Course: Natural Communities of the Piedmont: A Full Day Field Trip
Dates: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $85 non-member; $60 NCAEP member
Enrollment Cap: 15
Program Description: Spend a day exploring the diverse natural plant communities of the North Carolina Piedmont at Camp Agape, an Environmental Education Center located on 392 acres along the Cape Fear River in Harnett County, 1369 Tyler Dewar Lane, Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526. Participants will meet at Camp Agape and, through guided field exploration courtesy of Greg Price (The Swamp School), visit six floodplain communities and four upland communities while learning to recognize their defining characteristics and understand their classification using Classification of the Natural Communities of North Carolina - 4th Approximation (2024). This program is open to anyone interested in native plants, ecology, or the natural landscapes of North Carolina.
Accessibility: This field trip is conducted outdoors and involves walking on natural trails with uneven terrain, including roots, rocks, and occasional changes in elevation. Participants should be comfortable walking on unpaved surfaces for extended periods.
What to Bring: Please come prepared for a full day outdoors. We recommend sturdy hiking shoes or boots, weather-appropriate clothing, sunscreen, insect repellent, a reusable water bottle, a packed lunch, and any snacks you may want throughout the day.
Instructor: Greg Price, PWS, The Swamp School. With over three decades of environmental consulting experience in North Carolina, Greg Price has established himself as an expert in the field. His career spans two decades with key state departments, including the NC Department of Transportation, the Division of Water Quality, and the Division of Environmental Management. Additionally, he spent a decade as a private environmental consultant. Mr. Price’s extensive expertise includes preparing Clean Water Act Sections 404 and 401 Water Quality permit applications, producing and reviewing various environmental documents, and conducting detailed natural resources investigations. His work also involved ambient water quality and stormwater monitoring, as well as stream biological assessments involving benthic macroinvertebrate collection and identification. Beyond his consulting work, Greg has dedicated 20 years to academia as a part-time college instructor, teaching courses in General Biology, Environmental Science, Botany, Natural Resources Assessment, and Ecology.
Registration: Class enrollment is set at a maximum of 15 registrants. Payment can be made to the NC Association of Environmental Professionals (NCAEP) by check or credit card at https://www.ncaep.org/event-6781317. All checks will be held until we are certain that the minimum number of students is achieved for the class. Registration fees must be received by NCAEP no later than October 6, 2026. Registrants cancelling their registration two (2) weeks or more prior to the event will receive a refund of the registration fee, less a 3% administrative fee. Registrants cancelling between two (2) and one (1) week(s) prior to the event will receive a refund less a 5% administrative fee. No refunds will be given for cancellations less than seven (7) days prior to the event. Registrants may transfer their registration to another attendee with the same membership status (e.g., regular member, government employee member, non-member) at any time. Only one transfer per registration is permitted. Registrations after October 1 will be charged an additional $10.
