More Than A Zoo: Leland Arnsdorff

More Than A Zoo: Highlighting the personal connections and the broader impact of the WNC Nature Center in its 100th year

Each month during our centennial year, we’ll be interviewing people who have had an impact on the Nature Center. We’re kicking off this series with Q&A with Leland Arnsdorff. Leland is a volunteer docent whose passion for wildlife conservation is contagious.

Meet Leland Arnsdorff

What is your role at the Nature Center? I am a docent. In my volunteer position, it is my privilege to share biofacts, information, and the story behind the animal residents of the Nature Center with both adults and children. Being a docent is more than just teaching people; it means engaging guests in a way so that they develop their own appreciation for the Nature Center’s animals as well as local wildlife. I want people to appreciate the wildlife that is in their backyards. I also take care of various habitats by ensuring their viewing points are clean. I am a window washer! I am also a philanthropist and part of the Friends of the WNC Nature Center’s Appalachian Stewards Society, helping ensure that areas of financial need are supported.

Personal Connection

How did your journey with the WNC Nature Center begin, and what keeps you coming back?

We moved here in 2020 to start fresh, and I knew that I wanted to get involved in a local organization to learn more about the area and meet new people. Being a retired elementary science teacher, the Nature Center really appealed to me, especially when I realized they had docent shifts, which are similar to teaching. I was thrilled to learn about the wildlife of the region and pass that along to our guests.

The animals and programs kept me coming back each time. It met my interest in teaching as well as being with animals. The staff have been so warm and welcoming. It quickly became my happy place!

Can you share a favorite memory or experience at the Nature Center that stands out to you?

When I first started as a docent, I was with the otters. It was during the pandemic and shortly after reopening. To watch the kids’ faces as they stroked the otter pellet, and then as we talked about the otters’ different adaptations, to see their excitement – it was so much fun. Same was true with the red wolf puppies, then the bobcat kittens – to see the magic in their faces and be so attracted to the animals – to see it was all so special to me.

I was up at the red wolf habitat filling in one day. And I asked a little girl if she’d seen the bobcat kitten, and she said “he is STUPID cute,” and that made me laugh. I get a kick out of how kids talk about the animals.

What is the greatest reward of your involvement with the Nature Center?

The Nature Center has given me a way to give back to the area and the wildlife that I actually have the opportunity and pleasure to see around my neighborhood. It’s important for me to be able to give back to an area that has been so welcoming. The greatest reward is seeing the look on a guest’s face, child or adult, when they see the animals and make a personal connection either through something learned or through seeing the animal in person. It is these “aha” moments that are my greatest reward.

Mission & Impact

In your view, how does the WNC Nature Center go beyond being just a zoo?

The mission, in and of itself. We’re not just showcasing animals. We’re showcasing the wildlife that existed and still exist in Western North Carolina and educating people about them. Education is so important, both about the animals and the environmental impact on the animals.

Looking to the Future

What hopes do you have for the next 100 years of the WNC Nature Center?

More immediately, to grow and develop the docent program even more, in order to have more docents available every day for the public.

How can the community support the Nature Center’s mission moving forward?

Visit more than once. Keep coming back. Continue to support the Nature Center through membership, donations, and volunteerism. You see new things each time you come back; you’ll learn things that you didn’t see the first, or second, or third time.

What role do you see education playing in the future of wildlife conservation?

Education is CRUCIAL, especially with the younger generation. The environmental effects on all the wildlife in WNC. That’s one of the things that drew us to Asheville. That we could walk down the street and see turkey and bear and deer and fox. We are visitors in their environment; they were here first. The Nature Center walks the walk in its mission and practice. The way volunteers are coached and taught to share with guests is critical in the continuity of environmental stewardship in WNC. The way the team teaches about interpretation and how to share with the public is fascinating and impactful.

Fun Reflection

If you could be any animal at the WNC Nature Center for a day, which one would you choose and why?

I would be American River Otter Obi-Wan. I love the water and to be able to swim outside in the winter, enjoy the snow, and not be cold would be invigorating! Eating fish three times a day would be fantastic! Not a bad way to be.

What’s one surprising fact about the Nature Center that most people don’t know?

The behind-the-scenes information. How the animals are kept comfortable and safe. That there are night houses for the majority of our animals. And those night houses are meant to protect the animals, such as during a storm. The animal care team is constantly considering the animals’ welfare and making sure they are as safe as possible – morning, day, and night.

How would you describe the Nature Center in three words?

1. Conservation
2. Illuminating
3. Joy-filled

Are you interested in learning more about becoming a volunteer at the WNC Nature Center? Visit wildwnc.org/volunteers. Want to learn more about the Appalachian Stewards Society? Email Cindy at [email protected].

Become a Member

Become a Nature Center member today and enjoy savings and benefits!