Ken joined TPC in July of 2026. He grew up in Pittsboro, NC and received his B.S. In Environmental Science with a concentration in Ecology and Natural Resources from the nearby University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ken got his first exposure to the mountains of WNC at Highlands Biological Station and Coweeta Hydrologic Lab, conducting research ranging from microplastics to dendrochronology. He’s spent most of his career there since, working on a seasonal forest management roving crew across various National Forests of the Southern Appalachians before serving in a full-time role with the Forest Service at the neighboring Nantahala National Forest.
After several years working in silviculture and fire, he left the Forest Service to work as a bat researcher in Coastal NC, and later started hiking the Appalachian Trail. After completing a thru-hike of the AT, Ken is ready to continue working in the lovely mountains of the Southern Appalachians and their diverse ecosystems. He enjoys backpacking, botanizing, climbing, snorkeling, and looking for salamanders and other critters in his free time.
My favorite thing about the Pisgah is the diverse range of plant communities present on the district. From the spruce fir forests and rock outcrops on the high peaks, to the spray cliffs and fens down low. All these contrasting and varying ecosystems serve as habitat for an incredible array of species, from the darters, hellbenders and trout to the falcons, red squirrels and bats. There’s always a new plant to find or a new critter to glimpse no matter the time of year.
