Dr. Jim Costa is a professor of biology at Western Carolina University and the executive director of Highlands Biological Station in Highlands, North Carolina, where he developed a three-week, biannual, biogeography field course that compares the temperate Great Smoky Mountains region to the tropical rainforests of Ecuador.

Leslie Costa’s career has ranged from museum curation — starting in the Entomology Department at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology — to exhibit and book design, and from scientific illustration to leadings children’s nature camps.  

To better observe insect activity and the various life cycle stages of different species throughout the seasons, the Costas will split their residency into three two-week parts rather than spending six consecutive weeks in the park.

The annual residency, funded by Smokies Life, is designed to help writers of any medium connect in meaningful ways with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, providing space for each individual to focus on his or her craft in a retreat-like setting and potentially inspiring some of their best work. The Costas will work with program namesake Steve Kemp and Smokies Life Creative Director Frances Figart, who oversees the program, as well as other park professionals and partners. 

In the fall, the Costas will engage with park visitors through their own Branch Out insect program, “Bees, Bugs, Butterflies & Birds: Connecting Insect Diversity and Native Plants,” held on two consecutive Saturdays, Sept. 20 and 27.

The application period for the 2026 Kemp Residency will open in August 2025. For more information on Smokies Life and the Steve Kemp Writer’s Residency, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit smokieslife.org/the-steve-kemp-writers-residency.