Megan Sutton, Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Southern Blue Ridge Programs is the featured speaker for the final installment of the 2025 Zahner Conservation Lecture Series. Her talk, titled “Southern Appalachian Forest Resilience in a Post Hurricane World,” will take place on Thursday, Aug.14 at 6 p.m. at the Highlands Nature Center.
This event is free and open to the public, and a small reception will follow.
In this timely and important lecture, Sutton will share insights into how intense storms, like Hurricane Helene, have affected the beloved forests of the Southern Appalachians. She will examine both the immediate and long-term impacts of these events on forest ecosystems and highlight how forest recovery and resilience efforts are evolving in response to climate change.
Drawing on her leadership experience at The Nature Conservancy and her collaboration with conservation partners, Sutton will explore how organizations and communities can work together to help forests adapt to new environmental challenges.
Megan Sutton leads a team of forest and freshwater specialists working across the mountains of the Southern Blue Ridge to restore healthy, resilient landscapes. Based in Asheville, Sutton played a central role in the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Partnership and the development of the U.S. Forest Service’s management plan for those national forests. She holds a master’s degree in environmental management with a focus on Forests & Terrestrial Systems from Yale University. Sutton lives in Asheville with her husband and two sons.
This program is generously sponsored by Martha and Michael Dupuis, Monte and Palmer Gaillard, and Melanie and Tom Mauldin.
Please note: The Highlands Nature Center can accommodate up to 100 guests. Once we reach capacity, the doors will be closed to ensure a safe and comfortable experience for all attendees. At this time, we are unable to record or livestream the lecture.
The Zahner Conservation Lecture Series is a beloved summer tradition in Highlands that brings scientists, authors, conservationists, and environmental leaders to the Highlands Nature Center each week.
Lectures are at the Highlands Nature Center (930 Horse Cove Road).
The Highlands Nature Center is part of the Highlands Biological Station, a multi-campus center of Western Carolina University.