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Past Events

Past Events

2020 City Nature Challenge

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Ready, set, snap! Connect with fellow nature lovers from around the world in the 2020 City Nature Challenge, a worldwide bioblitz held April 24 – 27 that encourages participants to get outside and celebrate their region’s biodiversity by taking photos of plants and animals found in their communities and uploading them to iNaturalist. This year, the Challenge will not be a regional competition but rather a four-day global citizen-science collaboration that embraces the healing power of nature and supports scientists worldwide. The Arboretum will be serving as the lead institution for the Western North Carolina region and will be offering a variety of online programming for adults and youth in conjunction with the Challenge.

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Past Events

Annual BRNN Meeting and Naturalist of the Year Award Presentation on Wednesday, November 13.

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The Blue Ridge Naturalist Network is honored to present the 2019 BRNN Naturalist of the Year to Jonathan Marchal, the Youth Education manager at The North Carolina Arboretum, who has been an integral and critically important part of the Youth Education program at the Arboretum since its inception in 2005. During these 14+ years, the Youth Education program has grown from 3,000 to 26,000 participants, and there will be hundreds more young participants as Jonathan fully realizes his vision for programs well beyond the Arboretum and Buncombe County.

This event is for members and their guests.
Please bring a dish to share.
6:00pm
The Cathedral of All Souls
9 Swan Street
Asheville, NC

Past Events

Hike the Appalachian Trail Wednesday,October 9th.

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Photos by Randy Richardson

On Wednesday October 9th, nine hardy hikers met at Clingman’s Dome for our 2019 high altitude hike.  Many thanks to Ed Kelley, who stepped in for Ken Czarnomski at the last minute to lead the hike.  We began with a climb to the Clingman’s Dome observation tower for a 360 degree view of the surrounding area, helped by recent rains that had minimized the usual haze that gives the Smokies their name.  From there we followed the ridge line to the west along the Appalachian Trail.  Descending 1200 feet over the next three miles, we were rewarded with distant views in some places, and a moss covered fairy forest in others.  At one point Ed heard some familiar bird calls and pished to bring in the Ruby Crowned Kinglets.  While they remained elusive, we were rewarded with a close-up view of three Red-Breasted Nuthatches, a bird that nests at high elevations in our area.  

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