Welcome | Friends of WNC NC

We are a community group of committed individuals, businesses and grantors who together support the WNC Nature Center with vital funding to provide an enriching and educational experience for visitors and schoolchildren.

The Mission of the Friends of the Western North Carolina Nature Center is to create awareness and provide financial resources, through fundraising and events, in support of the Nature Center - Asheville's Wildlife Park.

Please click here to go to the WNC Nature Center’s new website located at www.wncnaturecenter.com.

Eastern Box Turtle

Charlie Green has a passion for all turtle species, but he reserves special admiration for the Eastern Box Turtle—and no wonder. Box turtles are a fascinating, beautiful species, and an important part of our state’s natural history. In 1979, the Eastern box turtle was chosen as North Carolina’s state reptile. They are one of the most recognized turtle species in the southeast because they are terrestrial, which means they do not live in water but on the land. This brings them into contact with humans more frequently than water dwelling species, and the box turtle has had both positive and negative repercussions of this proximity.

The box turtle is well admired and appreciated by the public. They are often seen in yards, gardens, and wooded areas, and are welcome additions to the ecosystems.

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Charlie Green

The Friends and the WNC Nature Center are saddened by the loss of Charlie Green. A good friend to humans and reptiles, Charlie made a difference in the lives of thousands of people - and many thousands of animals. Thank you to Charlie for a life spent devoted to what he loved and believed in.

We’ve all seen it—the turtle in the road, determined to reach the other side, crossing slowly and deliberately despite traffic. If you’ve come across this scene, you’ve probably stopped, picked up the turtle, and set him safely on the far side of the road, sending him on his way. For many of us, this is our primary interaction with rescuing reptiles.

For Charlie Green, rescuing, raising, and educating the community about reptiles—especially turtles—was more than a passing opportunity on the freeway. Charlie’s dedication to turtles and other reptiles was a “love affair”—not something he found the time for, but something that was his time.

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