Recorded live on August 13, 2020. Watch this exciting webinar presentation given by Emmy® Award-winning PBS television host and naturalist Dr. Patrick McMillan, host of Expeditions with Patrick McMillan.
Dr. McMillan is the Hilliard professor of environmental sustainability at Clemson University, and is the director of the South Carolina Botanical Garden. His popular PBS television show is a public service program of Clemson University Cooperative Extension, produced in partnership with South Carolina Educational Television.
Panthertown Valley is a 6,311-acre backcountry recreation area with 30 miles of public trails located on Nantahala National Forest near Cashiers in western North Carolina. Panthertown Valley features a rare high-elevation Southern Appalachian mountain bog, one of the rarest wetland types located in the southeastern United States, in an unmatched setting of granitic domes, cascading waterfalls, and remarkable mountain views.
The Panthertown Valley Bog was recently recognized by the Carolina Wetlands Association as one of their 2020 Wetland Treasures of the Carolinas. In this highly informative, educational, and entertaining presentation, Dr. McMillan will talk about Panthertown’s remarkable mountain wetlands which feature a series of swamp-forest bog complexes, seeps, and spray cliffs.
The bog in Panthertown lies along the headwaters of the East Fork of the Tuckasegee River, where fallen leaves steep tannins into the water for days before it finally trickles into the streams, staining the otherwise crystal-clear pools like tea. Rare plants grow both in the bog and on top of the granite domes, creating an environmentally diverse and interesting landscape. The bog supports several state-listed rare and endangered species including Timber Rattlesnake and Baltimore Checkerspot Butterflies.
The online presentation was followed by a Q&A session with Dr. McMillan.
Click here for information about the Panthertown Valley Bog.
Special thanks to Marcia and Steve Shawler for sponsoring this event.