• The Discover Life in America Conference will be held March 19-21 in Gatlinburg at the Park Vista. The theme “Every Living Thing” will include presentations on snails and sponges, field trips in botany, birds and geology and educator-oriented workshops. 

• The Southeastern Recreation Research Conference will be held March 22-24 in Asheville, giving parks and recreation researchers and managers a chance to hear the latest research in outdoor-based leisure, recreation and tourism. 

• Pisgah Area SORBA will hold its Spring Fling April 3-5, celebrating the last day before seasonal trails close to mountain biking. The event is family- and dog-friendly with group rides and camping. 

• The Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage will be held April 21-25 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The days will be full of guided hikes, classes and seminars on a wide variety of nature topics, including photography, art and cultural heritage as well.

• The 42nd Annual Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage at University of North Carolina Asheville will be held May 2-4. The event will feature seminars, garden tours and a variety of field trips. 

• Wildflower Whimsy, May 8-9, at Highlands Biological Station in Highlands. The weekend, a fundraiser for the Highlands Biological Station, will include a lecture, field trip, native plant auction and reception. 

• Heritage Life Skills IV, a weekend of classes in survival skills ranging from archery to food preservation to ham radios, will be held May 29-31 at the Haywood County Fair Grounds.