NC State Students at SAHC’s South Yellow Mountain Preserve
SAHC’s 7500-acre South Yellow Mountain Preserve serves as an incredible repository for biodiversity and learning space for young ecologists.
Recently, 34 students from NC State University visited our South Yellow Mountain Preserve (SYMP) as part of a statewide field course focused on North Carolina’s diverse plant life and forest communities. Over several weeks, the students journeyed from the coast to the mountains, and they seemed especially grateful to spend time in the cooler elevations of the Southern Appalachians.
Their visit to the SYMP began in the Beaver Creek Watershed, where they explored rhododendron thickets, mountain laurel groves, and forests of basswood and tulip poplar. Tasked with identifying 15-20 new species, the students carefully documented their findings with detailed field notes.
Later, the group moved into a neighboring creek basin to study an acidic cove forest, where they welcomed the misty spray of a nearby waterfall while examining the region’s unique ecology.
SYM Preserve Manager Park Greer enjoyed the opportunity to lead the outing and share in the students’ curiosity, while learning a few new plants himself!
Thank you to the instructors who facilitated this trip, and to the immensely dedicated conservationists whose vision and support help protect and steward beloved places like this in the mountains of NC and TN.
