2025 SUMMER COURSES
Our 2025 course schedule is here! The dates are firm for all courses, and we will be adding syllabi and course descriptions as they become available. Prior to registering, review all the information on the main Courses and Workshops page to ensure you know what to expect. You can also use the form on that page to sign up to be notified when the registration date has been set.
We are fortunate that we can offer limited financial assistance on a first-come basis. Assistance is only available to students pursuing academic credit, and it will not cover the entire cost of your class. You must request financial assistance when you register and not after. In addition to an unofficial transcript, you will also need to supply a Statement of Need and Letter of Recommendation. The deadline for requesting assistance is the course payment deadline and all materials should be submitted to hbs@wcu.edu.
If you have questions regarding registration, contact us at hbs@wcu.edu.
Special Offering: 2 Week Travel Course (4 Credit Hours)
*New* Land Evolution & Conservation (5 Credit Hours)
Galápagos Islands Field Course at the Charles Darwin Research Station
12–25 July 2025
Dr. Jim Costa and Dr. Kathy Mathews, Highlands Biological Station & Western Carolina University
1 Week Courses (2 Credit Hours)
*New* Identification of Wood Warblers by Sight and Sound
5–10 May 2025
Dr. Paul M. McKenzie, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Retired)
The purpose of this class is for participants to become familiar with the rich diversity of wood warblers found in the southern Blue Ridge, with an emphasis on breeding male plumage and song. (While female identification will be mentioned to some extent, female plumages can be a class to itself. The same is the case for non-breeding plumaged birds). Class presentations will cover visual and song identification of all eastern NA species of wood warblers. We will visit as many sites/breeding habitats as possible, and the class will include discussions of species whose songs sound similar as well as examining song variation exhibited by many species.
Identification of Southern Appalachian Grasses
*New* Salamander Conservation
26–31 May 2025
Dr. Bill Peterman, Ohio State University
Biology and Identification of Sedges
2–7 June 2025
Dr. Joey Shaw, UT-Chattanooga
Biology and Identification of Ferns
7–12 July 2025
Dr. Joey Shaw, UT-Chattanooga
Brightfield and Fluorescence Microscopies for Field Biology Research
28 July-1 August 2025
Dr. Robert Youker, Western Carolina University
2 Week Courses (4 Credit Hours)
Southern Appalachian Mayflies, Stoneflies, and Caddisflies
Dr. John Morse, Clemson University and Dr. Kelly Murray-Stoker, Oxford College of Emory University
Session 1: 9–21 June 2025
Session 2: 23 June – 5 July 2025
Plant Ecophysiology
16–28 June 2025
Dr. Howie Neufeld, Appalachian State University and Dr. Nicole Hughes, Highpoint University
Forest Ecosystems of the Southern Appalachians
7-18 July 2025
Dr. Stephanie Jeffries, North Carolina State University, Dr. Alan Weakley, UNC Chapel Hill, and Dr. Julie Tuttle, Ecologist & Biogeographer
Conservation Biology
21 July-2 August 2025
Dr. Chris Mowry, Berry College
The multidisciplinary science of conservation biology is about understanding and protecting Earth’s biodiversity, and it can be both an exhilarating yet sobering journey. The fascinating array of species we share this planet with is awe-inspiring, but the alarming rate at which we are losing many of them can be discouraging. There is no better place to see this play out than in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot. Students will experience the high species richness of this area while getting a first-hand look at the complexities and competing interests that often occur in conservation biology. Lessons learned in the classroom will be applied in the nearby forests, coves, bogs, and bottomlands. Topics covered will include the distribution and measurement of biodiversity, population modeling, vulnerability to extinction, climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, overexploitation and invasive species, endangered species management, as well as in situ and ex situ conservation efforts. Students will also be introduced to a number of local, national, and international conservation organizations and will gain valuable experience towards a career in conservation.