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Today’s Email Announcements

Grandfather Mountain presents Adult Field Courses

The Blackburnian warbler is one of many birds to be discussed during ‘The Joy of Spring Birding,’ an adult field course taking place May 4 at Grandfather Mountain. Photo by Monty Combs | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

At Grandfather Mountain, education is literally a top priority.

After all, when your classroom is a mile high, the sky is the limit. Even for grown-ups.

The Linville, N.C.-based nature park is bringing its Adult Field Courses series back for 2019, offering participants the chance to explore Grandfather Mountain like never before.

“These courses allow students to examine specific aspects of the park ecosystem through fun field excursions,” said Amy Renfranz, director of education for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the park. “Our course leaders are experts in their fields and include professors, naturalists, scientists and acclaimed photographers, writers, historians and artists.”

The series runs from May through September, with topics including birding, trails, geology, fungi, spiders and more.

Courses cost $60 per person (or $20 for members of Grandfather Mountain’s Bridge Club membership program), with registration required in advance at www.grandfather.com.

Most courses run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., unless otherwise stated, and participants are asked to bring their own lunch to be eaten in the field.

Guests are invited to explore ‘Grandfather Mountain’s Geologic Window,’ an adult field course taking place July 12 at Grandfather Mountain. The course will examine the 300 million years of history written into the mountain’s rocks. Photo courtesy of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

Courses include: 

The Joy of Spring Birding – May 4

May is an exciting month for birding in the High Country. Songbirds are arriving every day from as far away as South America, flying at night so they can use daylight hours to feed and rest. Join High Country Audubon’s Steve Dowlan to delight in the joy of spring birding. To register, visit https://grandfather.com/events/the-joy-of-spring-birding/.

Sketching Spring Ephemerals – May 18

Designed for enthusiasts with little to no artistic training, this foundation course focuses on creating accurate and artistic botanical illustrations. Led by Preston Montague, Carolina Naturalist, participants will learn basic observation and drawing techniques with pen and pencil and will use colored pencils to apply vibrant color. To register, visit https://grandfather.com/events/sketching-spring-ephemerals/.

Rocky Top: The Art of Grandfather’s Trail System – June 15

Known as one of the most rugged mountains in the southeastern United States, Grandfather Mountain’s trails share the same status. Led by John Caveny, Grandfather Mountain’s natural resource management specialist, this course will provide participants with an in-depth look at how to sustainably maintain hiking trails, as well as discover the history of the mountain’s trail system. To register, visit https://grandfather.com/events/rocky-top-the-art-of-grandfathers-trail-system/.

Investigating High Elevation Pollinators – June 26

We all know that rare plants grow atop Grandfather Mountain, but just who pollinates them? Join N.C. State University’s Dr. Clyde Sorenson to investigate the landscape with a special eye for bees, beetles, wasps and butterflies. To register, visit https://grandfather.com/events/investigating-high-elevation-pollinators/.

Exploring Grandfather Mountain’s Geologic Window – July 12

There are more than 300 million years of history written into Grandfather Mountain’s rocks. Join Appalachian State University’s Dr. Anthony Love to learn to decipher the stone, and discover a world so complex and amazing that it will change your perspective of the Appalachian Mountains forever. To register, visit https://grandfather.com/events/exploring-grandfather-mountains-geologic-window/.

The Southern Appalachians are world-renowned for different types of fungi and home to more than 2,000 species. Join expert mycologist Dr. Coleman McClenaghan Aug. 10 for an adult field course examining many kinds of fungi at higher elevations. Photo by Kolter Barrier | Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

Fungi of the Cloudland Forest – Aug. 10

The Southern Appalachians are world-renowned for different types of fungi, from mushrooms to lichens, and are home to more than 2,000 species. Join mycologist Dr. Coleman McCleneghan for a chance to observe many kinds of fungi at higher elevations and learn how to identify them by size, shape and color. To register, visit https://grandfather.com/events/fungi-of-the-cloudland-forest/.

Spiders: Identification, Diversity, Ecology & Biology – Aug. 24

Participants will be introduced to the biology of spiders, with an emphasis on the ecological roles of spiders, their incredible diversity and techniques to identify specimens to species level. Excursions will provide the opportunity for hands-on exploration of spider diversity and behavior. To register, visit https://grandfather.com/events/spiders-identification-diversity-ecology-biology/.

Fall Color Sketchbook – Sept. 28 

Designed for enthusiasts with little to no artistic training, this foundation course focuses on creating accurate and artistic botanical illustrations. Guided by artist and Carolina Naturalist Preston Montague, participants will learn basic observation and drawing techniques with pen and pencil and will use colored pencils to apply vibrant color. To register, visit https://grandfather.com/events/fall-color-sketchbook/.

And More

For more information, call 828-733-2013, or visit www.grandfather.com. To learn more about the Bridge Club membership program, visit http://bit.ly/2Cq88Bf.

The not-for-profit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, call 800-468-7325, or visit www.grandfather.com to plan a trip.

What’s Happening This Week at Lost Province Brewing

Tuesday March 12

Get Lost for a Cause benefiting Wine to Water. Get lost with Wine To Water and Lost Province in Nepal for a night of stories, community and good food benefitting W|W. This charity night, 10% of restaurant guests’ bill will go to helping fight the global water crisis in places like Nepal. Throughout the night guests will have the opportunity to learn about W|W’s impact in Nepal through community members who have served and worked in Nepal, sharing stories about their experience and how you can make a difference in the lives of the thousands of individuals who still lack access to clean water. Stop by the restaurant anytime from 6 p.m.-8 p.m., we will have a raffle drawing at 7:45 p.m. valuing more than $100.

Wednesday March 13

7pm-9pm Trivia Night: Beginning at 7pm, Lost Province will be hosting Trivia Night. Compete on your own or on a team! The competition gets started at 7pm so come a little early for a pizza and a pint and get your seat!

Thursday March 14

$3.00 Thursday and College Night-$3.00 pints on all Lost Province brewed beers (except high gravity).

7:30-Closing College Night and Live Music featuring ASU Jazz Combos. The Appalachian State Jazz combos perform a variety of tunes from bebop to fusion. The members of Jazz combo I are Aaron West, Kitty Amaral, Zach Mcrary, Matt Guard, Joe Karmazyn, Chandler Bell and Marcus Clonts. The members of Jazz Combo II are Austin Bowling, Isaiah Whitfield, Victor Arruda, Ingrid Nora, Nick Osborne and Max Marotta. Jazz combos are coached by Mr. Andy Page and Dr. Adam Booker.

Friday March 15

7:30pm-Closing: Sycamore Bones. At the heart of Sycamore Bones are its two songwriters, as contrasting as they are tenacious. Cory Kinal (Vocals, Guitar) hails from western New York and commands the stage with a quiet intensity and haunting, bittersweet lyricism. In contrast, Andrew Massey (Vocals, Bass), North Carolina born and raised, croons and howls without restraint to his toe-tapping melodies. Abigail Taylor (Vocals), also an NC native, ties both sides together with blues-soaked harmonies. Whether they perform as an acoustic trio or backed by their full band, Sycamore Bones integrates north and south, bliss and heartache, life and loss into music that invites you to hang your coat and stay a while.

Saturday March 16

7:30pm-Closing Live Music: Earleine Trio. Born in Clarksville Tennessee, just 40 miles outside of Nashville, Earleine grew up immersed in musical culture. At 18 she picked up the guitar, and soon began writing her own songs. Earleine made her way to the mountains in the winter of 2016 to expand her musical horizons. Genuine and shockingly honest, her songwriting is mixed with poetic lyricism, and dreamy harmonies that seem to lift hard time memories into ephemeral realms. Earleine’s style is a swirl of folk, rock, blues, and roots under a blanket of soul.

Sunday March 17

7pm-Close St. Patrick’s Day Celebration and Live Music with Paddy’s Wagon. Paddy’s Wagon has had many incarnations over the years. With roots at AppState, the group began with students who studied abroad in Ireland. The group consists of John Carson on guitar and Shane Watson on fiddle. Paddy’s Wagon preforms the traditional music from Scotland and Ireland. Come here some tunes that’ll transport you Isles and will surely have your foot tapping.

Galileo’s Serving Up Specials for St. Patrick’s Day

Galileo’s will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day offering Irish food all week and hosting karaoke on Saturday night.

St. Patty’s Pop-Up Beer Garden in Blowing Rock this Saturday

There will be a special pop-up Beer Garden at the American Legion Building in Blowing Rock from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. 

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Funds raised at this event will go to the Blue Ridge Conservancy. 

Music will be provided by the Harris Brothers along with local beer, BBQ and a potato cookoff. 

Lees-McRae College Student Nurses Association to Host Panel Discussion and Screening of Beautiful Boy on March 20

Join the Lees-McRae College Student Nurses Association on Wednesday, March 20 starting at 7 p.m. for a panel discussion followed by screening of the movie Beautiful Boy at 8 p.m. sponsored by the High Country Charitable Foundation and the Lees-McRae nursing program.

Held in Evans Auditorium in the Cannon Student Center, the three organizations will hold a panel addressing the topic of addiction before the movie. The free event intends to educate and bring awareness to the ongoing opioid misuse issue in Avery County.

Based on the memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, release, and recovery in a family coping with addiction. Beautiful Boy is rated R.

Established in Avery County, the High Country Charitable Foundation is a group comprised of residents mainly within the Elk River Club in Banner Elk. The group’s mission is to help people and animals living in Avery County. In the past, the group has given grants to organizations such as the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the Avery County Special Olympics, Feeding Avery Families, and most recently, the May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Lees-McRae College.

The Walker Center Presents Artrageous on March 28

The Walker Center, on the campus of Wilkes Community College, will present Artrageous on Friday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m. This performance is sponsored by Piedmont Federal Savings Bank.

As soon as you step into the theatre the Artrageous cast welcomes you into their world. Through immersive activity their camaraderie sweeps you along and you get a glimpse of what’s to come in what we call “The Happening.” The troupe also distributes souvenirs that you will use to participate in the performance. Every artist needs inspiration. Our inspiration is YOU. The first act invites the audience to guess along as famous icons are painted live. The Artrageous artists collaborate with each other inspired by the troupe’s world class vocalists, musicians and dancers. Everyone is included! Sing. Dance. Clap Along. Or even just tap your toes in your seats.

Audience members join the troupe on stage to express their creative dance moves. The journey continues in Act 2 as you are transported to an otherworldly realm with bold colors and mysterious characters that will leave you in a state of childlike wonder and awe. A team of artists skillfully work together as an Artrageous interpretation of a masterpiece is revealed. The magic of working together as a troupe is expressed in a wildly wonderful black light dance production. Our final presentation culminates in a tribute to what we can create together.

A limited number of tickets are available for this performance. For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact the Walker Center Box Office at 336-838-6260 orwalker.boxoffice@wilkescc.edu. Visit the Walker Center online at www.walkercenteronline.org or on Facebook.

The John A. Walker Community Center is dedicated to being this region’s primary venue for cultural experience and to serving as the preferred gathering place for meetings, receptions, conventions, banquets and parties for our community. The Walker Center and Wilkes Community College are 100% Tobacco Free.

Wilkes Community College, a member of the North Carolina Community College System, is a public, two-year, open-door institution serving the people of Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany counties and beyond.  Established in 1965, WCC continues to build on a strong history of meeting the educational needs and cultural interests of our students, community, and workforce. WCC prepares learners for success in a dynamic world.

2019-2020 Downtown Boone Public Art Exhibit Seeking Submissions by April 8

The Downtown Boone Development Association is seeking three public art sculptures for the downtown Boone sculptures sites.

The Downtown Boone Development Association established the Public Art Program to help enhance the downtown Boone central business district through the incorporation of sculpture and artistic streetscape improvements in the downtown area. This annual program is designed to give sculptors an opportunity to display large-scale work in a pedestrian-friendly, downtown setting that supports a lively arts community. By providing a place to exhibit, the DBDA hopes to encourage arts activity within the community and provide the atmosphere and opportunity for artists to exhibit their work, share their talents, and communicate their diverse visions with residents, visitors, friends, and neighbors in downtown Boone.

A $1,000 honorarium will be awarded to each of the chosen artists.

Submissions must be made by April 8 at 5 p.m.

Jurors: The Jurors of the Downtown Boone Public Art Exhibit are members of the DBDA Design Committee. Decisions will be made by April 19, 2019.

The following information must be submitted for a sculpture to be considered for the 2019-2020 Downtown Boone Public Art

Exhibit:
• Photos of the sculpture
• Dimensions and weight of the sculpture
• Date of commission
• A brief description and list of the composite materials
• Estimated value of the sculpture
Please consider that art must be suitable for outdoor installation and must:
1. Works must be complete at the time of submission (no works in progress).
2. Must be able to be secured to a concrete pad or plaza with anchor bolts or similar devices.
3. Be capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions including high winds, below zero temperatures, heavy rain,
snow, ice and storms, etc. in a mountain environment.
4. Be able to withstand a high traffic downtown environment.
5. Take into consideration the safety of a diverse audience.
6. Be relatively maintenance free during the exhibition period.

If your piece is chosen by the DBDA Design Committee you will be contacted and a contract will be composed in relation to the specifics of your piece. The artist is responsible for the transportation and installation on the pads. Installation will begin the week of May 30 or soon thereafter with all pieces installed by June 20.

Questions – please contact the Downtown Development Coordinator, Lane Weiss at 828.268.6283, or by e-mail at

Celebrate Girl Scout Week With Your Local Girl Scout Council

Girl Scouts across the country will be celebrating Girl Scout Week this week, March 10-16. This annual tradition is a week where Girl Scouts show their pride and lift up the worldwide sisterhood that began in 1912 with founder Juliette Gordon Low. The week kicked off with Girl Scout Sunday on March 10, the 107th birthday of Girl Scouting on Tuesday, March 12 and ends with Girl Scout Sabbath on Saturday, March 16.

Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont will celebrate with an open house event at all four of their service centers on Thursday, March 14. Service center locations include the Asheville Service Center at 31 College Place, Building C, Asheville; the Gastonia Service Center at 156 S. South Street, Suite 201, Gastonia; the Hickory Service Center at 208 Union Square NW, Suite 101, Hickory; and the Triad Service Center at 8818 W. Market Street, Colfax.

Girl Scouts and the general public can come by between 3-7 p.m. on Thursday to learn more about summer camp programs and meet camp staff, play fun games, create SWAPS (a Girl Scout traditional craft) and more. The council shops will also be open until 7 p.m.

Whether you are a Girl Scout alum, current member, dedicated volunteer or just want to learn more about Girl Scouting in your local community, Girl Scouts invite you to celebrate with them.

For more information about the open houses or joining Girl Scouts, please contact info@girlscoutsp2p.org or call 800-672-2148.

Find Your Farm Share

As spring approaches and thoughts turn to asparagus, tender greens, and colorful radishes, farms in Southern Appalachia are beginning to sell CSA shares. To help the community learn more about CSAs (or Community Supported Agriculture), ASAP is offering several events and resources this year.

ASAP’s Asheville CSA Fair returns for its ninth year on Thursday, March 14, from 3 to 6 pm, at New Belgium Brewing Co. (21 Craven Street, Asheville, NC). Additionally, ASAP will host a CSA Fair in Boone the following Thursday, March 21, from 4 to 7 pm, at Appalachian Mountain Brewery (163 Boone Creek Dr., Boone, NC).

CSA members purchase a “share” of a farm’s harvest before the season begins, and receive a box of fresh produce, meats, flowers, or other farm goods on a regular basis throughout the growing season. Many farms feature half and full shares to accommodate different size households and offer convenient add-on options such as farm fresh eggs or season extension. Many farms also provide opportunities for CSA members to connect in person with the farm, either through on-farm CSA pickup, farm tours, member work days, or end-of-season celebrations.

Full Share, a free CSA guide available at community locations across the Appalachian Grown region, will help consumers navigate the options available in their community and provide background information for those attending the Asheville and Boone CSA Fairs. Full Share is a new companion publication to ASAP’s 2019 Local Food Guide, which hits the stands in April.

Both the Asheville and Boone CSA Fairs are free, family-friendly events providing the opportunity to meet area farmers, browse local CSA programs and products, and sign up. The
Asheville CSA Fair, which takes place on Pi Day, will include a popup pie stand from Sweetheart Bakery.

“We are very lucky to have so many great family farms in our region that offer CSAs, and ASAP’s CSA Fair is the easiest and most fun way to see what’s available,” says Julie Montenea, a repeat CSA member. “You have a chance to ask questions about farming practices, what crops will be grown, and how they’ve structured their CSA plan. It makes me happy to know my CSA membership fee in early spring helps my farmers get the growing season off to a good start. It’s a good way to give a little back to our farmers for all their hard labor and for the business risks they take to grow our healthy, delicious food.”

Farms at the Asheville fair will offer pickup locations in Buncombe County, while farms at the Boone fair will offer pickup locations in the High Country (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, and Wilkes Counties). Participating farms will be added to ASAP’s website, asapconnections.org as they are confirmed.