Educational Opportunities

Summer Courses

Workshops

Visiting Field Groups

Public Outreach

UNC Institute for the Environment

Teacher Education Courses 

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:

Course Fee:  $525 per two-week course

                       $425 for students from HBS member institutions in good standing

Course Credit Fee:  $85 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 Fee:  $150-250 per course, depending on the building

Financial Aid:  The Highlands Biological Foundation, Inc., offers limited financial aid, typically a subsidy of up to one-half of the course fee, available to no more than one or two qualified students per course.  Contact the Station at 828-526-2602 for further information.

Summer Course Application

2010 Course Schedule

2011 Tentative Course Schedule

Workshops

In addition to our regular summer courses, HBS often schedules one-week workshops that are tailored for non-traditional students.  These workshops provide opportunities for in-depth study of special topics of relevance to the southern Appalachians and are open to the general public.  Workshops, costs, and additional information can be found at the bottom of the 2010 Course Schedule.

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

Teacher Education Workshops are co-sponsored by the Center for Mathematics and Science Education at Western Carolina University and Highlands Biological Station:

Mountain Biodiversity

June 21-25, 2010

Karen Kandl, Western Carolina University

We invite teachers of all levels to enroll in this engaging study of the biogeography and biodiversity of the southern Appalachian mountains.  Mountain Biodiversity 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 $85 fee if taken for credit.  Accommodations (at additional charge) are available for those students who wish to be in residence for the week rather than commute.  Questions about course registration and fees may be directed to Ms. Sandy Ballinger or Dr. Elaine Franklin at the WCU Center for Mathematics and Science Education (828-227-3318;  sballinger@email.wcu.edu or efranklin@email.wcu.edu), or to HBS at hbs@email.wcu.edu.