GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN, NC (August 15, 2017)…Tom Earnhardt is the host of public television’s “Exploring North Carolina.”
And on Thursday, Aug. 24, he’ll be exploring Grandfather Mountain, as part of the Grandfather Presents lecture series.
The presentation runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Aug. 24 in the mountain’s Nature Museum Auditorium, with refreshments served from 6 to 6:30 p.m. in the museum lobby.
According to Amy Renfranz, director of education and natural resources for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that oversees the Linville, N.C., nature preserve and attraction, Earnhardt is a perfect fit for the Grandfather Presents series.
“Tom Earnhardt, the consummate outdoorsman, believes all plant and animal life depends on each other, whether it’s a big buck roaming northeastern North Carolina or a salamander traversing the rocks in Hazel Creek in the Smoky Mountains,” she said.
Earnhardt, a resident of Raleigh, has spent his life exploring, from the mountains to the seashore, and his multifaceted dedication encompasses researching and studying nature, as well as hunting and fishing, throughout the Tar Heel State.
As a graduate of Davidson College and the UNC School of Law, Earnhardt is also an attorney, with experience in government as an assistant attorney general and assistant secretary of the N.C. Department of Administration.
He was also one of the first attorneys to work for North Carolina in the then-new area of environmental law in 1971.
In what Earnhardt calls his “other life,” he works as an avid naturalist and advocate for the natural and cultural resources of North Carolina, with his conservation-related travel and speaking engagements taking him across North America, the British Isles, Europe and Asia.
For 14 years and more than 80 episodes, Earnhardt has hosted, written and co-produced “Exploring North Carolina.” As one of the highest-rated programs on UNC-TV, the five-time Emmy-nominated series highlights the natural resources of North Carolina and the Southeast.
Earnhardt’s presentation at Grandfather Mountain is limited to 100 guests, and registration is required by emailing judi@grandfather.com or calling (828) 733-2013. Cost is $20 per person and free for Bridge Club members.
The not-for-profit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather Mountain. For more information, call (800) 468-7325, or plan a trip at www.grandfather.com.