Our spring hikes will be in the land of the Longleaf Pine in partnership with the North Carolina Botanical Garden’s Saving Our Savannas program series. The Botanical Garden, with partner organizations, has developed an exciting schedule of hikes, lectures, and workshops covering the history, ecology, and culture of longleaf pine communities. Learn more about this exciting program series at https://ncbg.unc.edu/longleaf.
We will explore the story of the loss of the “Big Savannah” and the later discovery of a surviving remnant savanna nearby. It was Dr. B.W. Wells’ chance discovery of this unique habitat on a train trip from Raleigh to Wilmington in 1920 that sparked a lifelong passion that led him to become the pioneer ecologist of his time. The Big Savannah was a botanical delight as the “most beautiful natural wildflower garden in the eastern United States”—in continuous bloom with a succession of wildflowers through every month of the year except January. Though the Big Savannah is gone, we will visit the B.W. Wells Savanna in Pender County. Sometimes called the “ghost of the Big Savannah”, this 117-acre NC Coastal Land Trust preserve gives you a taste of what the 1500-acre Big Savannah was like before it was lost to agricultural development.
Please note: You will be required to enter the following information for each registrant before you can complete your registration: emergency contact, physician contact and health information (allergies, conditions, medications relevant to this field experience). Take a moment to gather this information before beginning your registration.
REGISTRATION IS FULL FOR THIS TRIP
If the trip is full, please email Missy Chernick to be added to the waitlist.
Registration deadline: Monday, March 18 @ 7:00 AM
For additional information about this trip and other Lifelong Hikes & Adventures, contact Jerry Reynolds at 919.707.9884.