Spring 2006 Courses
A Very Short History of Life on Earth
CCR 511-01
Thursdays 9:30-11:30
4 weeks: April 13, 20, 27, May 4
Location: Reuter Center
Cost: $60
Class limit – 27 participants
This class will explore the origins, evolution, current status, and future
projected status of life on Earth from the perspective of evolutionary and
conservation biology.
Instructor: Tom Baugh holds a BS in Zoology from Weber State and an
MS in Biology from the University of Nevada. Tom has worked in research and
education for the USDA Forest Service and the University of Nevada. He has
spent the last 15 years as a Fish and Wildlife Biologist with the US Fish
and Wildlife Service where he was engaged in the conservation biology of
threatened and endangered species and habitats.
For more information visit Instructor web page or contact Jeanie Martin 251-6198 or e-mail
jmartin@unca.edu
Vertebrate Zoology – Critters of the Blue Ridge
CCR 504-01
Thursdays, 2:30 – 5:00 pm
8 weeks: Jan. 18, 25, Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22, Mar. 1, 8
$120
Location: Reuter Center
Join other nature lovers for an introduction to the animals of the
Blue Ridge. We will discuss the diversity of animal life found in the
region, the reason for this diversity, and the impact human activity is
having on their populations. You will be introduced to birds, amphibians and
reptiles, and mammals of the mountains and study the habitat requirements,
reproductive strategies, and the life histories of various species within
each group. This is a classroom course, not a field study although live
animals will be visiting this class. Handouts will be used in place of a
text.
Instructor: Carlton Burke is Director of Carolina Mountain
Naturalists, a wildlife and nature educational service based in Mills River,
NC. Carlton retired in 2005 from his position of Curator of Exhibits at the
Western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville, NC where he was on staff
for more than 25 years. Carlton is also a co-host of NATURE NEWS, an hour
long, weekly radio program, which has aired in the Hendersonville and
Asheville area since 1993.
For more information contact Jeanie Martin 251-6198 or e-mail
jmartin@unca.edu
Birding in the Blue Ridge - Lecture and Field
CCR 507-01
Monday mornings (see class times below)
8 weeks: March 20, 27, April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1, 8
Location: The Botanical Gardens at Asheville and various field locations
Cost: $120.00
This course introduces participants to basic bird
physiology, migratory patterns, and identification skills. The role of song,
behavior and habitat will be covered and with an emphasis placed on birds of
the Southern Appalachians.
The first 2 lectures will be held from 9-10:30 am, 3rd lecture
9-Noon, and remaining field studies from 8-11am.
Recommended text: Sibley Field Guide to Birds of
Eastern North America ISBN 067945120X.
Recommended equipment: Birding binoculars 8x40.
The BRN has a few loaner field guides and binoculars available.
Instructor: Barbara “Kitti” Reynolds hold a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Georgia and teaches in the Environmental Studies Dept. at UNC-A. She has birded extensively in the U.S. and in the Caribbean. Instructor web page.
Field instructors Marilyn Kolton and
Lou Dwarshuis are active in the leadership of the Elisha Mitchell
Audubon Society and have lead birding workshops and field trips locally and
in Illinois.
For more information contact Jeanie Martin 251-6198 or e-mail
jmartin@unca.edu
Photo by Scott Dean
Woods Walk
CCR 510-21
Saturday April 8
12:30-4 p.m.
Cost: $15.00
Limit 20 participants
Join Juliet Blankespoor, botanist and herbalist for a spring walk in the woods. We will enjoy an afternoon of exploring the plant diversity that graces our mountains in springtime and learn how some of the wild plants have been used throughout history for their nutritional and medicinal value.
Meet in front of the Reuter Center and we will carpool to Pisgah Forest to take in the beauty of the woods at this time of reawakening.
Cost - $15.00. You need not be a member of NCCCR to participate.
For more information visit the Instructor web site or contact Jeanie Martin 251-6198 or e-mail jmartin@unca.edu
Photo by Scot Dean
Spring Wildflowers of the Blue Ridge – A Field Study
Three class times are offered however they
contain the
same content.
CCR 508-01
Tuesdays 12:30 – 3:30 pm
8 weeks: April 11, 18, 25, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
CCR 508-02
Wednesdays 10:00 am – 1:00 pm (Bring a snack.)
8 weeks: April 5, 12, 19, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24
CCR 508-03
Saturdays 9:30 am to 1:30 pm (Bring a snack.)
6 weeks: Apr 22, May 6, 13, 20, 27, Jun 3 (No Class on 4/29)
Note: This class in not in the printed catalog and registration form - so ask if
you want it!)
Location: Various field locations throughout the area.
Cost: $120
Class limit - 18 participants
Join us to welcome the reemergence of spring and admire the beauty and
diversity of our native wildflowers. We will visit a variety of ecosystems
to learn basic plant ecology and about the natural history, reproductive
strategies, seed dispersal, and folk lore of local wildflowers. You will
learn how to identify unknown species using a non-technical key. Come and
contemplate a wildflower and you might discover your own connections to the
natural world.
Recommended text: Newcombe’s Wildflower Guide ISBN
0316604429 . The BRN has a few copies of the guide that students may borrow.
Instructors:
Tuesdays afternoons and Saturdays – Scott Dean attended UNC-Asheville,
earning a degree in biology. His studies focused on the flora, fauna, and
natural history of the southern Appalachians. He leads wildflower walks in
both in his business and for other organizations around the Blue Ridge.
Wednesday mornings. Juliet Blankespoor received her B.S. in Botany
from the University of Florida and has completed advanced training in
botanical medicine programs across the country. Juliet has been teaching
botany and herbal medicine for over 14 years and lives on a small organic
farm where she runs an herbal apprenticeship program.
For more information visit
Instructor web pages or contact Jeanie Martin 251-6198 or e-mail
jmartin@unca.edu
Spring Tree Walk
CCR - 510-22
Tuesday, May 9
9:30-1 p.m.
Cost: $15.00
Limit 18 participants
In May the trees in our mountains have leafed out in their beautiful
greenery, migratory birds have returned and the forests are alive with new
life. Join Dan Lazar for a walk focusing on trees native to the Blue
Ridge. Characteristics of leaves, bark and twigs will be used to identify
trees in the field. Growth form, habitat requirements, ecology and natural
history of native trees will be discussed. Dan holds a degree in Forest
Biology from the State University of New York College of Environmental
Science and Forestry at Syracuse. As a graduate student at North Carolina
State University, Dan investigated Eastern Hemlock seedling establishment in
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
We will meet at the lower level parking lot of the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway to caravan to a few different sites along the Parkway.
Cost - $15.00. You need not be a member of NCCCR to participate.
For more information visit the Instructor web site or contact Jeanie Martin 251-6198 or e-mail jmartin@unca.edu
denotes a course that fulfill a requirements
toward the Blue Ridge Naturalist Certificate.