A Message from the President:
Dear Friends and Supporters,
I have greatly enjoyed my first year serving as President of the Board of Trustees. It has been a privilege to work alongside our Executive Director and fellow board members and to engage with the many offerings our foundation provides to the community. The 2025 Carpenter Lecture featuring bestselling author Zoe Schlanger was one of the most interesting and thought-provoking events I have ever attended
I am especially proud of the accomplishments
of our HBF staff and Board Committees over the past year. Significant progress has been made in advancing our Strategic Plan, and there has been tremendous activity at our new office as we continue establishing it as a welcoming home for the foundation. I believe both represent important steps forward strengthening the foundation, deepening our connection to the community, and inspiring the continued protection of the HighlandsCashiers Plateau.
2025 was another year of remarkable growth and impact for HBF. We hosted twenty-two sessions of Nature Camps for children ages 5–11, twelve Nature at Night programs, and nine Zahner Conservation Lectures. We welcomed more than 14,000 visitors to the Nature Center and expanded our Nature on the Go! outreach programming, serving over 1,100 students through local nonprofits, schools, and community groups. In addition, we hosted our biannual Carpenter Lecture with Zoe Schlanger and funded more than $114,000 in research and operational support at the Station This support included Grants-in-Aid and assistantships for researchers and students, as well as ongoing initiatives such as the BatPack Citizen Science project and MAPS bird banding
In 2024, Amy, Cookie, and Karen Patterson bestowed a transformative gift to HBF a new home on Cashiers Road, formerly the Highlands-Cashiers Animal Clinic, which now serves as the organization’s administrative offices. In 2025, Amy Patterson generously gifted the purchase of the adjoining parcel, expanding the foundation’s footprint to 3 5 acres HBF is deeply grateful to Amy and her sisters, Karen and Cookie, for their extraordinary generosity and for strengthening our ability to serve the Highlands community and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.
Thank you for your continued dedication and generosity on behalf of the foundation I hope each of you will join us in putting our Strategic Plan into action.
Tom Holmes
Grants-in-Aid of Research
Through our Grants-in-Aid of Research program, Highlands Biological Foundation supported three student researchers conducting field-based studies on the Highlands Plateau. Their work explored wetland restoration, microplastics in food webs, and salamander communication, contributing valuable insight into regional ecosystems while preparing the next generation of environmental scientists.
Our Summer Naturalists support camps, care for animals, and lead programs, gaining both professional experience and a deeper connection to the natural world.
Wetlandrestoration
Funding for the BatPack Citizen Science Project monitoring bat activity along the Appalachian Trail.
Provided annual grant to HBS for operational and maintenance support.
Supported the MAPS bird banding project at HBS in partnership with Blue Ridge Bird Observatory.
Funding for three Research Assistants at the Highlands Biological Station to assist with horticulture, microplastics, small mammal, and bat research.
Provided Grant-In-Aid funding for three researchers conducting local research while in residence at the Station.
Nature Center Programs
The 2025 Carpenter Lecture, held in partnership with the Highlands Performing Arts Center, reached full capacity and brought the community together for an engaging exploration of plant life. Zoë Schlanger shared compelling research on how plants communicate and respond to their environment, deepening appreciation for the natural world while highlighting the impact of science-driven storytelling.
in partnership with
A. Friends’ Foundation
naturalists & summer programming
HIGHLANDS COMMUNITYFUND
outreach
Nature On the Go! brought 66 hands-on nature programs to 1,116 participants across local schools, libraries, and community groups. These activities sparked curiosity and strengthened connections with the natural world and our community.
Church of the Good Shepherd
outreach & summer camp scholarships outreach
Highlands on the Half-Shell
A Friends' Foundation
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Students assist with MAPS Bird Banding - a program supported by HBF in partnership with Blue Ridge Bird Observatory
HBS Assistant Director, Jason Love, provides research updates during HBF’s Annual
Kendal Frazier
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The Bell Family Foundation
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Foundation
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TIF Foundation Fund
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DONOR(S)
Virginia J Browning.................. Kate & Doug Hendrickson
Forest McConnell Jr.................. Jennifer & Forrest McConnell III
Judith Lee Panders.................... Carolyn & Frank Harris
Hazel Sanger................................ Frances & Obie Oakley
Margaretta Shaw........................ Jane & James Bonham
John Stowes.................................. Libbo & Gwaltney McCollum
THANK YOU TO OUR 2025 ANONYMOUS DONORS!
If your name has been mistakenly omitted or you would like to change how your name is listed, please contact us so that we may update our records.
2025 Financial Statement
January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025
2025 SOURCE OF FUNDS
2025 USE OF FUNDS
For
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