Highlands Biological Foundation
HBF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lisa Armstrong
Linda Barlow
William Bush
James Costa (ex officio)
Lisa Dailey
Ruthie Edwards
Lindy Harrison
Lori Heys
Tom Holmes, VP & Treasurer
Cathy Jones
James Landon
Frank Langford
Drew Lanham
Leslie Manning
David Martin, Secretary
Melanie Mauldin
John Mitchener, President
Chris Mowry (ex officio)
Frances Oakley
Karen Patterson
Vernon Skiles
Alex Smith
Carol Stewart
Martha Stibbs
Jennie Stowers, Past-President
Robert Strickland
Jonnie Swann
Charles Tarver
Keller Torrey
Gayle Watkins
HBF STAFF
Jamie Creola, Executive Director
Julie Thomson, Education Specialist
Tammy Lowe, Part-time Educator
JOHN MITCHENER | PRESIDENT | HBF
As we wrap up another busy summer season for the Highlands Biological Foundation (HBF), we are so grateful for the support of donors and community volunteers like you! Here are some 2024 season highlights:
We are thrilled that Jamie Creola joined as our new Executive Director, and Julie Thomson joined as our new Education Specialist In addition, we hired Tammy Lowe as a part-time Educator and four seasonal Naturalists to help with camps and other programs at Highlands Nature Center.
HBF hosted 18 successful Nature Camps for ages 5-13 over nine weeks, 11 Nature Center Nights, and nine informative Zahner Conservation Lectures Our “Playmore Soirée” was a huge, sold-out success raising much needed funds - all thanks to YOU!
In addition to running the Nature Center, HBF supports the Highlands Biological Station (HBS) We provided:
$25,600 to fund two Research Assistants at HBS to assist with microplastics, small mammal, and bat research
$25,000 annual grant to HBS for operational and maintenance support.
$11,200 in Grant-In-Aid funding for six researchers at HBS studying the rich biodiversity of the plateau.
$10,000 for the BatPack Citizen Science Project monitoring bat activity along the Appalachian Trail and $9,500 to support the “Highlands Bat Blitz” in September, allowing 20 bat research biologists to come to the plateau and conduct bat research with Dr. Rada Petric, UNC Institute of the Environment’s Highlands Field Site Director
2024 marked the 5th year of HBF’s funding of the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity & Survivorship) bird banding program at HBS in partnership with Blue Ridge Bird Observatory.
The heart of our mission is to help preserve, educate, and inspire our community to take care of the wonderful biodiversity we have here on the plateau Thank you again for your generous support of time and resources for such a worthy cause.
granted to Macon County School’s STEM program to support science education 3
Nature Campers joined us for adventure & fun this summer
bats representing
visitors explored the Highlands Nature Center
awarded to support the Highlands Biological Station
More than species analyzed as part of the Highlands Bat Blitz
new animal ambassadors joined our te
Carlton the corn snake & Terry the Fowler’s toad
new birds analyzed at HBS as part of MAPS bird banding funded by HBF
recaptured birds analyzed
generous Playmore Soirée fundraiser - more than ever!!!
chers ed s-in-Aid” HBF
UNC-CH students attended the 2024 Highlands Field Site program
shy owl attempted escape during a Nature Center Night program but was swiftly caught & all was well!
JULIE THOMSON EDUCATION SPECIALIST | HBF
This was my first summer working at the Highlands Nature Center. It was wonderful to meet so many curious and excited campers through our Nature Camps, lead some of our Nature Night hikes, and also be here for many of our Zahner lectures From salamanders to land snails, insects to mushrooms, turtles to spiders, and wildflowers to trees, I have marveled alongside Naturalists of all ages at the many marvelous organisms who live here at the Highlands Biological Station
I’m pleased to share these pictures from our summer Nature Camps Campers explored and hiked the Station’s trails, played Nature-themed games, and did hands-on projects ranging from planting wildflower seeds to making sunprints and testing creek water to making paracord bracelets Thank you to our summer Naturalists–Asia Schmunk, Ines Nix, Ava Ashe, and Alex Waite–who helped make all of our summer programs possible.
I look forward to this fall’s programs and outreach activities and experiencing the change of seasons here Check our monthly calendar for dates for bird walks, fall leaf walks, our annual Enchanted Forest event, and more!
“
I had a really nice time getting to know everyone, staff and camp attendees included Everyone was really passionate about the place in a way that I had never experienced, and it invigorated my desire to be there. It's a place that really makes you care about what's going on.
“
ALEX WAITE -
“ “
Being an environmental educator is one of the most rewarding positions imaginable, all while being able to immerse yourself in nature physically and mentally. There are few places with as much raw natural beauty as Highlands, North Carolina It was truly a pleasure to assist the staff and volunteers of the Highlands Biological Foundation to execute the various public programs we put on I am grateful for my time at the Highlands Nature Center I met life-long friends, made unforgettable memories, learned about myself and nature, but above all else, I had the most fun summer I've had in my life! Thank you Highlands! Meet me in the mountains!
“ “
Working as a naturalist this past summer was a lifechanging experience I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the temperate rainforest and interact with the unique plant and animal species that grow in the Highlands Equally rewarding was engaging with kids and guiding them to learn about and appreciate the natural world
“
“ “ “
Working as a naturalist was amazing - from working in the Nature Center to teaching camps everyday, was a new experience I loved being able to plan fun activities for the kids Most importantly I’m glad I was able to be a part of making their summer memorable.
AVA ASHE -
ASIA SCHMUNK -
BLUE RIDGE TWO-LINED SALAMANDER
This fall, the Highlands Biological Station welcomed a new cohort of UNC-Chapel Hill students to the Highlands Field Site program Under Dr Rada Petric's guidance, these students are learning about and conducting vital research on the relationship between humans and the environment in the southern Appalachians
From 2021 to 2023, the Highlands Biological Foundation proudly contributed $300,000 to this impactful program, helping ensure its continued success Thanks to the generosity of our members, these students are building on past efforts and deepening our understanding of the region’s wildlife and environmental challenges Read on for a sneak peek into the students’ semester projects, and see their final project presentations on December 12th. Stay tuned to highlandsbiological.org for details.
Casey Meisel & Sofia Friedman
Casey and Sofia are studying alternative reproductive tactics in Blue Ridge two-lined salamanders. They will conduct nocturnal terrestrial surveys and a continuing collection of temporal data from Station Creek. Male Blue Ridge two-lined salamanders have two morphs: “searching” and “guarding”. These two different morphs have genetic differences that can be identified through PCR tests. Casey and Sofia will genotype individuals to determine proportion of frequencies of the alternate morphs.
Mentors: Dr. Todd Pierson & Cooper Kework (Kennesaw State University)
WETLANDS
Anna Boodee & Mary
BATS & FLYING SQUIRRELS
Katie Wadkovsky, Edie Sherlock, & Hannah Shepard
Katie, Edie, and Hannah are using ultrasonic bat detectors to investigate boreal-deciduous ecotone as possible climate refugia for bats and flying squirrels They are also conducting vegetation surveys to understand how the forest composition at each audio recording site potentially affects bats and flying squirrel activity Sites are located across spruce-fir, ecotone, and northern hardwood forests at Roan Mountain, Grandfather Mountain, Mount Mitchell, Balsam Mountain, and Kuwohi
Mentors: Dr. Rada Petric (UNC-CH), Reagan Jarrett (WCU), & Jason Love (HBS/WCU)
Catherine Hoover
Anna and Mary Catherine are studying the vegetation and wildlife presence in six wetlands in Macon County. They are using trail cams and audio recorders to survey the species richness of frogs, bats, birds, and mammals in each wetland, and they will use this data to identify trends in each type of wetland: degraded, intact, or restored. Wetlands are a crucial ecosystem for many different types of animals, and they hope that this research will draw more attention to wetland conservation and protection.
Mentors: Dr. Rada Petric (UNC-CH), Reagan Jarrett (WCU), & Jason Love (HBS/WCU)
CARBON CREDITS
Annika Willis & Erin Flanagan
ika and Erin are researching the connections between the atmospheric deposition of microplastics and their presence in shrews and worms in Southern Appalachian cove forests on the Highlands Biological Station For this project, they are using bycatch hrews found dead in small mammal traps, worms they collect, and HBS atmospheric deposition data They hope that this exploratory research will contribute to our nderstanding of microplastic integration into terrestrial food webs and atmospheric microplastic deposition, both of which are understudied topics
Mentors: Jason Love (HBS WCU), Dr. Rada Petric (UNC-CH), Patrick Brannon (HBS/WCU), & Dr. Bruce Snyder (GCSU)
Caleb Tyler & Lucy Kraus
Caleb and Lucy are investigating the viability of carbon credit financing on Onion Mountain, a 660-acre parcel of land owned by a local land trust. As a part of their project, they will be estimating carbon sequestration in above and below ground biomass on the mountain, and identifying the most valuable carbon stocks. They will also prepare a recommendation for the land trust to use carbon finance in future acquisitions.
Mentor: Kelder Monar (Mainspring Conservation Trust)
BATS & MINES
SMALL MAMMALS
Madison Cleary & Genevieve Marti
Madison and Genevieve are working with UNC-Greensboro graduate student Jenna Jordan to study the vocalizations and behavior of golden mice at the Highlands Biological Station and Brushy Face Preserve They will live trap golden mice and woodland jumping mice to collect information and tag the animals before releasing them back into their natural habitat Using trail cameras and acoustic recorders, they will analyze the behavior and vocalizations of said species with the end goal of creating a vocal repertoire of the understudied species in their natural environment
Mentors: Dr. Rada Petric (UNC-CH) & J
Angelina Guerrero & Natalie Hammond
Angelina and Natalie are retrieving data from ultrasonic sound detectors set up at 13 abandoned mine entrances scattered throughout Macon, Jackson, Clay, and Transylvania counties. By surveying these mines, they are assessing the presence and abundance of endangered bat species. Data is analyzed using Kaleidoscope, a software that can tell users what bats are present in an ultrasonic recording. This information can be used to help scientists understand the behavior of local bat species and how these bats are coping with the onslaught of White-nose Syndrome, a lethal and easy-to-spread fungal infection amongst bats that has decimated bat species across North America. As a result, researching the abundance and species types of local bats grows more relevant for use in their conservation and protection. Angelina and Natalie are also researching methods to map the interior of local mines, in an effort to further analyze the habitat and living conditions of local bats.
Mentors: Dr. Rada Petric (UNC-CH), Reagan Jarrett (WCU), & Jason Love (HBS/WCU)
For over 50 years, the Foundation has provided ‘Grants-in-Aid (GIA) of Scientific Research’ at HBS, bringing graduate students and research scientists to Highlands from all over the country and abroad. When you give to HBF, you invest in research projects that help us better understand the incredible biodiversity of this region. Learn about the 2024 research projects you contributed to below.
BAAQEYAH MUHAMMAD | PHD STUDENT | UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
Salamanders display an intriguing variety of life history strategies from undergoing metamorphosis to subverting it through alternative life strategies, such as direct development or paedomorphosis Baaqeyah’s research explores the origins of direct development, in which organisms lack a traditionally distinct larval stage, in salamanders. This project will create a phylogenetic character reconstruction based on traits that are known to undergo metamorphic changes to allow for an exploration of how metamorphosis could have been lost and/or recapitulated in Plethodontidae, the most species rich clade of salamanders.
RECIPIENT OF THE MARTINA WADEWITZ HAGGARD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
RECIPIENT OF THE LINDSAY S. OLIVE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
David’s research focuses on the trophic dynamics of the shredding caddisfly, Pycnopsyche
Traditionally, understanding what these insects eat involves dissecting their guts and identifying food items under a microscope. This method often results in low taxonomic resolution, making it hard to tell food types apart David is taking a different approach by using whole-genome shotgun sequencing (WGS) By analyzing DNA in the guts of Pycnopsyche, he aims to determine if WGS can provide clearer insights into their diet. This technique could influence how stream ecologists study the feeding habits of shredding and other aquatic insects
RECIPIENT OF THE RAY SEMLITSCH MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
The mucus coat of amphibians is used as a medium to both deposit and take up chemical cues, acting as a two-way system of information exchange between these animals and their environment. Additionally, these secretions are implicated in diverse biological roles such as chemical communication, immunity, and respiration Despite the vast functionality of amphibian mucus, its chemical contents remain poorly characterized Using combined transcriptomic and proteomic techniques on mucous extracts, Paul plans on building comprehensive " mucusomes " for two species salamanders (P. shermani, D. ocoee) collected near Highlands
DAVID BREAULT | MS STUDENT | UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
PAUL NICOLOSI | PHD STUDENT | OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
COOPER KEWORK | MS STUDENT | KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY
Cooper is studying alternative reproductive tactics in Blue Ridge TwoLined Salamander (Eurycea wilderae). In these populations in Highlands, there are two morphs of male known as searching and guarding males These males differ morphologically and behaviorally regarding their reproductive efforts Cooper is investigating how these two different male morphs can be maintained within the same population (without one male outcompeting the other). He is measuring frequencies of searching and guarding males within different microhabitats (small streams vs. large streams) to see if spatial variation is an important role in maintaining this polymorphism
RECIPIENT OF THE BRUCE FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP IN HERPETOLOGY
UNC-GREENSBORO
Jenna is studying the woodland jumping mouse vocal communication and associated behaviors During the night, when woodland jumping mice are active, she will deploy non-invasive remote sensing technology including acoustic detectors to record calls and thermal imaging cameras to record behaviors in the natural habitat of this species This will be the first study to characterize call types of free-living woodland jumping mice Overall, there is little information published on this species. This study will add to overall species knowledge, and studying animal behavior allows us to better answer important evolutionary questions
TAYTON ALVIS | UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT UNC-CHAPEL HILL
Tayton is an undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill studying environmental science He was one of the Highlands Field Site students in fall 2023
He is currently assisting in aquatic biomonitoring efforts across tributaries of the Little Tennessee river in an effort to understand long term patterns in abundance for Smoky Dace (Clinostomus sp.), an undescribed endemic minnow species
JENNA JORDAN | MS STUDENT |
REAGAN JARRETT RESEARCH ASSISTANT | HBS/WCU
The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau is a picturesque home to thousands of diverse species of animals From the mighty black bear and elusive bobcat to delicate butterflies and vibrant birds, the region is teeming with wildlife. Visitors come to the plateau year-round from around the world, excited to catch a glimpse of the stunning biodiversity right here before our eyes.
This September, the Highlands Biological Station shined a spotlight on yet another species to get excited about: Bats! With its richness of protected habitat and undeveloped land, the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau provides an ideal home to 13 unique species of our furry flighted friends. This fall, the Highlands Bat Blitz brought together teams of experts and trainees gearing up to get an up-close look at this region’s bats.
Hosted by Ed Corey with North Carolina Parks, Lisa Gatens with North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Dr. Rada Petric with UNC-Chapel Hill and funded in part by the Highlands Biological Foundation, the Bat Blitz was a four-day intensive research event, involving over 14 state, federal, private, and non-profit agencies Invited researchers set up more than 30 mist net stations throughout the region between September 10th and 14th These nets captured bats in mid-flight, allowing trained bat biologists to carefully extract them and collect detailed information about their species, population, and health before releasing them This event brought bat biologists and experts from across the state together, aiming to further our understanding of the status and distribution of bats across the plateau
and contribute to broader conservation efforts. During the Bat Blitz, our team captured 58 bats representing four native species (red bat, big brown bat, hoary bat, small footed bat)
As threats of habitat loss, human disturbance, and disease continue to impact bat populations, the importance of studying bat health for conservation is greater than ever White-nose Syndrome, along with rising noise and light pollution, and expanding development are all factors that have contributed to the significant decline of bat populations locally and nationally in the last decade Detailed data collected during the Highlands Bat Blitz will provide valuable insights for the health and status of bats nationwide, informing effective management and conservation strategies to ensure their continued survival.
The Highlands Biological Station recently completed its fifth season of bird banding through the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) program, thanks to funding from the Highlands Biological Foundation Led by Blue Ridge Bird Observatory, the team banded 94 new birds representing 24 species and recaptured 37 birds, including five originally banded in 2020 - the Station’s first year participating in MAPS!
This research not only contributes critical data on bird population health but also offers hands-on experience for undergraduate students and provides a unique opportunity for our nature campers and visitors to connect with the incredible bird diversity on the plateau
Photos courtesy of:
Tayton Alvis: pages 9, 12
David Breault: page 8
Greg Clarkson: page 10 Krystal Cutshaw: pages 2, 11
Baaqeyah Muhammad : page 8
Paul Nicolosi: page 8
Rada Petric: pages 6, 7, 10
Julie Thomson: pages 4, 5, 11
Winter Gary: pages 4 11 12
HFS Students: pages 6, 7
Jenna Jordan: page 9
Cooper Kework: page 9
Dylan Lytle: pages 1, 12