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Educational Opportunities

Summer Courses
Workshops
Visiting
Field Groups
Public Outreach
UNC
Institute for the Environment
Teacher Education Courses
NEW!
Summer Courses
The Station offers several
courses each summer at the advanced undergraduate/graduate level dealing
with the special biological features of the Southern Appalachians and with
areas of study that are appropriate for investigation at a mountain field
station. Credit for all courses is available through either UNC-Chapel
Hill or Western Carolina University.
COURSE COSTS:
Comprehensive course
fee: $400 per course, charged to all students.
Registration fees:
$80 per course, charged only to students who wish to register for credit
through either UNC-Chapel Hill or Western Carolina University. Courses
may be taken without credit, but preference is given to degree-seeking
students who wish to enroll for credit.
Housing:
$50-100/week, depending on the building or need for linen service.
Financial Aid: The
Highlands Biological Foundation, Inc., offers limited financial aid,
typically a subsidy of up to one-half of the comprehensive course fee,
available to no more than one or two qualified students per course.
Contact the Station at 828-526-2602 for further information.
2008 Course Schedule
2009 Tentative
Course Schedule
Workshops
In addition to our regular summer
courses, HBS often schedules one-week
special workshops that are
tailored for non-traditional students. These courses provide
opportunities for in-depth study of special topics of relevance to the
southern Appalachians and are open to the general public.
Special events and occasional one-day educator workshops are also
offered for teacher
recertification credit (science CEU), or for NC EE Criteria II credit,
by the Nature Center.
Visiting Field Groups
Field groups from colleges
and universities are invited to visit the Station for short periods,
especially in the fall and spring. Space for field groups is limited
during the summer months, when courses are being held and researchers are
in residence. Field groups from institutional members of the Highlands
Biological Foundation have priority over those from non-member
institutions in the assignment of
research space and housing. It is
requested that supervisors of field groups make reservations with the
Office Assistant (hbs@email.wcu.edu) at least two months in advance of the
planned visit. Reservations are made on a first-come, first-served basis,
but only institutional members can make reservations more than one year in
advance.
Reservation Form
Public Outreach Programs
The Nature Center,
housed in the Clark Foreman Museum Building, is maintained
by the Station as a public educational facility that emphasizes the
natural heritage of the Southern Appalachians. It offers a variety
of summer programs on site, and outreach programs to area schools and
other groups throughout the academic year. The Nature Center
maintains educational exhibits that interpret for the public the rich
biodiversity of the Southern Appalachians. It is affiliated with the
statewide Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative.
The Botanical Garden,
bordering Lindenwood Lake on land originally provided by the Foreman
family, contains more than 500 labeled specimens of plants native to the
Southern Appalachians. Several trails lead visitors to a variety of
different habitats. The Garden is open to the public throughout the
year from dawn to dusk, and guided tours are also available.
UNC Institute for the
Environment
The
Highlands Field Site for the UNC Institute for the Environment of the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers a fall-semester in residence for
seniors pursuing a B.S.
in Environmental Science or a B.A. in Environmental Studies or, space
permitting, other appropriate majors. This opportunity in
experiential learning involves groups of students who do holistic
investigations of environmental problems related to biodiversity and land
preservation. The program includes formal courses, seminars, field
trips, individual research projects in cooperation with mentors from local
conservation organizations, and a collaborative team project focused on
examining the ecological basis of an environmental problem relevant to the
Southern Appalachians. Currently, projects are focused on land use
change and implications for loss of biodiversity on the Highlands Plateau.
Teacher Education Workshops
Mountain Biodiversity at Highlands Biological Station
(16 - 20 June, 2008)
Dr. Karen Kandl (Western Carolina
University)
The Center for
Mathematics and Science Education at Western Carolina University and the
Highlands Biological Station invite you to enroll in an engaging study of
the biogeography
and biodiversity of the southern Appalachian mountains. This course
focuses on the theory and practice of conservation biology as it relates
to this unique regional environment. Topics include southern Appalachian
historical geology,
regional
biogeography, principles of ecology and evolution, biodiversity
assessment, and conservation biology.
Mountain Biodiversity can be
taken for 2 graduate credits or 3 CEUs. The registration fee is $30,
with an additional $80 fee if taken for credit. Accommodations are
available for those students who wish to be in residence for the week
rather than commute. For more
information on this course and for course registration, click
here.
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