The number of participants is limited. Please come equipped to handle changing weather conditions (rain), mountainous terrain, and enjoy the outdoors. Participants should wear comfortable hiking clothes and shoes, have rain gear, a pack to carry lunch (some trips), a water bottle, field guides and hand lenses (optional).
Transportation and a bag lunch will be provided. Trips depart from the large parking area near the Ramsey Center at 8:30 a.m. and return by 5 p.m.
The fieldtrips with workshops are 1 ½ days, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. Those with Thursday field trips will depart at 1:30 p.m. from the parking lot near the Ramsey Center. After your return from the field trip on Wednesday, a reception and hearty dinner will be offered for all Wednesday event participants at the Ramsey Center at 6 p.m.
Hike difficulty ratings:
1– Easy, light walking, in and out of van
2 – Moderate, trail walking, a mile or so
3 – Moderately strenuous, away from bus, four miles or so
4 – Strenuous, uneven trails away from bus, steep terrain, four plus miles
5 – Very strenuous, rough terrain, away from the bus
Wednesday Field Trips, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
FT 1: Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest with Ila Hatter and a professional botanist
The awe-inspiring forests of pre-settlement America are exemplified in the Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area. What folks saw last year won’t be what they see this year or the next. The focus of this trip is an understanding of the dynamics of an old growth forest ecosystem and the rapid changes taking place. The cultural history of the area makes this trip more than “a walk in the woods.” Limited to 25 participants. Hike difficulty rating – 2, moderate.
A nationally acclaimed interpretive naturalist and wildcrafter, Ila Hatter has been teaching the cultural heritage of native plants for 30 years. She edited an ethnobotany book, Plants of the Cherokee, and produced a wild foods cookbook, Wild Edibles and Medicinals of Southern Appalachia. She has been featured in magazines such as Blue Ridge, Country, and Our State, and on TV shows on CNN, Turner South, RFD-TV, and A&E. Ila also hosts the UNC-TV (PBS) Folkways program.
FT 2A: Appalachian Mountain Plant Communities: Black Balsam Knob to Skinny Dip Falls with Chris Ulrey and Margaret McLeod
We’ll visit six plant communities in five miles, ranging 1,800’ in elevation. The trip starts with a climb up Black Balsam Knob to 6,214 feet for a 360° panorama; then hops to a birch-sedge escarpment with giant ferns; and drops through a beech gap into a rhododendron hell at Graveyard Fields where we’ll have a streamside lunch and examine a fire-maintained boggy valley. Along the way we’ll study natural landscape ecology and aesthetics. The last leg meanders through a northern hardwood forest, crosses Skinny Dip Falls, and climbs back to daylight over a Galax covered ridge. Limited to 20 participants. Hike difficulty rating – 4, strenuous.|
Chris Ulrey is the plant ecologist for the Blue Ridge Parkway. He works with rare plant conservation, invasive plant management, and forest pests and diseases. Chris grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina. He received his Ph.D. in 2001 from North Carolina State University, where he focused on the plant communities of the southern Appalachians.
FT 2B: Riparian Plant Communities: From Skinny Dip Falls down the East Fork of the Pigeon River with Randy Burroughs
The high ridges surrounding Graveyard Fields form a watershed that send a rush of storm water down the Big East Fork similar to the scouring run-off created by urbanized streams. Along this 5-mile stretch, we'll look at nature's solutions to stream bank erosion and discuss establishment strategies for these plants. This year's trip starts at Skinny Dip Falls, below Graveyard Fields, and follows the Big East Fork Trail down a beautiful acidic hardwood cove. You'll see colonies of mountain clethera, sweet azalea and umbrella-leaf (Diphylleia.) There will be ample opportunities to get wet - bring warm clothes for the ride back. Rain gear and extra water are recommended. Limited to 12 participants. Hike difficulty rating - 5, very strenuous.
Randy Burroughs is an Asheville landscape architect specializing in native plants and reconciling humans with their natural life-support system. He uses 37 years of training and experience in art, horticulture, and nature study to interpret the wisdom of nature into healthy, living landscapes.
FT 3: Panthertown Valley, “Yosemite of the East” with Meredith Clebsch and Kevin Caldwell
Panthertown Valley is a “hanging valley” of the East Fork Tuckasegee River. This area contains many relatively flat areas along the creeks that are traversed by stained water streams to form the headwaters of the Tuckasegee River. The area also has several granitic domes that add considerable picturesque quality to the valley. Waterfalls support both tropical and glacial period relict plants while the rocky areas support many unique plant species adapted to harsh growing conditions, reminiscent of desert floras. This trip will involve a hike of about 5 miles and include some steep climbs and descents. Limited to 20 participants. Hike difficulty rating – 4, strenuous.
Kevin's group will take a leisurely hike into and near many rare habitats such as - southern Appalachian bog, swamp-forest / bog complex, and high elevation granitic domes - as well as upland forests between them. This trip will be will focus largely on vascular plant and natural community identification, natural and human history of the valley, even some birding by ear, butterflies, wildlife sign, and other surprises.
Kevin Caldwell operates Mountains-to-Sea Ecological in Marshall, NC, providing botanical and wildlife inventory, conservation planning, and stewardship and land management services for landowners, land trusts, environmental organizations, government agencies, land planners and others. Kevin has studied plants and wildlife in the mountain region since the early 1990's and graduated from UNCA in Ecology ('96). He has worked with Merck Forest & Farmland Center (Rupert, VT), Gaia Herbs (Brevard, NC), the Kentucky Natural Heritage Program, the Sweet Water Trust (Boston, MA). He is an avid birder, canoeist, fisherman, and enjoys sitting quietly in the woods for hours most of all.
In 1983 Meredith Clebsch started Native Gardens Nursery in Greenback, TN, one of the first to offer propagated native plants, and has had over 300 species for sale. She teaches native plant propagation classes from the nursery, lectures, and offers garden design and consultation services. Wildlife habitat design and native grasses are her specialties. Also an active birder, she can often be found wandering the woods and fields with her four-legged friends, still trying to figure out how it all works.
FT 4: Canoeing, Needmore Tract, Little Tennessee River with Peter Loos, Brent Martin, and George Morris
During this canoe trip on the Little Tennessee River, participants will see a diverse array of riverine tree and plant species, such as the federally threatened Spiraea virginiana. You’ll study natural healthy riverbank plant communities and recovering pastures recently added to the Little Tennessee River Easement. The canoe trip is an easy paddle of about three to four hours, with little to no experience required. Limited to 21 participants. Hike difficulty rating – 3, moderately strenuous.
Trip co-leader Peter Loos is a botanist at heart, a horticulturist by trade, and a plant ecologist in his spare time. His professional experiences and a Master's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University have contributed to his extensive knowledge of Gulf Coast Native Plants and related ecological issues. Peter is unyielding in his promotion of bio-diversity throughout our environment and is a member of many organizations.
Brent Martin is the Southern Appalachian senior associate for the Wilderness Society and lives in the Cowee community of western North Carolina. He has also worked for the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and Georgia Forestwatch. For the last several years he has spent a great deal of his time getting to know the flora and fauna of the Little Tennessee River and its many outstanding tributaries.
George Morris has a BA degree in plant science from the University of Delaware. He worked at Mt. Cuba Center for the Study of Piedmont Flora, was superintendent of grounds at Davidson College, was the owner of Landscape Sanctuaries, a landscape company specializing in native plant landscaping, and worked for the Habitat Assessment and Restoration Program (HARP), a habitat restoration firm in Charlotte, NC. He is currently the vegetation specialist for River Works, Inc., a stream restoration firm in Cary, NC.
FT 5: The Slopes of Mt. Sterling in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with Janet Rock
We will travel on a little known trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Big Creek. The forest is diverse and the ascent up the side of Mt. Sterling is rocky, a reason why portions of this forest were not logged. This area is particularly rich in fern species, and the overstory is comprised of some of the tallest trees in the East. We will hike about two miles up the trail then turn back the way we came (4 miles round trip). Limited to 7 participants. Hike difficulty rating – 4, strenuous.
Janet Rock has been a botanist for Great Smoky Mountains National Park since 1989 after obtaining an MS in Biology, with an emphasis in botany, from WCU in 1988. While at the Smokies, she has studied the affects of white-tailed deer on vegetation, the impacts of ramp harvesting, and population dynamics of American ginseng. Her job mainly focuses on rare plant monitoring, inventories, and overseeing the Park’s herbarium.
FT 6: Southern Highlands Reserve with John Turner, Dick Bir, and Richard Bryson
The Southern Highlands Reserve is a private, non-profit institution dedicated to the preservation, cultivation and display of plants native to the Southern Appalachians. Open to academics and horticultural professionals, the 120 acre Reserve is located at 4500’ at the summit of Toxaway Mountain. A 20-acre Core Park of display gardens features the Azalea Walk (Gregory Bald azaleas), the Vaseyi Trail and Pond, the Wildflower Labyrinth (late summer meadow species) and the Woodland Glade. Of special interest is the newly completed roof garden. Surrounding the Core Park is a 100 acre natural area with rock cliffs, waterfalls and seeps, and perhaps the world’s largest natural stand of Vasey azalea. A well-maintained trail system featuring artistic originality in wood and iron traverses both woodlands and cliffs Limited to 27 participants. Hike difficulty rating – 3, Moderately strenuous.
John Turner is the director of the Southern Highlands Reserve.
Dick Bir is a Cullowhee Conference pioneer and Tom Dodd Award winner and has been associated with the Southern Highlands Reserve since its early days.
Richard Bryson is a Southern Highlands Reserve staff member and native plant specialist.
FT 7: Whiteside Mountains and Highland Gardens with Jeff Zahner
This excursion includes both a moderate 3-mile loop hike up Whiteside Mountain and a walk through a historic garden in Highlands. The mountain hike is an opportunity to see and learn about many fine natives in their natural habitat and to take in the spectacular views from the top. The walk through Highland Gardens will expose you to a wide range of native plants in a garden setting and will include discussions about their culture and use in garden design.
Limited to 7 participants. Hike difficulty rating – 3, moderately strenuous.
Jeff Zahner is a horticulturist and amateur botanist who grew up in Highlands, NC, and has an uncommon insight into the ecology and botany of the area. With a lifelong love of plants and a degree in ornamental horticulture from Clemson University, Jeff and his wife Jodie started Chattooga Gardens in Cashiers, NC, a garden center that specializes in plant diversity featuring a large selection of native species and varieties. To further promote knowledge and use of Southern Appalachian native plants, Jeff and his parents have been instrumental in the Highlands Conference on Landscaping and Gardening with Native Plants, held each September as a benefit for the Highlands Botanic Gardens.
FT 8: NEW! Roan Mountain on High with Gary Kauffmann
The Roan Mountain massif rises above 6000 feet and contains a unique assemblage of species unparalleled in the Southern Appalachian Region. A number of threatened high elevation plant communities are present across the massif. These include spruce-fir, grassy balds, heath balds, rocky summits, and seeps. The Roan Highlands contain two distinct ecological settings: The first, composed of Roan High Bluff and Roan High Knob, contains steep rocky summits, spruce-fir forests and an extensive scenic heath bald known as the Rhododendron Gardens. The second setting – including Round, Jane, Grassy, Hump, Little Hump and Big Yellow mountains - contains the longest stretch (approximately 7 miles) of grassy balds in the Appalachian Mountains, covering an area of up to 1000 acres.
The Appalachian Trail (AT) crosses the Roan massif, at elevations above 6000 feet, among the highest point on the entire AT. This section is considered by many to be the most scenic stretch of the entire AT. The hike will traverse a high elevation rocky summit, heath bald, grassy bald and spruce-fir forest at Roan High Bluff, Roan Gardens, and Round Bald. Three federally listed plants and several state-listed plants will be highlighted during the hike. Limited to 12 participants. Hike difficulty rating-3, moderately strenuous with an elevation climb of 300 feet.
Gary Kauffman has been a botanist with the US Forest Service in North Carolina since 1992. His duties include analysis of rare plants and rare plant communities, sustainability of special forest products, plant community restoration, and invasive plant management.
FT 9: Pisgah to Balsam Gap with George Ellison
Participants will explore several high-elevation forest settings (cove hardwood, northern hardwood, and spruce-fir) and examine a variety of distinctive natural areas (seepage slopes, wind forests, beech gaps, and high elevation meadows), where distinctive and often rare Southern Appalachian plants can be located and identified. Emphasis will be placed on learning to use Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, a non-technical system that can promptly upgrade anyone’s identification skills. The trip leader will provide copies of Newcomb’s where necessary. Limited to 20 participants. Hike difficulty rating – 1, easy.
Trip Leader George Ellison writes the Nature Journal column for the Asheville Citizen-Times and the Botanical Excursions column for Chinquapin: The Newsletter of the Southern Appalachian Botanical Society. A collection of his essays, Mountain Passages: Natural and Cultural History of Western North Carolina and his A Blue Ridge Nature Journal have been published by the History Press, Charleston, SC. He conducts natural history workshops for the NC Arboretum, Smoky Mountain Field School, NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching, and other facilities.
FT 10: Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area on Slickrock Creek with Jim & Bethany Plyler
Slickrock Creek is a roadless watershed, accessible only by trails. We will hike along the steep mountainside above Calderwood Lake, passing two rare ferns, Carolina Rhododendron, and patches of cove hardwood wildflowers. The botanical delights continue as we head up Slickrock Creek by numerous waterfalls. We will stop for a swim in the pool at the base of the large waterfall. Leaving the stream for the loop back we will hike up a cove to the mountain ridge and follow it back down the watershed to finish a wonderful day in the wilderness. Limited to 7 participants. Hike difficulty rating – 5, a very strenuous 6.5 mile trail.
The natural beauty and diversity of life in the southern Appalachians has been like a siren's song for Bethany and Jim Plyler, always pulling them back to the mountains that they love. The mountain flora inspired Jim to start Natural Landscapes Nursery on 44 acres of farmland in southeastern PA. The nursery is dedicated to growing native plants for landscape use. With backgrounds in ecology and botany, Bethany and Jim came to the conclusion that growing and planting native plants would be their role in helping save our planet.
FT11: Bear Lake Canoe Trip with Hank Bruno
Enjoy a botanical canoe excursion on Bear Lake near Cullowhee. This trip will involve a leisurely, flatwater paddle with occasional stops to explore the local flora, geology and natural history of the area. The botanically rich slopes around Bear Lake are famous with local botanists for their abundance and diversity and should provide many interesting sights. It is recommended that participants bring sun block, extra water and rain gear. Limited to 7 participants. Hike difficulty rating – 3, Moderately strenuous.
Hank Bruno completed undergraduate degrees in Botany and Anthropology from Duke University in 1976. He then entered the Peace Corps, serving in Guatemala. He entered graduate school at Texas A&M University and received an MA in archeobotany in 1988. He joined Callaway Gardens in October 1991, where he now serves as the director of horticulture. His interests include plant ecology, ethnobotany, collections management and landscaping with native plants.
FT12: NEW! Native Plants in Residential Design with Cathy Davis
This trip features several sites in Highlands (elev. 4100 ft.) including a 50-acre estate and a rain garden at the Performing Arts Center. Native plants have been used extensively in these projects, some old favorites and some up-and-comers. We will experience diverse created habitats and have many opportunities to see and identify a large variety of native plants surrounded by beautiful scenery and the coolest weather to be had in WNC. Limited to 7 participants. Hike difficulty rating-1, easy.
Cathy Davis is a registered landscape architect in North Carolina. She received a Master’s degree from the University of Georgia in 1990, where she was heavily influenced by Darrell Morrison’s emphasis on native plants. Cathy has been designing residential and resort landscapes in the Southern Appalachian region for over eighteen years. Creating designs that address both the possibilities and constraints of the challenging mountain terrain has been a large part of her landscape architecture practice. Cathy has experience with a wide range of landscape styles, from natural gardens to showy floral displays. She is particularly noted for her design work with native boulders. Her areas of professional interest include garden design, landscape structures, native landscapes and, especially, plants.
FT13: NEW! Corneille Bryan Native Garden with Janet Manning
This trip will explore the many possibilities of using native plants in the landscape. The Native Garden, created nearly two decades ago, is located in a spring fed ravine within the Lake Junaluska Assembly. Although the garden is small, it is remarkably diverse, containing over 500 species of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. The garden is designed to mimic the wild, requires minimal maintenance, and is evolving with time. A stop on the Blue Ridge Parkway will be included, to compare plants in the wild with those in a garden setting. Limited to 18 participants. Hike difficulty rating: 2.
Janet Manning, Director of Horticulture, has been working at the Corneille Bryan Native Garden for the past nine years. She attended the University of New Hampshire, and Haywood Community College, and has a background in forestry, soil science, and horticulture.
Wednesday/Thursday Field/Workshops
The following two-day programs are considered “Hybrid” Field/Workshops, which consist of both classroom time and a field trip. The dates of each part will vary by session.
FW1: Propagating Natives With No Greenhouse with Mike Creel
“Nature is my greenhouse, patience and leaf mold my rooting hormones and the four seasons my climate controls,” Mike Creel says. Forget what you’ve learned about plant propagation and open your minds to some unorthodox approaches. Learn to make long-lasting portable propagation devices from things people discard. Get comfortable with starting native plants from cuttings or seeds, including those never found in nurseries. Find the “secrets” for taking, storing and sharing plant materials. Take part in cutting demonstrations from an assortment of live natives on hand. A take-apart shade enclosure will be built. Every question will be answered. Limited to 22 participants.
Mike Creel, 61, a journalist by trade, worked more than 35 years for South Carolina’s natural resources agencies. He has written many articles about native plants for South Carolina Wildlife magazine. In the early 1980's he began to realize that nurseries were not propagating many of the best natives, so he invented simple new methods that can work every day of the year. He discovered an entirely new native azalea species and has a growing list of new native varieties to his credit. He conducted highly popular propagation workshops at Cullowhee in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Now he’s back with even more effective propagation methods and array of homemade devices any gardener can make and use.
FW 2: Get Your Photons On-Nature Photography with Michael Skinner
Collective experience will help guide creative individual craft improvement as participants are given the opportunity to ask questions, work out problems, find out about new gear while shooting landscapes, close-ups and plant and animal models. This class is open to anyone with the desire to become a better photographer using nature as their subject matter. Participants should have a working knowledge of their digital camera, storage media and the transfer of images. Limited to 12 participants.
Michael Skinner is the executive director of the Balsam Mountain Trust where he directs the local nonprofit’s environmental education, scientific research and land management programs. He has been a professional photographer and writer for 15 years, which included a stint as a photo editor and staff photographer for a 31-magazine publishing company in Atlanta, GA. His work is represented in private and corporate collections including former presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush.
FW 3: Ecological Mega Connections with Tom Goforth
Exploring Mega Connections will focus on developing knowledge and skills for analyzing and predicting ecological characteristics for most habitats in the Southern Appalachians. The overall goal of this workshop/field trip combination is to provide participants with experience that can be applied to creating native designs in their gardens modeled on native ecology. Ecological factors, including geology, sunlight, slope, aspect, hydrology, soil conditions, and plant indicator species will be explored during the classroom session. The field trip will involve the use of maps, pH test kits, compasses, and native plant checklists to further understand habitats and plant communities. (Classroom on Wednesday with a local walk and fieldtrip on Thursday.) Limited to 18 participants.
Tom Goforth lives near Table Rock State Park in South Carolina and owns Crow Dog Native Ferns and Gardens. He propagates native fern species from spores and conducts native fern ecology and horticulture research. He is currently doing a vascular flora ecology research project in the Jocassee Gorge in northern Pickens County, South Carolina and has recently discovered a new fern species at high elevation off the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC. Tom is writing a novel about the migration of the first humans into the Western hemisphere from northeastern Asia. He has a BS degree in geology and an MFA in visual arts.
Walk 1: Campus Tree Walk with Robert Wyatt
Leaving from the Ramsey Center, we will wander across the campus of Western Carolina University, botanizing as we go. We will identify and discuss as many woody plants as possible in the time allotted, focusing on trees and shrubs native to the southern Appalachian Mountains, but also including some unusual specimens planted by the WCU Grounds Department. A checklist will be provided, and everyone will be encouraged to contribute to the discussions.
Dr. Robert Wyatt obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his doctorate from Duke University, both in Botany. He taught for two years at Texas A&M University before joining the faculty at the University of Georgia, where he was a professor of botany and ecology for more than 20 years and still retains an adjunct appointment. From 1999 to 2005 Dr. Wyatt was the executive director of the Highlands Biological Station, an interinstitutional center of the University of North Carolina. He has won numerous awards for teaching and research, including a Guggenheim Fellowship that enabled him to produce a book entitled Ecology and Evolution of Plant Reproduction. He has trained more than 40 graduate students, received more than a million dollars in research grants, and published more than 150 scientific papers.
Walk 2: Walking Tour of the Cullowhee Creek Stream Restoration with George Morris
We will take a walk on an active stream restoration project that dissects the WCU campus. The project was started during the summer of 2005 and completed during the summer of 2006. We will discuss the structures and construction methods, and explore how vegetation plays a role in stream restoration.
George Morris is a longtime conference attendee as well as a member of the Cullowhee Players. He has a BA degree in plant science from the University of Delaware. His previous experiences include groundskeeper at Mt. Cuba Center for the Study of Piedmont Flora, superintendent of grounds at Davidson College, owner of Landscape Sanctuaries, a landscape company specializing in the use of native plants in the landscape, and Habitat Assessment and Restoration Program (HARP), a habitat restoration firm in Charlotte, NC. He is currently the vegetation specialist for River Works, Inc., a stream restoration construction firm based in Cary, NC.
Walk 3: Vendor Plant Walk: ID, Habitat, and Growing Available Plants with Meredith Clebsch and John Strawn
John and Meredith will walk the participants through the plants that are available from each vendor represented at the conference, pointing out the merits and specific requirements of the displayed plants. Emphasis will be placed on specific growing conditions, culture, and habitat.
Meredith Clebsch propagates and sells native perennials at Native Gardens Nursery in Greenback, TN. Now offering well over 200 species of wildflowers, her work has been instrumental in preventing the wild harvesting of natives to meet commercial demand.
John Strawn, along with his wife Pam, owns and operates Hanging Dog Valley Nursery in Murphy, NC. This wholesale nursery offers woody plants that include many species and cultivars of natives and a few uncommon non-natives. Their production is both field grown and container grown. They propagate 80-90% of their native plants.
Worshop, 1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., “Where There’s A Will, There’s A Waystation” with Ina Warren
This afternoon field workshop will feature an in-depth look at the importance of native milkweeds in the monarch’s life cycle and threats the monarchs face in Mexico and California during the winter. We will discuss programs that focus on improving summer breeding grounds as well as the overwintering habitat of the monarchs. Raising larvae at home or school will be covered and will be of particular interest to early childhood educators and scout leaders. We will round out the session with a campus walkabout to see native perennial species useful in creating/restoring monarch habitat in special butterfly gardens called Waystations. Locally native milkweed seed will be provided for free to participants. Limited to 20 participants.
Ina Waldrop Warren is a jubilant naturalist, lecturer, and certified environmental educator from Brevard and lives everyday in complete awe of the natural world. Her passion for volunteerism led her to serve twenty years on the NC Bartram Trail Society Board, and has been a frequent presenter at NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching, NC Botanical Garden workshops and various conservation groups in the region. Warren is author of two books: The Monarch and Milkweed Almanac - an eclectic, 365-page collection of curious monarch facts that is seasoned with a liberal dose of humor. Care and Feeding of the Natural Rituals of our Lives is a set of nature meditations based loosely on the Revised Common Lectionary.