Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, has announced that tickets for the third presentation of the Grandfather Presents 2025 speaker series are on sale now. A panel discussion featuring meteorologist Brad Panovich, wildlife biologist Marquette Crockett and geologist Philip Prince will continue the Thursday night presentations on Sept. 25.
Unique to 2025, “Nature’s Song of Renewal: Ecological Resilience After Helene” will explore nature’s resilience after Hurricane Helene, marking a year since the storm affected western N.C. This event will include a nature-inspired concert after the panel discussion. Additionally, this event will have a different schedule and only one ticket level.
“Our September Grandfather Presents is the perfect way to honor and explore the natural world’s resilience after Hurricane Helene,” said John Caveny, vice president of conservation and education for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “We look forward to hearing from our panelists on the ways their jobs have changed since the storm and how native species are adapting to our new landscapes.”
This season’s Grandfather Presents roster has a focus on those who make it their life’s mission to highlight challenges, opportunities and good work happening around exploration, nature and conservation. The entire lineup includes:
- Author and journalist T. Edward Nickens | July 24
- Author, TV series host and conservationist Jeff Corwin | Aug. 7
- Author and CBS correspondent Conor Knighton | Oct. 2
September’s panel discussion explores powerful findings and updates one year after Hurricane Helene. The event will open with meteorologist Brad Panovich setting the stage of the storm’s path and record-breaking impacts on western N.C. From there, wildlife biologist Marquette Crockett and geologist Philip Prince will join the discussion with insights from their fields.
The conversation will provide key insights to questions such as how the natural world changed because of Hurricane Helene, what we have learned from the storm and what findings may still be to come. Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation President and CEO Jesse Pope will moderate the discussion.
Panovich has been working for WCNC-TV in Charlotte since 2003 and is the chief meteorologist. Crockett is the Highlands of Roan stewardship director for Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) and has more than 15 years of wildlife management and planning experience in the mountains. Prince is active in both applied and research-focused work in the southern Appalachians, splitting time today between landslide studies and geological mapping in southwest V.A.
Following the panel discussion in the Wilson Center’s Classroom in the Clouds, a nature-inspired concert by traveling composer/performer Ben Cosgrove will take place in the Williams Outdoor Learning Space.
Cosgrove explores themes of landscape, place and environment with his music. Described by the Boston Globe as, “a sonic plein-air painter…[using] his piano as a paintbrush,” Cosgrove has performed in every U.S. state except for Delaware, collaborated with groups ranging from rock bands to research scientists and has held residencies and fellowships with institutions including NASA, the National Park Service, the National Forest Service, Harvard University, Middlebury College, the Schmidt Ocean Institute and the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology. During the event, Cosgrove will debut a song inspired by time spent at Grandfather Mountain.
Schedule: Sept. 25, 2025
- 9 a.m. | Grandfather Mountain opens for the day, and active Bridge Club “Presentation” ticket holders are allowed access to the park if they would like to make a day out of their experience. Event ticket will be scanned at one of the ticket booths at the entrance gate.
- 3:30 p.m. | “Presentation” ticket holders are allowed to enter the park and are welcome to explore the Conservation Campus (Wilson Center, Mildred the Bear Environmental Habitats and more) prior to the speaker presentation. Your event ticket will be scanned at one of the ticket booths at the entrance gate.
- 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. | Check-in for all event attendees near the front entrance of the Wilson Center (to receive your wristband for the event)
- 4:15 – 5:30 p.m. | Speaker panel presentation in the Classroom in the Clouds (Brad Panovich, Marquette Crockett and Philip Prince, moderated by Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation President and CEO Jesse Pope)
- 5:30 – 6 p.m. | Break, social time and heavy hors d’oeuvres
- 6 – 7 p.m. | Ben Cosgrove concert
- 7:30 p.m. | Park should be clear of all Grandfather Presents guests
Event Tickets
Different from other Grandfather Presents, only one tier of ticket is offered for “Nature’s Song of Resilience: Ecological Resilience After Helene”.
Presentation tickets include the panel discussion, social time with heavy hors d’oeuvres and the concert.
Tickets for “Grandfather Presents: Nature’s Song of Resilience: Ecological Resilience After Helene” are on sale online now.
To learn more about the event and to purchase tickets, visit www.grandfather.com/event/
To learn more about the Grandfather Presents speaker series, visit www.grandfather.com/
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.
Photo at top: Ben Cosgrove_Courtesy of Ben Cosgrove
Panovich_Crockett_Prince_ Collage image courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation:
