Friday, September 11 ◆ Free & open to all
A native plant sale and three walks
Spend Friday, September 11, on the Station's North Campus. Shop a curated sale of Southern Appalachian natives from noon to 5, and join three different hour-long guided walks — through the bog garden, along the Flower Hunter's Trail, and into the small insect world of the Highlands Botanical Gardens.
Highlands Biological Station · North Campus
111 Lower Lake Road · No tickets · No registration
Slow Water: A Walk Through the Bog Garden
Dr. Paul Manos, Duke University · about one hourThe bog garden grows what almost no one else in the region can: species tuned to saturated, acidic, nutrient-poor ground. Dr. Manos explains how these plants make a living where most others would drown.
In Bartram's Footsteps: The Flower Hunter's Trail
Liam Stiefel · about one hourWilliam Bartram crossed these mountains in the 1770s. This walk connects what he recorded to what is leafing, flowering, and fruiting along the trail today.
Six Legs in the Gardens: An Insect Walk
Dr. James Costa · about one hourA closer look at the busiest residents of the Gardens: pollinators at work, gall makers, leaf miners, and the small social insects whose colonies run on rules of their own.
12:00 – 5:00 PM · Sto Pavilion & the terrace entrance
The Native Plant Sale
A selection of natives suited to Southern Appalachian gardens — ferns, groundcovers, shrubs, and rarities you won't find at a garden center — plus curated six-packs for pollinator, shade, and wet-ground plantings. Checkout is clearly marked, with loading spots in the lot and staff to help carry.
Cash · Check · Cards incl. Amex
Walks meet on North Campus — exact meeting points announced closer to the day
- Stewartia malacodendronSilky camellia
- Spiraea virginianaVirginia meadowsweet
- Jeffersonia diphyllaTwinleaf
- Galax urceolataGalax
- Lilium superbumTurk's cap lily
- Rhododendron periclymenoidesPinxterflower
- Tsuga carolinianaCarolina hemlock
- Aesculus parviflora var. serotinaLate-flowering bottlebrush buckeye
- Rudbeckia heliopsidisSun-facing coneflower
- Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler'Trumpet honeysuckle
Saturday's symposium is sold out. To join the waitlist, contact us at hbs.wcu.edu. Friday needs no ticket at all.
The Laboratory, the Nature Center & the Botanical Gardens are all part of the Station
Our Mission
Highlands Biological Station
The mission of the Highlands Biological Station, a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University, is to foster research, education, and conservation focused on the rich natural heritage of the southern Blue Ridge, a global biodiversity hotspot.
Located just minutes from downtown Highlands, the Station seeks to better understand the incredible biodiversity of our region while also sharing the Plateau's natural wonders with our community and visitors. From visiting researchers, to academic courses and workshops, to free educational programs for all ages, there's so many wonderful things going on at the Station.
The Highlands Nature Center, the Highlands Botanical Garden and the research and teaching laboratories are all part of the Station.
What's on
Programs, talks and walks — most of them free
Science on the Rocks
Discover alongside us!
Connect with researchers and staff, ask questions, and learn more about the science happening on and around the Highlands Plateau. Free and open to the public!
See the LineupSummer 2026
Nature Center Summer Programs
From hands-on activities and evening adventures to engaging talks by regional experts, our 2026 summer programs offer something for everyone. Join us for daily programs, Nature Center Nights, and the 2026 Zahner Conservation Lecture Series.
View Summer ProgramsStreaming now
Environmental Data
Near-real time environmental streaming data is now available! Click below for more information.
Learn MoreComing up
See all events →Getting here
Three entrances, three addresses
Highlands Nature Center
930 Horse Cove Road TODO — Nature Center hoursPark behind the Nature Center or at the Sunset Rock parking area across the street. The path behind the building leads along the Amphitheater to the Woodland Way trail and down to the main Botanical Garden entrance.
Directions →Research Facilities
265 North 6th Street TODO — access / by arrangementVisiting researchers and students taking courses and workshops should park here or at the Valentine House.
Directions →Botanical Gardens
111 Lower Lake Road Open year-round, dawn to dusk · FreeThe northern entrance, at the Stowers Teaching Pavilion & Native Pollinator Conservation Garden. Follow the gravel path through the garden and across the Lindenwood Lake dam to the boardwalk.
Directions →Please note: these are three separate addresses. Satellite navigation will often send visitors to the research station when they are looking for the Nature Center or the Garden.
Notes from the Archives
Ninety-five years, one photograph
On 29 August 1931 the photographer George Masa recorded the dedication of the Sam T. Weyman Laboratory. Twenty-one of the people gathered that morning have now been named.
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