A Nature Guide to Northwest North Carolina Stewart Skeate

978-1-887905-96-1 1-887905-96-0 $24.95 paperback 6 x 9 224 pages 44-pg color insert Parkway Publishers

The northwest counties of North Carolina are rich in natural areas waiting to be explored and enjoyed. Grandfather Mountain, Pisgah National Forest, Roan Mountain, Linville Gorge Wilderness Area, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Mount Jefferson State Park, and the New River are some of the many special locales in this outstanding section of the Southern Appalachians. The impressive plant and animal diversity of this area is amazing but may be overwhelming to visitors. This comprehensive guide uses a distinctive habitat approach to the region, describing the different habitats of the region including the rich Northern Hardwood Forests and Coves, the vast Mixed Oak Forests, the scenic Grassy Balds, the high elevation Spruce-Fir Forests, and the unusual Mountain Bog communities. about the author Stewart Skeate, is a professor of biology at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina. He is the coordinator of the Naturalist Program and has been a member of the department since 1985. He lives in Watauga County in the Shawneehaw community.