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Past Events

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The Geology of the Blue Ridge, Its Mountains and Its WaterfallsFeatured

Presented by Bill Jacobs, author of Whence These Special Place: The Geology of Cashiers, Highlands and Panthertown Valley

Watch this presentation on Youtube!

Ever wonder why Looking Glass Rock and nearby Devil’s Courthouse have such radically different profiles, or why Looking Glass Falls is rugged and precipitous but a few miles upstream Sliding Rock is smooth and slidable? This program will answer these and many similar questions by exploring the processes, spread over more than 500 million years, that have created the western North Carolina mountains. Bill Jacobs will discuss the Blue Ridge mountains and the geology that has shaped specific mountains and waterfalls. 

Bill Jacobs is the author of Whence These Special Places? The Geology of Cashiers, Highlands & Panthertown Valley. When he retired from his Atlanta-based legal career in 2011, he began pursuing his curiosity about the geologic origins of the mountains. After years of in-person and on-line courses, wide-ranging self-study, and numerous back-country explorations, he began to give presentations to interested groups as well as writing Whence these Special Places.

Past Events

Come Together: 2024 Delayed Meeting and Planning for 2025Featured

BRNN members came together on January 30 for our 12th Annual Meeting held at the Asheville Botanical Garden. Several members who were instrumental in founding the organization in 2013 were on hand to provide historical perspective.

Highlights of the 2024 Annual Meeting included:

  • The 2024 Naturalist of the Year award to went Marilyn Kolton and Lou Dwarshuis. They were not able to be at the meeting but will be honored at another gathering. 
  • The election of three BRNN Board members: David Teafatiller, Vice President; Diane Mooney, Website and Publicity Director; and Nancy Cole, Secretary.  
  • Kris Stewart, Treasurer and Membership Director, presented the annual financial report. A discussion followed to consider using a portion of BRNN funds to assist organizations with recovery from Helene. The members voted to empower the Board to do so.
  • Paul Fredrickson, Outdoor Programs director, led a review of options for member outings. He has already received confirmation from some favorite trip leaders for this season. Watch for more information in the March newsletter.
Past Events, Plants

The Natural History and Ecology of Fungi: From Parasitism to SymbiosisFeatured

Watch the talk here!

Todd Elliott, PhD, will speak about mushrooms in our region and their significance. He grew up in the Southern Appalachians, but has worked as a naturalist, biologist, and photographer on six continents. He is the author of Mushrooms of the Southeast and many other publications. Learn more about him here: https://toddelliott.weebly.com and watch for more information in future emails.