The Highlands Biological Foundation invites the public to continue exploring the forces that shape our region with the next installment of the 2025 Zahner Conservation Lecture Series.
At 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dr. Philip S. Prince, Project Geologist with Appalachian Landslide Consultants and researcher with Virginia Tech’s Department of Geosciences, will present “Understanding Helene as a Geologic Event in Southern Appalachia…and What is a ‘Geologic Event’ Anyway?” at the Highlands Nature Center. The program is free and open to the public, with a small reception to follow.
In this lecture, Prince will examine the extraordinary impacts of Helene, which caused unprecedented flooding and landslides across the southern Appalachians. From Haywood County to southwest Virginia, Helene’s effects outpaced all previously recorded storm damage. Dr. Prince will explain how the storm’s unique interaction with the region’s southeast-facing slopes intensified its power, and why southern Appalachian topography played a key role in shaping the storm’s impact.
By combining fieldwork with remote sensing techniques like LiDAR, Prince will show what Helene actually did to the landscape — how it changed river channels, carved scars into slopes, and left lasting marks on the mountains. His talk will also explore how similar storms throughout history may have helped form the rugged topography we see today.
The Zahner Conservation Lecture Series is a long-standing Highlands tradition that brings scientists, researchers and environmental leaders to the plateau each summer to share their expertise with the public. Lectures take place every Thursday evening at 6 p.m. from June 12 through August 14 at the Highlands Nature Center (930 Horse Cove Road).
To view the full lecture schedule, please visit highlandsbiological.org/zahner.