Shepherd University celebrates Appalachian Trail in start of seminar; showcases new illustrated album of ecosystem

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. ( DC News Now ) — A university not far from the Appalachian Trail took time at the start of the week to celebrate it.

The trail extends for more than 2,200 miles and is one of the more scenic resources on the eastern seaboard.

Shepherd University’s Center for Appalachian Studies convened a seminar on the significance of the trail.

“It’s a gentle call to arms for the unique ecology of our region,” said Benjamin Bankhurst, director of the center.

The forum’s featured speaker was Rosalie Haizlett, author of a new album of animal and plant life along the trail’s unique ecosystem, “Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains.”

“The book is to call attention to the tiny, resilient, often-overlooked plants, animals and fungi of the Appalachian Mountains,” said Haizlett.

Her new book is showcased at Four Seasons Books in Shepherdstown, a sponsor of the Shepherd University forum.

“The album is also a celebration of a major piece of infrastructure that is incredibly important for thousands of people and obviously for the flora and fauna that live along the trail,” Bankhurst added.

The trail extends from Georgia to Maine. It crosses the eastern panhandle of West Virginia just east of Shepherd’s campus here before bridging the Potomac River into Maryland.

“I hope this new illustrated album will reach people even beyond this region and [they] will want to protect it, preserve it and love it,” said Haizlett.

The trail is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and numerous state and local authorities.

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