Evening Speakers

Wesley Knapp is the Chief Botanist at NatureServe, a leading biodiversity conservation non-profit in the United States. NatureServe leverages the power of science, data, and technology to guide biodiversity conservation and stewardship. Wes has over 20 years’ experience working in the NatureServe Network as a Botanist and Ecologist with both the Maryland and North Carolina Natural Heritage Programs. He has extensive field experience across much of the United States with additional fieldwork in Australia, Canada, and Central America. His research interests include identifying and preventing plant extinction events, undescribed plant species, systematics, ecology, and taxonomy.  In 2021, Wes was part of the expedition that resulted in the rediscovery of the presumably extinct Quercus tardifolia. He has a B.S. from Catawba College, a M.S. from Delaware State University, and a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Wes resides in Asheville, NC with his wife, Heather, and two high school aged girls, Sidney and Bella. 

Margaret Lynn Brown is the author of The Wild East: A Biography of the Great Smoky
Mountains, a popular environmental history recently re-issued with a new chapter by University of Florida Press. Unlike many of the western parks, where land was “preserved” before major development, the Smokies were farmed, hunted, and logged. Protecting these lands involved pioneering work in restoration by the National Park Service. Professor Emeritus from Brevard College, Brown taught Environmental history and Wilderness in American Life and served as a leader in higher education for almost 30 years. Her passion for restoration work led her to become a native plants gardener, re-wilding two city lots with many of the beautiful plants she first encountered on the trails of the Smokies. A full-time writer, she lives and hikes in Brevard with her husband, two dogs, and a son now in college.

---

Ben Fitzpatrick is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Specializing in conservation biology of Southern Appalachian salamanders and using tools from genetics, he and his students explore how different species evolve and adapt in wild environments. His lab has produced nearly 80 research articles that have accumulated over 6000 citations on big-picture questions like: What makes one species different from another? Or, how can understanding genetic diversity help protect animals facing extinction? To learn more, you might check out his lab’s website: https://fitzpatrickabc.blogspot.com. Dr. Fitzpatrick’s work goes beyond textbooks—it's about saving unique species and ensuring their ecosystems thrive. Whether discovering a previously unknown species, studying the effects of insecticides on salamander skin, or helping reintroduce trout to local rivers, his lab is on a mission to use science as a tool to best inform successful conservation efforts.