration required.

CANCELED: Fungi Course Begins (13th-24th)
2020-07-13 08:00 - 17:00 | NC
Fleshy Fungi of the Highlands Plateau: July 13 – July 24
Dr. Andy Methven, Savannah State University (download syllabus)
Students will be introduced to the fleshy fungi (Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes) that occur on the Highlands Plateau during peak mushroom season. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of macro- and micro-morphological features in the identification of genera and species as well as the ecological role of fungi in the ecosystem. Additional topics may be added depending on student interest. The daily routine will consist of a morning lecture followed by a field trip until early afternoon. Transportation on field trips will be in a biological station van. Collections will be examined and identified after returning from the field and an opportunity provided to assemble a collection of dried fleshy fungi. Microscopes and chemical reagents necessary for accurate species determinations will be available for use. The laboratory will be open in the evenings for additional study of collections.
Prerequisites: Introductory biology, ecology, or permission of instructor.
Click here to apply.

CANCELED: Eco Trekkers: Wild Waters Ends (Ages 10+)
2020-07-10 09:00 - 16:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Explore the wonders of the Blue Ridge on all-day hikes! Adventure to waterfalls in the area, take a dip in a mountain lake, and follow our streams as they rush down to rivers.
Please Note: This camp includes an optional campout Thursday night on the Highlands Biological Station property. Campers will cook dinner and breakfast over a fire, play games, and learn basic outdoor skills. This camp also includes an optional kayaking trip down the Little Tennessee River all day Friday.
Registration required.

CANCELED: EPT 2 Course Ends (June 29th- July 10th)
2020-07-10 08:00 - 17:00 | NC
Southern Appalachian Mayflies, Stoneflies, & Caddisflies [Session 2]: June 29 – July 10
Dr. John Morse, Clemson University
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 sports fishing. Insects will be collected from diverse mountain stream habitats, and identifications will be performed in the laboratory. Students may opt to take the Society for Freshwater Science’s Taxonomic Certification exam of eastern EPT to genus at the end of the course (http://www.sfstcp.com/).
Prerequisites: General biology, ecology, or permission of instructor
Click here to apply.

CANCELED: Imprints of Nature: Art Workshop Ends (7th-9th)
2020-07-09 09:00 - 15:00 | NC
July 7th – 9th, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
In this three-day workshop students will learn how to carve nature-inspired images into rubber blocks and print them on paper and textiles. No experience in printmaking or art is necessary, this is an opportunity to have fun making art together.
Learning objectives:
1. The student will learn a history of block printing techniques.
2. The student will learn how to translate photographs and sketches of plants into simplified drawings for carved patterns.
3. The student will learn how to hand-carve flexible rubber blocks.
4. The student will learn how to print the blocks on paper and textiles.
Each day will begin with a demonstration of the techniques to be covered for the day and we will have some work time before breaking for lunch. After lunch, students will have time to practice their techniques and make prints. Basic materials will be supplied and covered by the materials fee (TBD). Students will leave the workshop with tools, materials and finished printed items.
Note: We will be going into the field at the station to draw and sketch on the first day, so please dress accordingly.
Sara Method is an artist living and working in the mountains of western North Carolina. Her work engages the environment through a variety of media including fibers, sculpture, photography, and printmaking. Method’s reduction linocuts investigate the abstracted patterns observed in the landscape during her daily commute while her photography and textiles focus on growth and life-cycles that exist on the periphery in the world of plants, fungi, mosses, and lichen.
Method received her BA in Painting from Salem College in 2002, an MA in Art History from the University of Notre Dame in 2008 and is a 2020 MFA candidate in Studio Art at Western Carolina University.
Click here to apply.

CANCELED: Starlight Stroll
2020-07-07 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
July 7th 9 pm-10 pm
Nature Center Nights: Starlight Stroll
Unlock the history and mystery of the cosmos as we study the night sky! Hear stories of the stars from different cultures and learn to identify summer constellations. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is weather-dependent.

CANCELED: Eco Trekkers: Wild Waters Begins (Ages 10+)
2020-07-07 09:00 - 16:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

CANCELED: Imprints of Nature: Art Workshop Begins (7th-9th)
2020-07-07 09:00 - 15:00 | NC
Imprints of Nature: Block Printing on Paper and Textiles with Sara Method
July 7th – 9th, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
In this three-day workshop students will learn how to carve nature-inspired images into rubber blocks and print them on paper and textiles. No experience in printmaking or art is necessary, this is an opportunity to have fun making art together.
Learning objectives:
1. The student will learn a history of block printing techniques.
2. The student will learn how to translate photographs and sketches of plants into simplified drawings for carved patterns.
3. The student will learn how to hand-carve flexible rubber blocks.
4. The student will learn how to print the blocks on paper and textiles.
Each day will begin with a demonstration of the techniques to be covered for the day and we will have some work time before breaking for lunch. After lunch, students will have time to practice their techniques and make prints. Basic materials will be supplied and covered by the materials fee (TBD). Students will leave the workshop with tools, materials and finished printed items.
Note: We will be going into the field at the station to draw and sketch on the first day, so please dress accordingly.
Sara Method is an artist living and working in the mountains of western North Carolina. Her work engages the environment through a variety of media including fibers, sculpture, photography, and printmaking. Method’s reduction linocuts investigate the abstracted patterns observed in the landscape during her daily commute while her photography and textiles focus on growth and life-cycles that exist on the periphery in the world of plants, fungi, mosses, and lichen.
Method received her BA in Painting from Salem College in 2002, an MA in Art History from the University of Notre Dame in 2008 and is a 2020 MFA candidate in Studio Art at Western Carolina University.
Click here to apply.

VIRTUAL Yoga in the Garden
2020-07-06 17:30 - 18:30 | NC
Highlands Biological Foundation has partnered with Yoga Highlands to bring you Yoga in the Garden.
Grab your yoga mat, and join Rachel Kinback (CYT 500) of Yoga Highlands on the 1st Monday of the month (May-August) for virtual yoga in the Botanical Garden. The video will be posted on the HBS Facebook page at 5:30 p.m.
Come connect with nature and unwind your mind and body from the bustle of Mondays.
These yoga sessions are free to the public, but donations are accepted.

LIVESTREAM: A Garden in Every Season Tour
2020-07-06 11:30 - 12:30 | NC
There is always something changing in the Highlands Botanical Garden! Take a guided tour to see what’s new in our demonstration gardens and among the hundreds of species that call our campus home.
Tours are on the 1st Monday of every month from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Tours are weather dependent.
This tour will be live streamed on the HBS Facebook page (@highlandsbiologicalstation).
The Highlands Biological Station is a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University.
For more information, call (828) 526-2623.

CANCELED: Fishes Course Begins (6th - 17th)
2020-07-06 08:00 - 17:00 | NC
Biology of Southern Appalachian Fishes: July 6 – July 17
Dr. Mollie Cashner, Austin Peay University
The southern Appalachians supports one of the richest fresh water fish faunas in North America and is part of an extensive southern/southeastern area that has well over 600 species. This larger region has been compared to a tropical rain forest in terms of its diversity, which is not equaled by any other temperate area. The course will focus on the diversity, evolution, biogeography and behavior of fishes primarily in the Southern Appalachians. During the course students will engage in a number of fish collection techniques, including seining and in-stream snorkeling (these streams are cold, so wetsuits are a must). Students will learn to identify the major families and genera both in the field and in the lab, learn basic fish identification techniques with a subset of focal species, and conduct field and lab-based observational studies. Regular lectures and discussion of current peer-reviewed journal articles will enhance and compliment the field experiences.
Prerequisites: Introductory biology, zoology, or permission of the instructor.
Click here to apply.

CANCELED: Nature Center open for July 4th Weekend
2020-07-05 12:00 - 16:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
The Highlands Nature Center will be open Sunday, July 5, 12 pm – 4 pm for July 4th Weekend.

CANCELED: Savvy Survivors Ends (Ages 7-9)
2020-07-03 09:00 - 13:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Discover what crafty creatures are all around us! Catch insects, salamanders, and more to study how they survive and learn all about their life cycles.
Registration required.

CANCELED: Crafty Critters Ends (Ages 4-6)
2020-07-03 09:00 - 11:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Find out the secrets to survival! Discover through games and art how animals hide in plain sight, forage for food, and live in strange worlds in our marvelous mountains.
Registration required.

CANCELED: Lichens Course Ends (June 29th - July 3rd)
2020-07-03 08:00 - 17:00 | NC
Biology & Conservation of Lichens June 29 – July 3 Dr. Jessica Allen, Atlanta Botanical Garden & Dr. James Lendemer, New York Botanical Garden (download syllabus) Lichens grow all over the world, from the arctic to the tropics, where they are important in a multitude of ways including serving as shelter for small invertebrates, and food for animals from snails to caribou. In this course you will have a chance to learn about lichens in one of their centers of diversity, the southern Appalachians. We will take field trips to a variety of habitats to explore the species and ecological diversity of lichens. Lab work will cover lichen chemistry, morphology, and identification. At the end of the course you will have a new perspective on the diversity, evolution and ecology of lichens. * We will go on field trips to explore a variety of lichen communities characteristic of the southern Appalachians. Field trips will take place in natural areas up to 1.5 hours drive from HBS. Up to a total of 5 miles of hiking per day can be expected on days we go in the field. For all-day field trips you will need to pack a lunch. Prerequisites: General biology, ecology, basic understanding of evolution, and prior experience with basic skills of microscopy is strongly recommended.

July 4th Scavenger Hunt
2020-07-02 - 2020-07-05 | NC
Celebrate the coming holiday with an Independence Day themed nature scavenger hunt at the Highlands Botanical Garden! Beginning Thursday, July 2nd you and your family will be able to use our self-guided scavenger hunt guides to find plant species that resemble various colors and shapes that are associated with the 4th of July such as fireworks and stars. Scavenger hunt print outs will be available at the entrance to the Botanical Garden. Remember to leave natural objects where you find them.
To combat the spread of COVID-19, we ask that once you take one, you keep it and take it home with you as we want to minimize visitors touching the same surfaces and don’t want to find discarded guides in the garden. Remember to maintain social distance and wear face masks as mandated by the NC Executive Order.
For more information on this scavenger hunt, please contact HBF Nature Center Education Specialist Paige Engelbrektsson at (828) 526-2623.

CANCELED: Salamander Meander
2020-06-30 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 30th 9 pm-10 pm
Nature Center Nights: Salamander Meander
Kick off Highlands Nature Center’s summer season searching for salamanders in the Botanical Garden! Discover strange and fascinating facts about our slimy
amphibian friends, then join naturalists on a walk through the gardens to find
local species. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is
weather-dependent.

CANCELED: Savvy Survivors Begins (Ages 7-9)
2020-06-30 09:00 - 13:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

CANCELED: Crafty Critters Begins (Ages 4-6)
2020-06-30 09:00 - 11:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

CANCELED: Lichens Course Begins (June 29th - July 3rd)
2020-06-29 08:00 - 17:00 | NC
Biology & Conservation of Lichens June 29 – July 3
Dr. Jessica Allen, Atlanta Botanical Garden & Dr. James Lendemer, New York Botanical Garden (download syllabus)
Lichens grow all over the world, from the arctic to the tropics, where they are important in a multitude of ways including serving as shelter for small invertebrates, and food for animals from snails to caribou. In this course you will have a chance to learn about lichens in one of their centers of diversity, the southern Appalachians. We will take field trips to a variety of habitats to explore the species and ecological diversity of lichens. Lab work will cover lichen chemistry, morphology, and identification. At the end of the course you will have a new perspective on the diversity, evolution and ecology of lichens.
* We will go on field trips to explore a variety of lichen communities characteristic of the southern Appalachians. Field trips will take place in natural areas up to 1.5 hours drive from HBS. Up to a total of 5 miles of hiking per day can be expected on days we go in the field. For all-day field trips you will need to pack a lunch.
Prerequisites: General biology, ecology, basic understanding of evolution, and prior experience with basic skills of microscopy is strongly recommended.
Click here to apply.

CANCELED: EPT 2 Course Begins (June 29th- July 10th)
2020-06-29 08:00 - 17:00 | NC

CANCELED: Animal Actors Ends (Ages 7-9)
2020-06-26 09:00 - 13:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Step into an animal’s paws for the week! Create camouflaged creatures, study skulls, and get a bird’s eye view on life.
Registration required.

CANCELED: Tiny Homes: Nature Edition Ends (Ages 4-6)
2020-06-26 09:00 - 11:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Jump into where the wild things live! Explore the many kinds of homes in our forests, from the tops of trees to deep underground, and find out what animals live in each place.
Registration required.

CANCELED: EPT 1 Course Ends (15th-26th)
2020-06-26 08:00 - 17:00 | NC
Southern Appalachian Mayflies, Stoneflies, & Caddisflies [Session 1]: June 15 – June 26
Dr. John Morse, Clemson University
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 sports fishing. Insects will be collected from diverse mountain stream habitats, and identifications will be performed in the laboratory. Students may opt to take the Society for Freshwater Science’s Taxonomic Certification exam of eastern EPT to genus at the end of the course (http://www.sfstcp.com/).
Prerequisites: General biology, ecology, or permission of instructor
Click here to apply.

CANCELED: Mammals Course Ends (15th-26th)
2020-06-26 08:00 - 17:00 | NC
Southern Appalachian Mammals: June 15 – 26
Dr. Ed Pivorun, Clemson University & Ms. Rada Petric UNC-Greensboro (download syllabus)
This mammals 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.
Prerequisites: Introductory biology, zoology, or permission of the instructor.
Click here to apply.

CANCELED: A Buggy Evening
2020-06-23 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 23rd, 9 PM- 10 PM
Nature Center Nights: A Buggy Evening
Experience the world of our smallest nocturnal creatures—insects! Learn to identify unique and beautiful insects then join naturalists to sample for fireflies, moths, and more in the Botanical Garden. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is weather-dependent.

CANCELED: Animal Actors Begins (Ages 7-9)
2020-06-23 09:00 - 13:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

CANCELED: Tiny Homes: Nature Edition Begins (Ages 4-6)
2020-06-23 09:00 - 11:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States

CANCELED: Eco Trekkers: Highs and Lows Ends (Ages 10+)
2020-06-19 09:00 - 16:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Explore the wonders of the Blue Ridge on all-day hikes! Adventure to overlooks in the area, take a dip in a mountain stream, and see how the world changes as we go from high on mountaintops to low in the valleys.
Please Note: This camp includes an optional campout Thursday night on the Highlands Biological Station property. Campers will cook dinner and breakfast over a fire, play games, and learn basic outdoor skills. This camp also includes an optional zipline trip through the Highlands Aerial Park Friday afternoon.
Registration required.

CANCELED: Going Batty
2020-06-16 20:30 - 21:30 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 16th, 8:30 PM- 9:30 PM
Nature Center Nights: Going Batty
Discover the nocturnal mammals who take to the skies! Learn about the fascinating world of bats, then join naturalists in the Botanical Garden to seek them out. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is weather-dependent.
