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photo credit: James Owenby (blackburnian warbler) the 36th Annual
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We cordially invite you to participate in Asheville's 36th Annual Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage, a three-day event sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Asheville Biology Department and the Botanical Gardens at Asheville. Because of its great age, the Appalachian region has a rich assortment of wildflowers unequaled on the continent, and flowering plants abound in our mountains in the spring. We have designed our tours to be informative and enjoyable, and you will come away with a fuller appreciation of the beauty of our region's wildflowers and birdlife. Registration for field trips begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 2nd, in the lobby of Robinson Hall on the UNC Asheville campus. Signs on campus will direct you. The registration fee ($5 for adults and $1 for students) covers all events. Activities will take place regardless of weather conditions. Be prepared for rain and bring a lunch for morning or all-day trips. A hand lens or magnifying glass will be useful for wildflower tours, as will binoculars for birding trips. Motorcades are limited to 10 cars, and we do not furnish transportation. The mileages given are approximate one-way distances from tour starting points. All trips leave from the Robinson Hall parking lot at UNCA or from the Folk Art Center lower parking lot on the Blue Ridge Parkway near milepost 382. The sponsoring organizations assume no responsibility for lost articles or injuries. Friday, May 2 All-Day Event: Day in the Gardens Friday (May 2) 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday (May 3) 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. The 39th Day in the Gardens will feature a wide variety of plants for sale by the Botanical Gardens and many other plant vendors, food (on Saturday), and entertainment. Proceeds go toward maintenance of the gardens, which do not receive state or federal support. There is no charge for outdoor activities. The Botanical Gardens are located adjacent to the UNC Asheville campus at Weaver Boulevard and Broadway. Registration for evening programs and guided walks: 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Robinson Hall lobby (UNC Asheville science building)
Friday Evening Program: Introduction to the Blue Ridge Bioregion. ( 7:30 p.m. Robinson Hall Auditorium, UNC Asheville) Presented by Tom Dechant, a native of Brevard, NC, with a focused education in using local natural resources to teach science. Tom has taught "Natural History of the Southern Appalachians" for 15 years. As part of an effort to educate locally, Tom has offered short versions of this course to public school teachers to help infuse local ecology into science curricula. Tom will present an overview of the Southern Appalachian Region focusing on historical perspectives that have influenced the current environment. Geology, climatology, water resources, forests, fish and wildlife resources will be reviewed.
Saturday, May 3 All-Day Event: Day in the Gardens Friday (May 2) 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday (May 3) 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. The 39th Day in the Gardens will feature a wide variety of plants for sale by the Botanical Gardens and 14 other plant vendors, food (on Saturday), and entertainment. Proceeds go toward maintenance of the gardens, which do not receive state or federal support. There is no charge for outdoor activities. The Botanical Gardens are located adjacent to the UNC Asheville campus at Weaver Boulevard and Broadway.
All-Day Field Trip: 1. 9:30 a.m. Mountain Wildflowers Start from Robinson Hall and travel to Barnardsville and Douglas Falls. Differing elevations along the drive provide an opportunity to see many different flowers, trees, and some impressive geological formations. Driving distance 30 miles, hiking distance 1 mile. 15 person limit. Leader Scott Dean. Half-Day Field Trips (all morning trips will return in time to take afternoon trips): 2. 7:30 a.m. Birding Trip Start from the Folk Art Center and travel north by carpool along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craven Gap, stopping at overlooks and trailheads to observe spring migrant songbirds. Driving distance 30 miles, walking distance 1 1/2 miles or less. Leader Kitti Reynolds. 3. 7:00 a.m. Nature Walk to the Ray Mine Starting from Robinson Hall and traveling to Burnsville by motorcade to the Ray mica mine last operated 50 years ago. Emphasis will be on birds, wildflowers, and geology of western North Carolina. Wear long pants and heavy shoes; bring a knapsack and packing material (newspaper or plastic bags) to carry samples. Feldspar, muscovite, tourmaline, beryl, and other minerals may be collected. If you bring a rock hammer, eye protection will be required. One-way driving distance 45 miles, 1/2 mile hiking distance on moderately steep trail. Leader Bill Miller. 4. 9:30 a.m. Wildflower Identification for Beginners Start from Robinson Hall to selected sites in the Asheville vicinity. For those who wish to begin finding and naming wildflowers. Driving distance 25 miles, walking distance 1/2 mile. Leader David Clarke.
5. 9:00 a.m. Beyond Beauty: A Look at Plants and Their Historic Uses Start from Robinson Hall and travel to selected sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Learn identification and uses of trees and wildflowers, from the showy to the shy, you encounter along the way. Driving distance 20 miles, walking distance 1/2 to 1 mile. Leader Cindy Carpenter.
6. 9:00 a.m. Wildflower Motorcade Start from the Folk Art Center and travel north on the Blue Ridge Parkway to a point near Tanbark Ridge Tunnel and on to Craggy Gardens with frequent stops. Driving distance 18 miles, walking distance 1/2 mile or less. Leader Dan Lazar. 7. 9:00 a.m. Spring Wildflowers and Ferns Start from the Folk Art Center and travel south on the Blue Ridge Parkway for stops at selected sites and a walk on the Shut-In Trail. Driving distance 20 miles, walking distance 1 mile. Leader Jim Perry.
8. 1:30 p.m. Trees and Wildflowers Start from the Folk Art Center and travel north on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Craven Gap and Bull Gap. Driving distance 15 miles, hiking distance 2 miles or less. Leader Scott Pearson.
9. 2 to 4:30 p.m. Wildflower Walk in the Shinn Gardens Start from Robinson Hall to the Thomas S. Shinn property (Stone Knife Farm) in Leicester for study of wildflowers, shrubs and trees in an extensive natural setting. Driving distance 10 miles, walking distance 1/2 mile. Leaders: Nancy Shinn, David Clarke, and Jim Drake. Saturday Evening Program: New Perspective of Old Forests. ( 7:30 p.m. Robinson Hall Auditorium, UNC Asheville) This slide program will be presented by Will Blozan, president of both Appalachian Arborists and the Eastern Native Tree Society. He is a graduate of Warren Wilson College and has worked extensively with the National Park Service to document and preserve the majestic old growth eastern hemlock forests of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Will’s program will explain his work to climb and document the largest trees in the eastern U.S., including the largest hemlocks which are now threatened by an exotic pest, the hemlock woolly adelgid.
Sunday, May 4 10. 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 Birding Trip Starting at Robinson Hall by carpool and travel north along the Parkway towards Mt. Mitchell. Driving distance 25 miles, walking distance 1mile or less. Leader Jim Petranka.
11. 9 a.m. to 1:00 Old Growth Forests of the Craggy Mountains Start from Robinson Hall and travel to old growth sites in the Pisgah National Forest near Barnardsville. These areas are renowned not only for their impressive trees, but also for a profusion and diversity of wildflowers not found in less mature forest. Walking distance 3 miles and partially steep and off-trail. Driving distance 30 miles. Leaders: Dan Lazar and David Clarke.
12. 2 to 4:30 p.m. Wildflower Walk in the Shinn Gardens Start from Robinson Hall to the Thomas S. Shinn property (Stone Knife Farm) in Leicester for study of wildflowers, shrubs and trees in an extensive natural setting. Driving distance 10 miles, walking distance 1/2 mile. Leaders: Nancy Shinn, Scott Dean, Jim Perry, Jim Drake, and David Clarke.
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