Details

A Naturalized Population of Big Leaf Magnolias

FIELD | Monday, October 17, 1 - 4 p.m. 

Instructor: Dan Lazar

$55 Non-member Adult**

(**Arboretum Members receive a 10% discount on all classes.)

Course Capacity: 12

BRN Elective - Plant Studies

This field-based class is one of three meetings with a remarkable tree planned for our annual Tree Trek!

We will meet a newly naturalized population of Bigleaf Magnolias growing in the Haw Creek Valley. This amazing plant is noted for having the largest simple leaves (up to 30 inches in length) and flowers (up to 12 inches in diameter) of any dicotyledonous tree native to North America. Bigleaf Magnolia naturally occurs in central Mississippi and Alabama, with outlying populations in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, and the piedmont of Georgia and North Carolina. Now a new population is becoming established here in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Join us for this short hike to learn about the ecology and natural history of this fascinating new member of the local flora.

Dan Lazar served for many years as the director of education at the Western North Carolina Nature Center, followed by several years as executive director of the Colburn Earth Science Museum. Dan has a degree in forest biology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and has been an instructor in the Blue Ridge Naturalist program since 2005. Carlton Burke is a naturalist and educator who operates Carolina Mountain Naturalists, an educational service which offers wildlife and nature educational programs throughout western North Carolina. He also was on the staff of the western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville for over 25 years as the Curator of Exhibits. Carlton co-hosts a weekly radio program NATURE NEWS and is also a NC state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Registration and Participation in In-Person Classes through the Arboretum:

• Registration for this class will close two days before the class start date.
• Make sure you enter your email address correctly when registering.
• Registrants will be sent a reminder email the day prior to class with the meeting location, current Safety Guidelines, and additional details.
• In the event of inclement weather or other emergent circumstances, the instructor will be in contact with students to arrange an online session as an alternative to meeting onsite.

*Please add adulteducation@ncarboretum.org to your contacts to ensure our emails do not end up in your spam folder.