Nature Center Holiday Hours
2023-05-29 12:00 - 16:00 (America/Halifax) | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Highlands Nature Center is Open for Memorial Day Weekend!
Extended Holiday Hours: Sunday, May 28, 12 – 4 PM
FREE admission

NCN: Salamander Meander
2023-05-30 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Limited spaces | Registration required
Tuesday, May 30 | 9 – 10 PM | Register HERE
FREE admission, donation appreciated

Search for salamanders in the Botanical Garden! Discover strange and fascinating facts about our slimy amphibian friends, then join our Education Specialists on a walk through the gardens to find local species. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! We will meet in the amphitheater behind the Nature Center (930 Horse Cove Road). This program is weather-dependent.
This program is open to the public.

NCN: Salamander Meander
2023-05-31 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Limited spaces | Registration required
Wednesday, May 31 | 9 – 10 PM | Register HERE
FREE admission, donation appreciated

Search for salamanders in the Botanical Garden! Discover strange and fascinating facts about our slimy amphibian friends, then join our Education Specialists on a walk through the gardens to find local species. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! We will meet in the amphitheater behind the Nature Center (930 Horse Cove Road). This program is weather-dependent.
This program is open to the public.

Southern Appalachian Mammals
2023-06-05 - 2023-06-16 | Highlands Biological Station, 265 North 6th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
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.

Owl Prowl
2023-06-06 19:00 - 19:45 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 6th (Register HERE)
Time: 7pm – 7:45pm
FREE, all ages welcome
Registration required
Who-oo goes there? Join Balsam Mountain Trust for a special meeting with their live owl ambassadors and learn more about these amazing nocturnal raptors. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is weather-dependent.

Going Batty
2023-06-07 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 7th (Register HERE)
Time: 9pm-10pm
FREE, all ages welcome
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.

Biology and Conservation of Birds
2023-06-12 - 2023-06-23 | NC
Instructor: Dr. Rob Bierregaard (Drexel University & Academy of Natural Sciences)
Bird diversity is extremely high in the southern Appalachian mountain and Blue Ridge Escarpment region, an area that includes a wide range of plant community types over a nearly 4000-foot range in elevation. This basic course in ornithology covers morphology, systematics, ecology, conservation, and behavior of birds. Daily field trips in the local area will acquaint students with the rich bird fauna of the region.
Pre-requisites: Introductory biology, ecology, or permission of instructor.
For more information, visit https://highlandsbiological.org/summer-2023-academic-courses/

NatureTime StoryTime
2023-06-12 10:30 - 11:15 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
May 29 | June 12 | June 19 | June 26
10:30 AM
Highlands Nature Center
FREE | No registration necessary
Join local storyteller Ms. KK at the Highlands Nature Center as she reads fun books and sings silly songs all about the great outdoors. After the StoryTime fun, Ms. KK will take you on an interactive adventure walk! This program is geared towards elementary-aged children, but all nature explorers are welcome. New Nature Themes each week (such as): Cute Critters, Buggin’ Out, Frogs & Reptiles Oh My!, Going Camping, and More!
About Ms. KK:
A beloved storyteller, Ms. KK always puts her heart, energy, and infectious personality into every performance. Her enthusiasm and overall love of books is contagious. Ms. KK believes that when you open a book it opens up a world with endless possibilities. Whether she is performing virtually or in person, Ms. KK will make sure everyone has fun! Honestly, if I can make a child smile it makes my whole heart shine. Ms. KK taps into her former acting, improv, and voice-over skills as well as my years as a storyteller on YouTube and in Public libraries, to make every performance full of fun and joy!

A Buggy Evening
2023-06-13 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 13th (Register HERE)
9 – 10 PM
FREE, all ages welcome
Registration required
Experience the world of our smallest nocturnal creatures—insects! Learn to identify unique and beautiful insects then join naturalists to look for fireflies and nocturnal creepy crawlies in the Botanical Garden. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is weather-dependent.

A Buggy Evening
2023-06-14 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 14th (Register HERE)
9 – 10 PM
FREE, all ages welcome
Registration required
Experience the world of our smallest nocturnal creatures—insects! Learn to identify unique and beautiful insects then join naturalists to look for fireflies and nocturnal creepy crawlies in the Botanical Garden. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is weather-dependent.

Zahner Lecture 1
2023-06-15 18:00 - 19:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Lecture 1 – Birds, Big Data, and Citizen Science: Understanding the Impacts of Global Change
Featured Speaker: Allen Hurlbert, Ph.D.; Professor of Biology; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Date: Thursday, June 15th
Time: 6pm – 7pm
Cost: FREE
Sponsored by Kim & Rich Daugherty and Kathy & Bestor Ward.
As the world undergoes various facets of environmental change – from warming to habitat loss to shifts in seasonality – everyday people can help scientists understand the impacts on natural ecosystems through citizen science. In this talk, Dr. Allen Hurlbert will provide examples of how citizen science has enhanced our understanding of how global change is impacting birds, as well as insect bird food, across North America, and how you can help these efforts.

Biology and Identification of Ferns
2023-06-19 - 2023-06-23 | Highlands Biological Station, 265 North 6th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Instructor: Dr. Joey Shaw (UT-Chattanooga)
Students will obtain a comprehensive understanding of the seedless vascular plants, or cryptogams, or pteridophytes, including ferns and fern allies like lycopodium, and obscure taxa like the Appalachian gametophyte. Within the framework of classification, taxonomy, and evolution, we will dive deeply into studies of life cycles, morphology, basic anatomy, ecology, taxonomy, and nomenclature. We will take daily field trips within the Southern Appalachians and within a couple hours drive to collect specimens, bring them back to the laboratory, and identify them to species. The majority of our time will be spent either collecting in the field or keying species in the laboratory; that is, we will use the exercise of keying species to learn the important characters for identifying Southern Appalachian pteridophytes. Students will be encouraged to assemble reference collections and the last hours of the course will be spent assembling these collections. We will use various sources for species identification, but the Guide to Tennessee Vascular Plants of Tennessee will be the main key for species identification.
Pre-requisites: This course is designed for professional biologists, naturalists, and undergraduate/graduate students that who have an interest in ferns, plant taxonomy, or field botany and who have some experience with dichotomous keys.  No previous experience with ferns is required, but if you have experience I can probably take you further in your knowledge. That is, I have often taught this class and others to a diverse crowd of student’s wide spectrum of knowledge bases. Depending on the different field trips, participants should be prepared to put in at least a couple of 12-hour days.

For more information, visit https://highlandsbiological.org/summer-2023-academic-courses/

NatureTime StoryTime
2023-06-19 10:30 - 11:15 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 19 & June 26
10:30 AM
Highlands Nature Center
FREE | No registration necessary
Join local storyteller Ms. KK at the Highlands Nature Center as she reads fun books and sings silly songs all about the great outdoors. After the StoryTime fun, Ms. KK will take you on an interactive adventure walk! This program is geared towards elementary-aged children, but all nature explorers are welcome. New Nature Themes each week (such as): Cute Critters, Buggin’ Out, Frogs & Reptiles Oh My!, Going Camping, and More!
About Ms. KK:
A beloved storyteller, Ms. KK always puts her heart, energy, and infectious personality into every performance. Her enthusiasm and overall love of books is contagious. Ms. KK believes that when you open a book it opens up a world with endless possibilities. Whether she is performing virtually or in person, Ms. KK will make sure everyone has fun! Honestly, if I can make a child smile it makes my whole heart shine. Ms. KK taps into her former acting, improv, and voice-over skills as well as my years as a storyteller on YouTube and in Public libraries, to make every performance full of fun and joy!

Folklore & Explore
2023-06-20 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 20th (Register HERE)
9 – 10 PM
FREE, all ages welcome
Registration required
Curious about old wives’ tales, superstitions, & Sasquatch? Explore the natural, night-time beauty of the Botanical Garden while unearthing fascinating tales of Appalachian lore. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is weather-dependent.

Folklore & Explore
2023-06-21 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 21st (Register HERE)
9 – 10 PM
FREE, all ages welcome
Registration required
Curious about old wives’ tales, superstitions, & Sasquatch? Explore the natural, night-time beauty of the Botanical Garden while unearthing fascinating tales of Appalachian lore. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is weather-dependent.

Zahner Lecture 2
2023-06-22 18:00 - 19:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Lecture 2 – Native Plants for the Vegetable Garden

Featured Speaker: Adam Bigelow; Plant Nerd and Guide; Bigelow’s Botanical Excursions
Date: Thursday, June 22nd
Time: 6pm – 7pm
Cost: FREE
Sponsored by Vicki & Donny Ferguson.
Native plants benefit us, our gardens, and the landscapes and ecosystems we depend on. Learn about the benefits of native plants and the harm caused by invasive plants. We will discuss how native plants can attract beneficial insects, beautify vegetable and flower gardens, and provide nutrition to the dinner plate, and help fill all of the roles that plants provide to our vegetable gardens and landscapes.

Celebrating Bees w/ Spriggly's Beescaping
2023-06-24 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Saturday, June 24th at the Highlands Nature Center
FREE | Registration required for adult reading/walk

Join Highlands Nature Center & Spriggly’s Beescaping for a day all about our native bees!
Program Schedule:
10:30 – 11 AM: A reading of ‘Finding Home’ + a short presentation about native pollinators | Family-friendly | No registration required
12:30 – 1:30 PM: Join author Brannen Basham as he takes you on an in-depth experience featuring some of the fascinating North American plants and animals found at the Nature Center, along with a reading from his book ‘A Guide to the Wonderful World Around Us’ | Adult-oriented | Registration required for this program HERE (registration opens June 3)
2:30 – 3 PM: A reading of ‘Finding Home’ + a short presentation about native pollinators | Family-friendly | No registration required
Bee tube rolling and coloring activities will be available in between the reading events!

Field to Database: Collecting Biodiversity Data in the Age of Global Databases
2023-06-25 - 2023-06-29 | NC
Instructor: Dr. Joey Shaw (UT-Chattanooga)

*Note course runs Sunday-Thursday*
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 key out and identify plant species that you might encounter and want to collect in the field, although you should have some cursory skills.
Pre-requisites: 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 is open to others 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 of 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 digitized Plantae specimens, including labels, transcribed text data & images.
For more information, visit https://highlandsbiological.org/summer-2023-academic-courses/.

Conservation Genetics of Salamanders
2023-06-26 - 2023-06-30 | Highlands Biological Station, 265 North 6th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Instructor: Dr. JJ Apodaca (Tangled Bank Conservation)
The field of conservation genetics is rapidly emerging as an exceedingly vital component of conservation biology. This course focuses on salamanders to explore the fundamentals, cutting edge techniques, theories, and issues surrounding conservation genetics. Salamanders are one of the most endangered vertebrate groups in the world and are extremely diverse in the southern Appalachians, making them an ideal focal group for an introduction to the world of conservation genetics. In this short course, participants will become familiar with how to design, carry out, and interpret a conservation genetic study. We will also focus on learning to identify, work with, and appreciate the local salamander diversity. Participants will become acquainted with commonly used laboratory techniques and current literature pertaining to the conservation genetics of salamanders. This course is designed for students and others interested in working in the field of wildlife management that want to learn more about conservation genetics.
Pre-requisites: Introductory biology, ecology, or permission of instructor.

For more information, visit https://highlandsbiological.org/summer-2023-academic-courses/.

NatureTime StoryTime
2023-06-26 10:30 - 11:15 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 26 at 10:30 AM
Highlands Nature Center
FREE | No registration necessary
Join local storyteller Ms. KK at the Highlands Nature Center as she reads fun books and sings silly songs all about the great outdoors. After the StoryTime fun, Ms. KK will take you on an interactive adventure walk! This program is geared towards elementary-aged children, but all nature explorers are welcome. New Nature Themes each week (such as): Cute Critters, Buggin’ Out, Frogs & Reptiles Oh My!, Going Camping, and More!
About Ms. KK:
A beloved storyteller, Ms. KK always puts her heart, energy, and infectious personality into every performance. Her enthusiasm and overall love of books is contagious. Ms. KK believes that when you open a book it opens up a world with endless possibilities. Whether she is performing virtually or in person, Ms. KK will make sure everyone has fun! Honestly, if I can make a child smile it makes my whole heart shine. Ms. KK taps into her former acting, improv, and voice-over skills as well as my years as a storyteller on YouTube and in Public libraries, to make every performance full of fun and joy!

Salamander Meander
2023-06-27 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 27th (Register HERE)
9 – 10 PM
FREE, all ages welcome
Registration required
Search 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.

Salamander Meander
2023-06-28 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
June 28th (Register HERE)
9 – 10 PM
FREE, all ages welcome
Registration required
Search 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.

Zahner Lecture 3
2023-06-29 18:00 - 19:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Lecture 3 – Microplastic Pollution in Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems

Featured Speaker: Austin D. Gray, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences; Virginia Tech
Date: Thursday, June 29th
Time: 6pm – 7pm
Cost: FREE
Sponsored by Jennifer & Forrest McConnell and Jennie Stowers.
Plastic pollution poses one of the greatest global risks to freshwater and marine ecosystems. The formation of microplastics from plastic debris has been shown to alter aquatic ecosystems by disrupting biota populations. In this talk, topics surrounding plastic pollution, microplastic occurrence and distribution, toxicological impacts of microplastics, toxicokinetic aspects of microplastic uptake and depuration, and microplastic formation rates in marine and freshwater habitats will be discussed.

A Buggy Evening
2023-07-05 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
July 5th (Register HERE)
9 – 10 PM
FREE, all ages welcome
Registration required
Experience the world of our smallest nocturnal creatures—insects! Learn to identify unique and beautiful insects then join naturalists to look for fireflies and nocturnal creepy crawlies in the Botanical Garden. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is weather-dependent.

Zahner Lecture 4
2023-07-06 18:00 - 19:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Lecture 4 – The Geology That Has Shaped the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau

Featured Speaker: Bill Jacobs, Geology Enthusiast and Author of Whence These Special Places – The Geology of Cashiers, Highlands & Panthertown Valley
Date: Thursday, July 6th
Time: 6pm – 7pm
Cost: FREE
Sponsored by Anne & Dick Goodsell: The Claude Sullivan Geology Initiative
The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau is a unique landscape, with high valleys, an extraordinary array of waterfalls and mountains, and rich biodiversity. In this lecture, we will explore the geologic processes, stretching back over 500 million years, that have created the Plateau and shaped today’s special landscape. Our speaker will use concepts and language comfortable for the non-scientist and will discuss how geology, some of it ancient and some much more recent, has determined the character and appearance of both the broader Plateau and many of its specific mountains and waterfalls.

Introduction to Brightfield and Fluorescence Microscopies
2023-07-10 - 2023-07-14 | Highlands Biological Station, 265 North 6th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Instructor: Dr. Bob Youker (Western Carolina University)
In this lecture/lab course, students will learn how to prepare their field samples for brightfield and fluorescence microscopic examination. Students will also learn how microscopes generate images, the experimental conditions needed for optimal imaging of their specimens, and learn basic image processing techniques for analysis. The course will be a combination of lecture and hands on specimen preparation and imaging (lab). Students can either provide specimens from their field research, or work with the instructor to collect rotifers and other aquatic micro-invertebrates from the field to use in the lab portion.
Lab time will be centered on learning the parts and functions of modern brightfield and fluorescence (widefield & confocal) microscopes, preparing specimens (e.g., staining with fluorescent dyes), and acquiring images of their specimens for analysis. Students will learn to acquire images using a widefield fluorescence microscope and take a “field trip” to WCU to use the state-of-the-art Leica Stellaris 5 confocal microscope. We will also discuss some other modern approaches to fluorescence microscopy, such as electron and super-resolution microscopies.
Each student will prepare a final report that compares brightfield to fluorescence images taken of their samples. The student will explain in detail the features observed using both methodologies and the advantages and disadvantages of each method. The student will also give a short oral presentation on one microscopic technique not covered in the course and this topic will be selected from a list provided by the instructor.
Pre-requisites: Introductory biology sequence

For more information, visit https://highlandsbiological.org/summer-2023-academic-courses/.

Owl Prowl
2023-07-11 19:00 - 19:45 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
July 11th (Register HERE)
Time: 7pm – 7:45pm
FREE, all ages welcome
Registration required
Who-oo goes there? Join Balsam Mountain Trust for a special meeting with their live owl ambassadors and learn more about these amazing nocturnal raptors. Please bring a flashlight for this adventure! This program is weather-dependent.

Going Batty
2023-07-12 21:00 - 22:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
July 12th (Register HERE)
Time: 9pm-10pm
FREE, all ages welcome
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.

Zahner Lecture 5
2023-07-13 18:00 - 19:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd., Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Lecture 5 – History of National Forest Management in the Chattooga River Watershed, and the Compelling Case for a New Mission for the Forest Service

Featured Speaker: Buzz Williams; Emeritus Executive Director & Program Specialist, Chattooga Conservancy
Date: Thursday, July 13th
Time: 6pm – 7pm
Cost: FREE
Sponsored by Bryding Adams & Bob Rathburn, Lynda Anderson & Ken Conover, Margie Bauer & Jim Parker, Janet & Scott Clarke, Leslie & Jim Costa, Diane Lennox & Paul Manos, Helen & Russ Regnery, and Dollie Swanson.
National forest lands in the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau encompass a very sensitive and ecologically rich landscape. These forests are critical for recreation, preserving biological diversity, protecting drinking water supplies, producing clean air—and now, for fighting climate change. These forests are managed by the Forest Service under the US Department of Agriculture and are subjected to intensive logging and cultivation as tree crops. Recently, the Forest Service decided to cut down rare old-growth trees and increase the amount of logging on public lands in western NC. Scientific research indicates that logging on federal forests is a substantial source of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Recent studies also found that one of the best ways to mitigate the effects of climate change is by restoring and protecting mature and old-growth forest ecosystems, which store large amounts of carbon. This talk will provide an overview of national forest management in the Chattooga River watershed, and why mitigating the effects of climate change requires a new mission for the Forest Service—one that prioritizes protecting and restoring a network of mature and old-growth forest ecosystems, to ensure biological diversity and management aimed at fighting climate change.

Mushrooms of the Carolinas and the Southern Appalachian Region
2023-07-17 - 2023-07-21 | Highlands Biological Station, 265 North 6th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Instructors: Alan and Arleen Bessette
Due to this workshop’s popularity, priority will be given to those who haven’t taken the workshop before.
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.
Cost: $500 workshop fee + $300 housing fee (strongly encouraged)
For more information, visit https://highlandsbiological.org/summer-workshops/.
