Native Plants and their Pollinators – Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert

Western North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains boast some of the highest biodiversity in the world and are legendary for the magnificent variety of flowering plants. This presentation will describe some of the diversity that exists in the region among both plants and animals, and explore the link between flowers and their pollinators. As just one example, honeybees are not native to the region, and are often nectar thieves instead of important pollinators of our local plants. So who are the pollinators? Join Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert at this noontime lecture and find out.

The Transylvania County Library is part of the #PlantWildflowers Initiative supported by HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and PBS Nature. The Library will have programs for all ages focusing on pollinators and wildflowers in the months of April and May. Stop by the Library to check out a book from our curated display and pick up a packet of wildflower seeds and a bee ID card while supplies last.

Dr. Jennifer Frick-Ruppert is a professor of biology and environmental science at Brevard College and chairs the science and mathematics division.  She teaches courses in local biodiversity, animals and plants of the Southern Appalachians, and more.  She is author of the popular book, Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians, which describes some of the most interesting plants and animals of the region. She is also the author of Waterways: Sailing the Southeastern Coast, which is a narrative of a journey aboard a sailboat that describes the natural history of the coast, environmental effects, and a philosophy of living close to nature. Her third book is The Legend of Skyco: Spirit Quest, which describes the world of the native people of the region before European arrival.  She makes frequent presentations in the area about natural and cultural history and is an award-winning teacher.