Grandfather Mountain releases 2026 Grandfather Presents speaker series lineup

Grandfather Mountain releases 2026 Grandfather Presents speaker series lineup

LINVILLE, N.C. – Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is gearing up for an exciting reprise of its Grandfather Presents speaker series in 2026.

This season’s Grandfather Presents roster has an emphasis on those who make it their life’s mission to highlight the challenges, opportunities and good work happening around exploration, nature and conservation.

Each event will be hosted at the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery. Guests will experience a “night at the museum” atmosphere, the speaker presentation and book-signing/“meet-and-greet” opportunities. Each speaker has a book for sale that will be available for purchase before and after the presentation, as supplies last.

“It is always such a treat to hear from our Grandfather Presents speakers,” said Landis Taylor, vice president of marketing and communications at the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “They all contribute to the larger effort of conserving the natural world in vastly different ways, and it is fascinating to hear how a variety of work can benefit the same cause. I always leave these talks feeling inspired, and I hope guests feel inspired, too.”

The lineup includes:

The Grizzly Forager Family
Thursday, July 23 | Tickets on sale now
The Grizzly Forager is a social media account with the primary aim of inspiring parents to get outside with their kids via the art of foraging. Arthur, Sybbie, and their parents, John and Christina, create content that aims to educate and encourage kids of all ages to safely experience the outdoors and develop a deep connection with nature. Their content covers a broad range of topics: wild food identification and safety, cooking and recipes, wildlife, nature-inspired lifestyle activities and ecological and environmental issues. Christina is a clinical psychologist and John is an educator, professional photographer, foraging enthusiast and author of “The Grizzly Forager’s Guide to Family Foraging.”

The Grizzly Clan’s presentation will be a fireside chat about foraging, parenting, wellbeing and living the slow life in wild and rugged Northumberland. Guests will discover how Arthur and Sybbie came to be expert foragers and how the family became one of the largest and most influential foraging accounts on social media, with a thriving community of more than 600,000 followers.

Learn more about this event at www.grandfather.com/event/grandfather-presents-the-grizzly-forager-family.

Buddy Huffaker and Stan Temple, Ph.D.
Thursday, Aug. 20 | Tickets on sale June 19
Buddy Huffaker joined the Aldo Leopold Foundation in 1996 as a seasonal intern and has served as executive director since 1999. During his tenure, the foundation has grown into a national conservation organization with international reach, realizing the potential of a land ethic. Through educational and on-the-ground initiatives, Huffaker’s leadership of the foundation has furthered the Leopold family’s enduring legacy — a commitment to care for nature and inspire others to do the same.

Dr. Stanley A. Temple is the Beers-Bascom Professor Emeritus in Conservation in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently a Senior Fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation, where he leads crane tours and introduces Future Leaders Fellows to Leopold’s history, phenology and wildlife ecology.

Their presentation is titled “Aldo Leopold’s Legacy: A conversation on land ethic and conservation.” Guests will take part in a fireside chat with Huffaker, Temple (joining virtually) and Jesse Pope, president and CEO of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, on endangered species and the land ethic. Temple will share stories from his lifetime of work on conservation efforts to save endangered species across the world, including one at Grandfather Mountain. Huffaker and Pope will chat about Leopold’s land ethic today, why it continues to be important and what challenges are being faced at Grandfather.

Aldo Leopold’s “A Sand County Almanac” will be on sale at the event.

Learn more about this event at www.grandfather.com/event/grandfather-presents-buddy-huffaker-stan-temple.

Eleanor Spicer Rice, Ph.D., in partnership with Our State
Thursday, Sept. 3 | Tickets on sale July 1
Eleanor Spicer Rice, Ph.D., is an entomologist, award-winning author and nationally recognized science communicator whose work explores the surprising connections between people and the natural world. Spicer Rice is the host of Our State Magazine’s North Carolina, Naturally — a print, podcast and video series highlighting the remarkable biodiversity and hidden stories of North Carolina.

Spicer Rice’s Sept. 3 presentation is titled “North Carolina’s Hidden Superpowers and How Salamanders are Secretly Running your Life.” From mountain salamanders to coastal seagrass, North Carolina is filled with hidden ecological marvels. Attendees will join Eleanor Spicer Rice for a journey through the state’s four ecoregions and discover the surprising creatures, relationships and natural systems that make North Carolina one of the most biologically remarkable places in America.

Some of Spicer Rice’s children’s books will be on sale at the event.

Learn more about this event at www.grandfather.com/event/grandfather-presents-eleanor-spicer-rice.

Margaret Lowman, Ph.D., aka CanopyMeg
Thursday, Oct. 1 | Tickets on sale July 31
One of the world’s first arbornauts, CanopyMeg has devoted over four decades to exploring forest canopies. Her research and exploration have taken her to more than 45 countries, on all seven continents, where she not only tirelessly saves forests but also mentors girls. Currently, she serves as executive director/founder of TREE Foundation in Sarasota, Fla., established in 2000 as a 501(c)3 non-profit with the mission to link local underserved children to nature and to promote tree research, education and exploration. Lowman recently launched Mission Green, to build 10 canopy walkways in the world’s highest biodiverse forests over the next five years.

Lowman’s Oct. 1 presentation is titled “In Honor of Jane Goodall – How Trees Keep our Planet and its Wildlife Healthy.” CanopyMeg pioneered the construction of canopy walkways that now bring economic incentives to forest conservation around the world. She will talk about Mission Green, the importance of forest conservation, linking kids to nature via the treetops and her friend Jane.

Her newest book, “Tree Day” will be on sale at the event and introduces a single tree in each chapter, during a single hour, highlighting 24 species from around the world.

Learn more about this event at www.grandfather.com/event/grandfather-presents-dr-margaret-lowman-canopymeg.

Event Tickets
For all Grandfather Presents events, two levels of tickets will be available.

“VIP Reception” tickets include a VIP reception with the guest speaker that features heavy hors d’oeuvres in addition to the program and the “meet-and-greet”/book signing session after the event. Admission to the park for the day is also included. “VIP Reception” adult tickets are $60 and $51 for members of Bridge Club, the park’s annual membership program. VIP tickets are limited.

“Presentation” tickets are a more cost-effective option and include only the speaker’s program and the “meet-and-greet”/book signing session after the event. “Presentation” adult tickets are $25 and $20 for Bridge Club members. Children, ages 12 and under, are admitted free to the event with a paying adult. A maximum of four free children is permitted per purchase.

To learn more about the Grandfather Presents series, visit www.grandfather.com/grandfather-presents.

The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world through education, exploration and example. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.

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Captions:

GMSF_2026 Grandfather Presents Series_Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation: Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is gearing up for an exciting reprise of its Grandfather Presents speaker series in 2026, emphasizing on those who make it their life’s mission to highlight the challenges, opportunities and good work happening around exploration, nature and conservation. (Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation)