Sorry, this program is FULL. Please email [email protected] to be added to the wait list.

This course is an elective of the Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification Program.

Explore the hidden backbone of the mountains while immersing yourself in this overlooked yet vital aspect of Smokies natural history. Using field geology techniques, we will investigate both popular and lesser-known locales in the park, examine sedimentary and metamorphic outcrops, and discuss geologic structures like folds and faults. The workshop will conclude by compiling our collective observations to illustrate the geologic history of the Smokies. Throughout the workshop we will engage other branches of natural and cultural history, focusing on the influence of geology on biodiversity within the region. During this course we will explore a two-mile roundtrip trail to a waterfall and several short (< 1/4 mile) off-trail hikes.

Goal: To provide students with skills to investigate the geology of the southern Appalachian mountains and interpret how geologic history affects cultural history and biodiversity in that region.

Cost: $367 – includes instruction, food and lodging in our dorm inside Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Cost for National Park Service employees: $139. Please call 865-448-6709 for discount code. Enter discount code when you register online below.

 

Photo by David Bryant