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A Core Relic Eco-region Conserving the Ancient Biological Diversity of Eastern North America
The Southern Blue Ridge Mountain Ecoregion has had a unique role through deep time in maintaining and generating biodiversity in all terrestrial and freshwater aquatic organism groups. Acting as a refugium through past climate changes, the Southern Blue Ridge has retained lineages that then expand out into and enrich the biota throughout eastern North America. We will explore the importance of this history, and the past and present conservation challenges and successes that have made this one of the most intact ecoregions in eastern North America. Along the way, we’ll explore examples of special habitats and organisms for which the Southern Blue Ridge has been critical: alpine, serpentine, temperate rainforests, vertical wetlands, cove forests, lampshade spiders, salamanders (giant, arboreal, and otherwise), pitcherplants, heaths, trilliums, and the list goes on!
Ecosystem Management Post-Helene: Transitioning from Emergency Response to Restoration
Immediately following Hurricane Helene, the focus was on the preseservation of life and essential resources to the people in the region. This was essential and good. However, as we reach the two-year mark, land practitioners are asking a critical question, "when does the emergency end?" When do the principles and practices of conservation and the restoration of ecologically significant landscapes have influence over large scale recovery contracts? How can state agencies begin to plan for these events in the future to better to ensure that ecological priorities are included in the recovery process.
Join Wes Knapp, botanist and CEO, Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), and other renowned plant conservationists and advocates, as they present highlights from the last 250 years of plant conservation in the United States as the first step in considering the opportunities in the next 250 years. Success will require an examination of the status of plants today and how we got here and what their future looks like under climate change, extinction and fewer resources dedicated to their conservation. Collaboration, unique partnerships, and creative approaches driven by investments in botanical knowledge and stewardship will be necessary to succeed.
The panel will include diverse perspectives and expertise; including in situ (on-the-ground), ex situ (off-site), translocations and indigenous perspectives. In addition, panelists will offer insights from multiple sectors, including national, federal, state; along with policy and advocacy.
Panel:
Premier - Plant People Trailer
Support the people who manage our natural areas and protect biodiversity in perpetuity.