Highlands welcomes nature writer for lecture
The Highlands Biological Foundation is welcoming celebrated author and nature writer Georgann Eubanks as the featured speaker for the next installment of the 2025 Zahner Conservation Lecture Series. Her talk, titled “Finding the Fabulous Ordinary,” will take place at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, at the Highlands Nature Center. This event is free and open to the public, with a small reception to follow.
Drawing from her newest book, “The Fabulous Ordinary: Discovering the Natural Wonders of the Wild South,” Eubanks takes audiences on a vivid journey through the seasonal joys and stunning biodiversity of the southeastern United States. She explores awe-inspiring moments in nature across seven states including the bugling of elk in the Smokies and half a million purple martins roosting in a South Carolina lake, to glowing gnat larvae in an Alabama canyon and the bloom of trout lilies in a remote Georgia forest.
Eubanks reminds us that the natural world is full of wonder and that many of its most magical moments can be found in ordinary, accessible places, often just a short trip away. Her stories serve not only as inspiration for outdoor exploration but as a call to protect the fragile ecosystems that make these moments possible.
The Zahner Conservation Lecture Series is a long-time summer tradition in Highlands that brings scientists, authors, conservationists, and environmental leaders to the Highlands Nature Center each week. Lectures are held every Thursday at 6 p.m. through Aug. 14 at the Highlands Nature Center (930 Horse Cove Road).
For the full schedule of lectures, visit highlandsbiological.org/zahner.
The Highlands Nature Center is part of the Highlands Biological Station, a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University.
