Spanish Program News

For 467 years, an eastern hemlock in the mountains of Western North Carolina has counted the seasons ring by ring. Now, Highlands Biological Station scientist Liam Stiefel has translated those rings into music to allow us to listen to the tree’s centuries-old record.

Western Carolina University’s Highlands Biological Station is a haven for native plant and animal species. Carnivorous pitcher plants line the shore of the lake and trap unsuspecting insects, while pollinators dance across the firework-like eruptions of the red petals of Bee Balm, and the delicate, drooping white flowers of Oconee Bell hide in the shade along the trails.

A new book from executive director of Western Carolina University’s Highlands Biological Station and professor of biology James Costa sheds new light on a classic work of evolutionary theory from famed naturalist Charles Darwin. “The Descent of Man: An Annotated Edition of Darwin’s Classic Work” was published this April by Princeton University Press, coauthored by Costa and University of Iowa history professor Elizabeth E. Yale.

A nearly 100-year-old building at WCU’s Highlands Biological Station is receiving a new lease on life thanks in part to a recent contribution of $150,000 from a Highlands resident