"Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives."
- Thomas Berry
The Friends of the WNC Nature Center is proud to announce the opening of the Young...
Filtering by Community Involvement
Jul
30
2012
May
18
2012
. . . Whatever falls on them makes an impression.”
- Dr. Haim Ginott
Hey parents (and nannies and school teachers!) - what’s your reaction when you walk into the Appalachian Station and find yourself face to face with a timber rattlesnake?
Do you recoil? Shout? Get closer? Gasp in awe?...
May
1
2012
This Spring has already been exciting. We've had our busiest non-event day in the Nature Center's recorded history (1,597 on April 14), we're gearing up for Mountain Safari, and we've...
Apr
13
2012
Want to taste a sample of the limited edition Red Rufus Ale?
Come out to The Friends of the WNC Nature Center’s “Mountain Safari” – a wild social adventure – from...
Feb
9
2012
You might have noticed the Nature Center was closed on January 30, 31 and February 1. What in the world was going on? Let me assure you, we were not idle while our doors were closed. Thanks to the volunteers who donated over 140 hours, we were working on some big projects to improve the grounds and habitats, including cougar and bobcat as well as some behind the scenes dirty work.
...
Feb
3
2012
If you’ve never heard of Nibbles the Groundhog, then you must be living in a hole in the ground – which, as Nibbles would say, is a perfectly pleasant place to be. Nibbles is a six year old “whistlepig” who has lived at the Nature Center most of her life. As a baby, she was picked up by some well meaning but misinformed animal lovers who thought a groundhog might make a...
Jan
23
2012
If you’ve ever hiked the Trillium Trail here at the WNC Nature Center, you probably found it to be a pleasant hike full of bends and curves through the forest. An endearing aspect of the trail is that, though it is only 2/3 of a mile long, it feels as if you have wound deep into the forest because you cannot see very far ahead of you. Each turn affords a new look – the new...
Dec
31
2011
When a cougar pounces, it uses its powerful hindquarters and long tail to bound up to the length of a school bus. White-tailed deer are capable of leaping five and six foot fences from a virtual stand still. Frog skeletons and muscles have been specially designed to make them the best jumpers of all vertebrates.
Sometimes it seems our days and weeks and months move in the same manner. I...
Dec
15
2011
The WNC Nature Center is all about connecting people to animals. The guest experience is no less important than the every day experience of the animals who live here, and the two are integral to each other. Without guests, our animals don’t educate anyone about Western North Carolina, and without animals, no one learns!
Adopting a Nature Center animal, either for your self or...
Nov
23
2011
. . . in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."
- Thornton Wilder
The WNC Nature Center and the Friends of the Nature Center want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Be safe, have fun,...