West Virginia University’s Core Arboretum will bring local and regional nature experts to campus this summer in its annual Nature Connection Series.

“We at the Arboretum are excited about the lineup of speakers this year and happy to offer this valuable service for free to local naturalists,” said Zachariah Fowler, director of the WVU Core Arboretum and clinical associate professor in the Department of Biology .“Please join us and connect with nature!”

The discussions will take place in June, July and August on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. at the Core Arboretum amphitheater. The talks are free and open to the public, and no registration is required. Some discussions will include walking and fieldwork.

2018 Schedule of Events

June 5Using citizen science to investigate urban wildlife in WVU’s Core Arboretum
Chris Rota, Assistant Professor of Wildlife and Fisheries Resources, WVU

June 12: Pawpaws past and present
Neal Peterson, Pawpaw Nursery Owner and Pawpaw Expert, Peterson Pawpaws

June 19: The secret life of freshwater mussels 
Ieva Roznere, Postdoctoral Researcher, The Ohio State University 

June 26: Discovering life through birds

Bill Beatty, Consulting Naturalist and Outdoor Education Specialist, Bill Beatty Nature


July 3: Ecology and conservation biology of America’s most sought-after plant: Wild American ginseng

Jim McGraw, Professor of Biology, WVU


July 10: Biology and ecology of West Virginia ferns

Brandon Sinn, Postdoctoral Fellow, WVU


July 17: Changing perceptions on climate change through citizen science and phenology

Megan Kruger, Environmental Education Associate, West Virginia Water Research Institute


July 24: The hidden half: How roots drive tree growth

Eddie Brzostek, Assistant Professor of Biology, WVU


July 31: Secret lives of fungi: Biology and ecological significance of fungi in the Core Arboretum 

Dan Panaccione, Davis-Michael Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences, WVU


August 7: From the Arctic to Appalachia: The rescue and rehabilitation of an injured snowy owl

Katie Fallon, Author, Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia


August 14: Changes in bird ranges in West Virginia since 1970

Albert R. Buckelew, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Biology, Bethany College  

The series is supported by the WVU Department of Biology, the WVU Core Arboretum Endowment and the Robert C. Cull Outreach Fellowship.

For more information about the Core Arboretum and the Nature Connection Series, visitarboretum.wvu.edu/nature-connection-series.