Cliff & Rock Outcrop Communities of the Southern Appalachians: August 3 – August 7 Laura Boggess, Mars Hill University & Gary Kauffman, USFS, National Forest in NC (undergrad credit only) Rock outcrop and cliff communities represent a small fraction of land area in the Southern Appalachians but contain a disproportionately large number of rare species and unique community types. This workshop will give you first-hand experience of several of these unique and beautiful habitats, including high elevation granitic domes, high elevation rocky summits, montane cliffs, and montane red cedar woodlands. We will spend part of each day in the field (with at least one full-day trip) as well as time in the lab, identifying species and discussing cliff-related scientific literature. We hope you will gain a better understanding and deeper appreciation of the diversity, ecology, and conservation value of Southern Appalachian outcrop and cliff communities. Prerequisites: Introductory biology, ecology, or permission of instructor. Click here to apply.

Field to Database: Collecting Biodiversity Data in the Age of Global Databases August 3 – August 7 Dr. Joey Shaw, UC Foundation Professor of Biological Sciences, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga & Caleb Powell M.S. Candidate; The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga During this course, students will obtain a comprehensive understanding of how biological collections are made in the field and eventually uploaded to national and international data portals, like iDigBio or GBIF. We will help you to download and install important helpful apps and teach you how to use them in series to go from field to data portal. Students will leave the course having collected Plantae specimens, made labels, mounted specimens, and uploaded digital data to global portals. In addition to teaching and focusing on these skills, I can also help you to key out and identify plant species that you might encounter and want to collect in the field, although you should have some cursory skills. Prerequisites & Prior Training: This course is designed for young professionals who will be making biological collections of plants or fungi (professors, conservation workers, graduate students, undergraduate students, and naturalists), although it would certainly be open and we would make it interesting to anyone with an interest in this subject. No previous experience is required. Depending on the different field trips, participants should be prepared to put in at least a couple 12-hour days. It would be great if you have had at least a class in Field Botany, Plant Taxonomy, Local Flora, or similar, but that is not necessary either. Course Outcome: Leave having collected and digitizes Plantae specimens, including labels, transcribed text data & images. Click here to apply.

The Highlands Nature Center follows its fall hours August 9th - October 24th. Hours: Open on Wednesday - Saturday, 10 am - 4 pm Closed on Sunday - Tuesday

Introduction to Bryophytes with Ed Schwartzman August 11th Bryophytes – mosses, liverworts, and hornworts – are colorful, yet often overlooked denizens of our mountain forests. The Highlands Plateau is a “hotspot” for bryophyte diversity due to our diverse habitats and ample rainfall. Join botanist/naturalist Ed Schwartzman as you explore the grounds of HBS for these fascinating and beautiful organisms. Specifically, you will: 1. Learn the difference between mosses and liverworts, 2. Learn to identify diagnostic features of these taxa, 3. Become familiar with common moss and liverwort taxa, and 4. Explore bryophyte diversity in the field at HBS and closeup in the lab using both dissecting and compound microscopes. Ed is a botanist/ecologist with a Master’s in Conservation Biology from the University of Maryland. His professional expertise includes botany, bryology, herpetology, and forest and wetland ecology. Ed previously worked as a biologist for the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP) conducting natural area inventories in the NC mountains. Click here to apply.

Have you ever been stumped by a tree's unique foliage? You're not alone! Join Paige, our Nature Center Education Specialist, on the HBS Facebook page as she covers tips and tricks for identifying several common trees (and their leaves) on the Highlands Plateau. We'll be online to answer any questions you have.

The Highlands Nature Center will be open Sunday, Sept. 6th, 12 pm - 4 pm for Labor Day Weekend.

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.