Naturalist Weekend May 19-20 Brings Together Stars From The Outdoor World

The 2007 Grandfather Mountain Naturalist Weekend planned for Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20 is bringing together many of the top names in North Carolina’s outdoor community. From TV personality Tom Earnhardt and hiking guru Randy Johnson to hummingbird expert Dwayne Martin and meteorologist Grant Goodge, Grandfather’s naturalists have planned a fascinating collection of programs and guided walks offered to help guests discover "nature on a whole different level."
On Saturday, May 19, Grandfather Mountain Naturalist Jesse Pope will start the day with an early morning nature hike to explore the high-elevation habitat near the Swinging Bridge. Participants should bring binoculars because this outing is a great opportunity to see bird species that can not be found in the deciduous forests common to lower elevations.
As the day continues, Grandfather Habitats Manager Tanya Cline will lead a workshop on the black bear that will include a trip down to the bear habitat to observe bear behavior first hand.
Lori Williams of the NC Wildlife Resources Commission will enlighten visitors on the habits and habitat of salamanders in a program that will include a trek into the woods to see what lives beneath the rocks and rotting logs found along the way.
Those who have ever hiked Grandfather Mountain’s carefully maintained network of backcountry trails will enjoy the opportunity to hear author Randy Johnson discuss the new edition of his popular trail guide, Hiking North Carolina. Johnson was the person who first conceived the idea of charging user fees to support the development and upkeep of Grandfather’s amazing network of alpine trails, and as the Mountain’s first Backcountry manager spent the decade of the 1980s building the attraction’s reputation for delivering a quality hiking experience.
The keynote speaker for the weekend is Tom Earnhardt, host of the popular Exploring North Carolina program an UNC Public TV. Earnhardt, an environmental lawyer who now works with the NC Museum of Natural Science, brings with him a statewide perspective about what is happening on the natural side of North Carolina.
On Sunday, May 20, Audubon biologist Curtis Smalling will lead a bird walk along the Profile Trail that will take guests through some of the most densely populated bird habitat in North Carolina.
Nina Fisschessor of the Blue Ridge Wildlife Institute at Lees-McRae College will do a presentation on birds of prey that includes bringing out live birds so guests can get a closer look.
Rounding out the bird programs, Catawba County Interpretive Ranger Dwayne Martin, one of only four people in North Carolina licensed to capture and band hummingbirds, will lead a hummingbird-banding workshop and enlighten guests on the fascinating world of hummers.
In the afternoon Dr. Loren Raymond of Appalachian State University will give a slide presentation on the geology of the Blue Ridge and also lead a hike into the backcountry to look for geological formations that give clues to how Grandfather Mountain was formed.
Grant Goodge, consultant for the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville will give a presentation on the weather of Grandfather Mountain.
Capping off Sunday’s programs will be Megan McCloud from Grandfather’s Wildlife Habitat staff hosting a slide program on the elusive and majestic cougar.
“I am really proud of the schedule we have put together this year,” said Grandfather Naturalist Jesse Pope. “Our presenters are really knowledgeable and I hope that the wide variety of subjects will interest a wide variety of guests.”
   All programs and guided walks offered as part of the Naturalist's Weekend are included in the regular price of admission. Those who attend for more than one day should keep to their receipt from their first visit and present that for discount admission the following day.
  For more information and a complete schedule for Naturalist Weekend please visit www.grandfather.com or call 828-733-4326.