FOCUS ON FLORA: Echinacea is native to prairies of North America, both east and west of the Mississippi River. Some species of echinacea, or coneflower, are medicinal and used for getting over colds! Echinacea is also a good nectar plant for butterflies, and its seeds are enjoyable to goldfinches and other birds. Our echinacea is blooming now in the Master Gardeners' garden on the Educational Farm. 
2008-2009 Academic Guide now available. Welcome to the WNC Nature Center
Mission statement:
The WNC Nature Center is a living museum of plants and animals native to the Appalachian region. Our purpose is to increase public awareness and understanding of all aspects of the natural environment of Western North Carolina through hands-on and sensory experiences.
WNC Nature Center strives hard to meet the needs of our adopted 'critters' and our community. Each year we welcome 100,000 visitors through our doors - of which 30,000 are school children attending the Nature Center in conjunction with their classroom curriculum.
Awesome! Come here a lot!
D.D. Asheville, NC
The Nature Center offers many exciting and worthwhile programs. During the summer we open our gates to children taking part in the Wild Weeks Summer Camp series which includes the Pee Wee Camp for pre-K families, Reptiles and Amphibians, Nature Ragners, Pioneer Living, and more. 
Also, educational programs such as Life of a Frog, Nature at Night, Locomotion, Wildlife Tour, Snakes &Turtles, "Cycles, Systems & Sunlight" all offer a multitude of learning opportunities about the rich heritage of the Southern Appalachian Region.
One of the better nature centers we have visited.
T&J Murray, KY
Additionally, the WNC Nature Center is one of only 32 facilities in the country participating in the Red Wolf re-introduction program.
