Identification of Bryophytes: May 18- May 22 Dr. Paul Davison, University of North Alabama & Ms. Becky Smucker, Asheville, NC The Highlands area harbors an incredible diversity and abundance of bryophytes and is the perfect setting for this course that will focus on the identification of mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. Considerable time will be devoted […]

Grasses of the Southern Appalachians: May 18 - May 22 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 […]

The Highlands Nature Center follows its summer hours May 22nd - August 8th. Hours: Open on Monday - Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm Closed on Sunday

The Highlands Nature Center will be open Sunday, May 24th, 12 pm - 4 pm for Memorial Day Weekend.

Sedges of the Blue Ridge: May 25 - May 29 Dr. Dwayne Estes, Austin Peay University This is an advanced class for students or professionals with solid prior experience with plant identification, plant terminology, and use of dichotomous keys. The class focuses on the difficult and taxonomically complex genus Carex, which includes for our region […]

There is always something changing in the Highlands Botanical Garden! Take a virtual 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 also every Monday in […]

Sedges of the Blue Ridge: May 25 - May 29 Dr. Dwayne Estes, Austin Peay University This is an advanced class for students or professionals with solid prior experience with plant identification, plant terminology, and use of dichotomous keys. The class focuses on the difficult and taxonomically complex genus Carex, which includes for our region […]

May 29th 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 […]

Biology & Conservation of Birds: June 1 - June 12 Dr. Rob Bierregaard, Drexel University & Academy of Natural Science 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 […]

Biology of Southern Appalachian Salamanders: June 1 - June 13 Dr. Ken Kozak, University of Minnesota & Dr. Joe Pechmann, WCU (download syllabus) The Southern Appalachians are renowned for the diversity of their salamander fauna. This course acquaints students with these salamanders and shows how studies of them have enhanced our understanding of such major […]