Course Focus: The focus of this course will be on introductory Fern Natural History,  Identification and Ecology, with daily indoor workshop sessions and daily field trips in the Hocking region. A special emphasis will be put on fern identification techniques, fern anatomy and terminology. The end goal of this program is provide the knowledge and skills needed to continue exploring and learning the world of ferns on your own!

Location: The education headquarters for this event will be the Hocking Hills region at the Arc of Appalachia’s Wood Thrush Cove. Field Trips will take place in Hocking, Fairfield and Athens Counties.

Attendance: Workshop attendance will be limited to no more than 15 people to ensure personal instruction is given.

Leaders: The leaders for this event is Elijah Crabtree, Education Specialist & Naturalist for the Arc of Appalachia and Mark Hoberecht, Volunteer Naturalist and Fern Enthusiast.

Lodging: Registrants can choose to stay in one of the several Airbnb offerings in the Hocking Hills region - roughly 15 minutes away. Also available are lodge rooms at Hocking Hills State Park Lodge. The lodge is approximately a 30-minute drive away from Wood Thrush Cove, which, because of the distance, is not as ideal as staying in town. The town of Logan offers many hotel options. Please email Emily at emilyrosser@ruralaction.org to discuss options.

Cancellation policy: In case of cancellation, refunds will be granted in full up until May 5th, 2026. After that time, all payments are final and if not used, will be recorded as a tax-deductible donation to the Arc of Appalachia. Registrations are transferable. If transferring your registration to another party, please be sure to give us the recipient’s name and e

We will be providing a little FERN ID booklet that has proven to be an amazingly helpful aid. For serious learners, we HIGHLY recommend the book: Ferns, Spikemosses, Clubmosses, and Quillworts of Eastern North America (Princeton Field Guides) by Emily Sessa.

What should I bring? 

• Cell phone for taking pictures of fern and their allies as your self-made field guide.

• Raingear is recommended as this course will go on rain or shine. Consider a wide-brimmed hat to shed the rain.

• Water bottle and day pack to carry your lunch.

• Notebook or clipboard, pen, pencils, and paper (for sketching and field notes)

• Pocket money for snacks and small purchases; a credit card for dinners.

• Personal care items (soap, shampoo, etc.).

• First aid kit appropriate to your needs

• Optional: Insect repellent for ticks & chiggers, see details below. We will also bring some to share. June is not a time we should have to overly worry about chiggers, thank goodness.

Cell phone coverage and the internet: Cellphone service is available in the town of Logan. Depending on carrier of service, you may or may not have reception on field trips. Wood Thrush Cove is equipped with Wifi for your convenience.

Meals: We will be offering two full breakfasts and two full lunches for the program. This will include a Friday Lunch, a Saturday Breakfast & Lunch, and a Sunday breakfast. Friday and Saturday lunches will be packed lunches that registrants will be taking with them on the scheduled field trips. Dinner will be on your own, If needing assistance finding a place for dinner please email Emily at emilyrosser@ruralaction.org to discuss options.

Comfort in the out-of-doors: We will be spending most of our time in the field, so please pack clothing that will allow you to be comfortable for a variety of weather conditions. In southern Ohio, our temperature highs could be anywhere from the high seventies  to the low nineties. We encourage you to check the weather forecast before you pack. Night-time lows are equally variable, anywhere from the fifties to low sixties.

Flying in? It is strongly recommended that participants for this program that are flying in, plan to land in Columbus as the airport is significantly closer than the Cincinnati airport. John Glenn International Airport in Columbus is just under an hour away from the program headquarters at Wood Thrush Cove.. 

Emergency Messages: Emergency messages for course participants can be left at the mainline of the Arc of Appalachia Office (937) 365-1935 during daytime hours. Educational Coordinator contacts are provided down below. Leader’s cell phones will also be provided to you before the start of the program.

Should I prepare for ticks, chiggers, biting insects and poison ivy? You will have minimal but possible exposure to Poison Ivy.  The leaders know the plant well and will help you avoid exposure. If you do touch the leaves, washing vigorously with soap within an hour avoids reactivity in most people. Chiggers do not typically peak until July and August. If any of these challenges are new for you, let us know and we will do our best to orient you to them, help mentor your adjustment, or minimize exposure. That said, no exposure to insects is not a realistic expectation for field studies. We have developed a fantastic homemade repellant for flying insects, ticks, and chiggers made of essential herbal oils that is stunningly effective and 100% natural.

Please click here to learn about the considerable hazards presented by ticks and chiggers, and prepare your own insect repellant that is safe to use, affordable to make, and will give you the confidence to enjoy the out-of-doors.

Questions or interest in making lodging reservations:

For event & lodging information:

Emily Rosser, Rural Action AmeriCorps Intern at (740) 603-3585
Email: emilyrosser@ruralaction.org

Elijah Crabtree, Educational Specialist at (740) 703-2633
Email: elijah.crabtree@gmail.com

Cassidy Drummond, Education Coordinator at 937-794-3360
Email: cassidy.arcofappalachia@gmail.com