Afternoon Field Trip Opportunities

1) Environmental education: Guided tour of the Cradle of Forestry, the site of the first forestry school and the birthplace of forest conservation in America to see innovative environmental education strategies at work.

Scheduled Tour Leader: Ms. Renee Strnad, NC CES, PLT State Coordinator

Cost $25

2) Water Quality Options for the Built Environment – Guided tour of the N.C. Aboretum - where you will learn about and see extension demonstration facilities on xeriscaping, a Green roof, and stormwater management, all with a BMP focus.

Scheduled Tour Leaders: Diane Silver, Henderson County NCCES, Diana Rashash, NCCES Area Specialized Agent, Natural Resources-Environmental Education

Cost $25

3) Rural Tourism Development – Visit Green River Cove for a selected example of natural resource based tourism typical to the region, includes white water rafting (weather permitting) and a discussion of the impacts of tourism on natural resources.

Scheduled Tour Leaders: Drs. Samantha Rich and Stacey Tomas, Assistant Professors of Tourism and Extension Specialists in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management at North Carolina State University

Cost $60

4) Mountain Aquaculture - Trout Farm Tour – featuring the insights and management challenges for cold-water aquaculture.

Scheduled Tour Leader: Skip Thompson, NCCES, Area Specialized Agent, Agriculture – Aquaculture

Cost  $25

Sorry!, this tour has been cancelled.

5) Christmas tree research and production in North Carolina –North Carolina is second in the nation in Christmas tree production. This field trip will feature discussion of production, IPM, reduced herbicide usage and current marketing challenges including a visit to a Christmas tree farm.

Scheduled Tour Leaders:  Jeff Owen, NCCES Specialist and Drs.John Frampton and Jill Sidebottom, Research Geneticist and Extension Specialist, respectively.

Cost $25

6) Horticulture / Forestry/ Sustainability:  Guided tour of a demonstration site for successful non-native invasive plant management and control in forested wetlands, and visit to the Mountain Research Horticultural Center to learn about Hop Production and other specialty crops.

Scheduled Tour Leaders: Linda Blue, NCCES, Extension Ag/Urban Horticulture Agent,  Dr. Jeanine Davis, NCCES, Mountain Horticultural Crops Research & Extension Center and Kelly Hughes, NC Wildlife Resource Commission.

Cost $25

7) Biltmore Forest and Farm Sustainable Land Management Tour: Go behind the scenes at Biltmore Estate for a custom guided tour of Biltmore’s Farming and Forestry Operations.

Scheduled Tour Leaders: Helene Cser, NCCES Extension Associate; Bill Alexander, Biltmore Forest Historian and Ted Katsigianis, Biltmore’s Vice President of Agricultural Sciences

Cost $60

This tour is sold out!

8) Climate Analysis Tour: A combined visit to National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) and the NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Meet with the folks on the current edge of science delivery and engagement for environmental decision making and then stroll to the mecca of climatic data for the US in historic Asheville.

Tour Leaders: Karin Lichtenstein, Project Manager/Research Scientist, NEMAC and Mark Megalos, NCCES, Extension Forestry Specialist

Cost $25

9) Kanuga Solar Water Facility Tour: Finding ways to reduce Kanuga’s carbon footprint is an extension of its core values. In January 2009 Kanuga entered into a partnership with FLS Energy Inc to produce clean, renewable energy to produce Kanuga’s hot water through and environmentally and fiscally responsible solar water heating system.  Tour the solar power generating facility that generates the power equivalent needed to service 34 average American homes, that is state of the art, and a model for other organizations.

Tour Leaders: Kanuga Staff TBA

No charge, this is a walking tour on the grounds of the conference facility.

10) Coweeta Long Term Ecological Research: One of the oldest continuous environmental studies in North America, Coweeta is a gem of the southern Appalachian Mountains.  It is a leading USDA Forest Service LTER with University of Georgia and other major southern universities.  Coweeta’s "Southern Appalachia on the Edge" program researches the impacts of climate change and exurbanization on water quality, and other ecosytem services.

Cost: $75 includes lunch.  NOTE: This tour departs at 10 a.m. and returns at 6 p.m.

To register for the Field Trip of your choice, go to the ANREP conference registration page at http://www.ncsu-feop.org/ANREP/reg-form.html