The WNC Nature Center marked a major milestone on Thursday, April 16, celebrating the completion of its Gateway to the Southern Appalachians project with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The event welcomed local officials, staff, supporters, and visitors to observe the official opening of the transformed space.

City of Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer joined Nature Center Director Chris Gentile and Friends of the WNC Nature Center Director Kate Frost to address attendees prior to the ceremonial ribbon cutting. City Council Members Bo Hess and Maggie Ullman assisted with the ribbon cutting.

The Gateway project represents a significant enhancement to the guest experience, featuring a new and expanded Gift Shop, improved North Carolina Farmyard and barn, and an immersive native pollinator and butterfly garden with educational “Nature Play” elements for children.

The Butterfly Immersion Garden was designed to highlight the importance of protecting pollinators. “The completion of this project comes at a critical time,” said Frost. “Pollinators, including monarch butterflies, are in decline. This garden not only showcases their beauty; it also shows our community how to be part of the solution through conservation action.”

Much of the project construction took place during the Nature Center’s almost six-month closure due to Tropical Storm Helene, which devastated the area in late September 2024. Gentile reflected on the uncertainty following the storm and the determination it took to move the project forward. He credited staff, partners, and contractors for their persistence in bringing the Gateway vision to completion.

The Gateway to the Southern Appalachians project was made possible through a collaborative investment by the City of Asheville, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, and the Friends of the WNC Nature Center. For the Friends, support from donors, members, and funders played a key role in bringing this dream to reality. Special thanks was given to the late Tony and Allison Amatangelo, the Cannon Foundation, and the Natural Resources Fund of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

The City of Asheville, in partnership with the Friends of the WNC Nature Center and other community stakeholders, continues to invest in the Nature Center as a place for education, conservation, and connection to the natural world. “We believe that education is at the heart of conservation action, and this new addition will inspire people to know more, care more, and do more for the plants and animals in our region,” said Frost.

The celebration comes amid a period of strong community attendance and engagement. Earlier in April, the Nature Center recorded its highest spring break attendance since 2010, welcoming nearly 11,000 visitors over a ten-day period.

The WNC Nature Center is accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Located at 75 Gashes Creek Road in Asheville, North Carolina, it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with last admission at 3:30 p.m.

Walking along the one and a half miles of pathways within the WNC Nature Center, you’ll encounter playful otters, howling gray and red wolves, and napping red pandas. You’ll also find eight Nature Play areas, which are especially popular with our younger guests.  

Numerous studies show that frequent unstructured play in nature has a number of health benefits for children, including supporting their physical, cognitive, creative, social and emotional development. It also helps instill an appreciation for and kinship with the outdoors that can lead to conservation behavior as children grow. The Nature Center models nature-based play spaces throughout the grounds with nature “play pockets” along the pathways. Each nature play pocket is designed to encourage interaction with natural materials and entice different types of play behavior. 

While still temporarily closed to the public due to North Carolina’s Stay Safe order, the WNC Nature Center welcomed the Rotary Club of Asheville and Rotaract Asheville in late July for a volunteer work day to refurbish the well-loved and well-used Nature Play space above the Turtle Amphitheater and across from the Animal Enrichment Garden. 

In 2010, the Rotary Club of Asheville gave a significant gift to match a grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for this Nature Play space within the WNC Nature Center. After almost a decade of use, many of the natural items needed to be refurbished or replaced, and the Rotarians were excited to fund, develop, and help reconstruct their sponsored space.

This Nature Play space encourages play through music and movement. Fort building posts provide opportunities for dynamic play and practicing STEM skills as children use found tree limbs to construct forts. Natural log jump stumps and balance beams also help with motor skill development and learning how to self-regulate risks. A wooden amadinda, tongue drum, and rain wheel present musical elements for expressing creativity. The space also has a brand new sensory path for exploring the different textures, sounds, and even aromas produced when walking along the path.

Rotarian Pat Snyder is a current member of the Friends of the WNC Nature Center who helped lead the volunteer work group. “We were excited to team up with the Friends of WNC Nature Center to help restore this well-used portion of the park,” Snyder says. “It’s one of the many ways we support Rotary International’s goals by supporting education here in our local area. And this project is a great way for us to volunteer together with others in our community to make a difference during these unprecedented times.” 

Alayna Schmidt, Education Specialist at the WNC Nature Center, worked closely with the groups to plan the work day: “We can’t wait for our guests to experience the updates to this popular Nature Play space! In addition to replacing existing elements, Rotary Club and Rotaract volunteers added brand new structures, including an additional fort building post and a sensory path for more dynamic play. Best of all, most of these elements were created with materials anyone can find at a local home improvement store, so hopefully guests will leave inspired to create their own nature play spaces at home or elsewhere in their communities.”

When the Nature Center reopens, take the opportunity to practice your poise on natural balance beams, get in tune with nature with wooden drums and an amadinda, slide like an otter, paint with water, build a chute, construct a fort, and more. Nature Play areas are designated on the Nature Center pathway and in trail maps by a green box with a white “play” icon inside.

The Rotary Club of Asheville is a group of active, engaged citizens interested in making friends, building relationships, and giving back to their community. They annually fund and provide volunteer support for over 14 local and international projects with a combined total budget of nearly $100,000! To learn more, get involved, or get the invite link for their weekly on-line meeting on Thursdays from 12:30-1:30, visit rotaryasheville.org.

The Asheville Rotaract is a group of young professionals between the ages of 21 and 35 who are enthusiastic about serving the local community. The club focuses on regular volunteer service, professional development, and building connections with Rotarians and community leaders. With monthly meet-ups held both in-person and virtually, they foster civil engagement and meaningful community. To learn more and get involved, visit their Facebook or Instagram by searching “Asheville Rotaract.”

In the world of animal care, there’s one thing you can always count on: there’s always more to learn. The science of caring for wild and domestic animals is constantly improving, and the Nature Center staff continually strives to provide the best husbandry available. One of the most recent changes we’ve made is creating bioactive terrariums for the reptiles and amphibians.

That sounds complicated, but the concept is simple: self-sustaining ecosystems recreated under human care. These microcosms vary widely from largely human-maintained to entirely self-sufficient, but the basic ingredients include live plants, invertebrates, and even fungi to establish a natural cycle of nutrient break-down and regrowth. This mirrors the animal’s wild habitat and encourages natural behavior while maintaining ideal climate conditions. The results are not only biologically beneficial for the animal but beautiful from the human side of things as well. 

So far, the Nature Center has converted three enclosures in the Appalachian Station to bioactive, with more in the works. The most recent renovation was for Spazz and Stubs, the rough green snakes. The good news for anyone interested in going bioactive at home is that premade kits exist that make it an easy step-by-step process, but plenty of zoos and hobbyists do the research and craft their own ecosystems from scratch. 

We started with a drainage layer and screen under the soil. Our native species require a mid-to-high humidity level, and we don’t want the soil holding water. The soil, primed with beneficial microorganisms and nutrients, was mixed with leaf litter and sphagnum moss to provide cover and food for the invertebrate “clean-up crew” that does the heavy lifting of a bioactive enclosure. Harmless springtails (tiny ‘snow fleas’ with no relation to actual fleas) and isopods (‘rolly-pollies’ or ‘pill-bugs’) break down organic waste and keep the soil healthy for the plants as well as reducing the amount of time the human caretakers spend cleaning. Live plants utilize the animal waste while helping maintain proper humidity and providing natural textures, smells, and even tastes for the animals themselves. The Nature Center incorporates both live and artificial plants to ensure we can match every environmental need of the animals. To complete the picture, specialized lights provide the wide spectrum necessary for both plants and animals.

The next time you visit the littlest locals in the Appalachian Station, check out how their habitats are always changing. Everyone in the picture benefits: the keepers, with less time cleaning and more time enriching the lives of the animals under their care; you, the visitor, with more natural environments and behaviors to admire; and best of all the animals, who benefit from having a little slice of the wild crafted just for them.

On average, 30,000 guests visit the WNC Nature Center in March and April. This year, only 3,700 visited in March before the gates were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Nature Center Director Chris Gentile says it’s an unprecedented time: “The Nature Center is typically closed just four days a year – Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Our animals have never gone this long without seeing the public, but the animal care team is there seven days a week making sure they’re well-cared-for and getting the enrichment and interaction they need.” 

Temporarily closing the Nature Center has caused a significant loss in revenue for the Nature Center, which is home to more than 150 animals and relies on admission ticket sales to offset animal care costs. 

Spring break and early summer are some of the Nature Center’s busiest times, but it’s not just ticket sales that are being missed. The Friends of the WNC Nature Center’s revenue streams have also taken a big hit, as the nonprofit manages many programs that are generated by admissions-related spending.

Friends Executive Director Karen Babcock has seen a 90 percent loss of fundraising revenue since the Nature Center’s temporary closure on March 13. “With the Gift Shop closed and Nature Center Memberships lagging, plus cancelled events such as behind-the-scenes Wild Walks, birthday party rentals, and the May Brews and Bears, fundraising has been challenging. The positive is seeing Nature Center and Friends staff working together creatively to create new income streams to support the Nature Center in a time of great need.”

Just as the animals are adjusting to their new normal, the Friends and the Nature Center are evolving to offer free and engaging videos to the community. “The Nature Center has always been committed to connecting people with the plants and animals of this area. And we’re still doing this during our closure,” says Friends Development Director Kate Frost. “We’re engaging with educators and nature lovers by virtually connecting them to the Nature Center through educational and fun videos on our social media channels.” 

Soon after it closed, the Nature Center began offering virtual animal experiences through its social media channels. Nature lovers can connect with the animals and learn more about them with twice weekly videos posted on the WNC Nature Center’s Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/WNCNatureCenter). Videos have included Sicilian donkeys Eeyore and Willy taking a leisurely stroll through the Nature Center to visit the cougar, gray wolves, and red wolves. Facebook followers have also learned of the possible pregnancy of Karma and Garnet, the Nature Center’s breeding pair of critically endangered American red wolves, who would give birth to pups by May if they bred successfully. 

Despite decreased revenue due to the temporary closure, neither the WNC Nature Center nor the Friends of the WNC Nature Center has laid off or furloughed any employees. Animal care staff and essential personnel are still on-site taking care of the animals daily, with the remainder of staff working remotely. With both organizations continuing to care for animals and working to provide engaging virtual nature education, the Friends of the Nature Center are asking for the public’s support during this difficult time through donations and memberships.

“Memberships and donations are our only fundraising revenue during this time, and we need our community’s help to ensure that we can continue to support the WNC Nature Center,” says Babcock. “The Nature Center is an essential part of life in Western North Carolina–now more than ever, your help is needed!” 

You can support the Friends of the WNC Nature Center by visiting www.wildwnc.org/support to donate, symbolically adopt an animal, or buy or renew your annual membership. All memberships purchased during the closure will begin on the day the Nature Center reopens to ensure a full 12 months of benefits. 

The Nature Center’s teen volunteers celebrated the end of the Fall 2019 Young Curators season by surveying the Swannanoa River for mudpuppy salamanders. Kendrick Weeks, the Western Wildlife Diversity Supervisor for the NC Wildlife Resources Commission, presented to the teens on wildlife surveys and monitoring the Commission is doing in Western North Carolina. Some of the native species he spoke about included flying squirrels, hellbender salamanders, several species of bats, freshwater mussels, bog turtles, and brook trout.

After the presentation, Young Curators took to the field! We hiked down to the banks of the Swannanoa River to pull up aquatic salamander catch-and-release survey traps that were set out the day before. We didn’t pull up any mudpuppies, but Young Curators got to see some chubs and sunfish up close before releasing them back into the water. This special experience gave our teen volunteers the opportunity to dip their toes into one of many potential wildlife and conservation careers.

Working with wildlife is not limited when you’re a Young Curator! Last fall, Young Curators also got to meet the Nature Center’s white-tail deer, Becca, and feed the river otters, Olive and Obi Wan. They contributed over 200 volunteer hours to assisting staff with animal care, including making animal diets, cleaning animal habitats, handling the education snakes and turtles for guests, assisting with events, and doing special projects that support Nature Center operations and augment guest experience.

The Young Curators program is an advanced volunteer opportunity for a select group of teens committed to working weekend afternoons at the Nature Center during the Fall and Spring semesters. The program is designed to offer interested and hard-working teens a taste of some careers in wildlife and conservation. Depending on the season, Young Curators may have the opportunity to work independently, with each other, and with Nature Center staff to assist with basic animal care and handling, event planning, environmental education and interpretation, wildlife surveying and conservation field work, and exploring the operations of AZA accredited facilities.

If you’re a local teen 14-18 years old and this sounds like an experience you’d be interested in, consider diving deeper into wildlife and conservation career exploration by applying to the Young Curators program for Spring 2020! Because of the limited spots available for this advanced position, the application process is highly competitive. Be sure to demonstrate your interest, commitment, and what you bring to the team in your application.

Previous experience as a Young Naturalist is preferred, so you are encouraged to apply for and successfully complete the summer Young Naturalist program (for 13-17 year olds). Demonstrating excellence and dedication in the Young Naturalist program supports your application to the Young Curators program in following seasons. New volunteers to either program will need two letters of recommendation along with a completed application.

Find Young Naturalist and Young Curator applications and directions on how to apply here: https://wildwnc.org/teen-volunteer-programs-wnc-nature-center

If you have any questions about the programs or application process, you can email the Teen Program Coordinator, Alayna Schimdt, here: [email protected]

Visiting the WNC Nature Center gives you the chance to see the plants and animals of the Southern Appalachian mountains. Whether it’s the red pandas, whose distant cousins roamed our land more than five millions years ago, or the red wolves, who are fighting to survive with only 25 wild wolves left in the world, you are bound to experience a connection and leave with a better understanding of your place in the natural world around you.

But some people in our community are unable to visit the Nature Center firsthand. Schools may not be able to afford a fieldtrip, retirement communities may have seniors with mobility issues, and some families may have budget or transportation barriers as well.  

A few years ago, the nonprofit Friends of the WNC Nature Center, saw an opportunity to provide an outreach education program that brought the Nature Center to people who couldn’t physically visit. Tori Duval is the outreach educator who brings this vital program to underserved communities, school groups, retirement communities, and libraries in Buncombe County and the surrounding counties.

Instead of regularly priced admission costs, the program offers low-cost education to groups of 10 to 150+ within 50 miles of Asheville, NC. These educational programs feature live animal ambassadors and are designed to meet NCSCOS education standards. You can find out more about program offerings and costs at www.wildwnc.org/schools-home-schools.

Despite being a fairly new program, the outreach initiative has already made incredible strides. In 2018, the outreach program was awarded a Significant Achievement in Education award by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This was the first ever AZA education award presented to the Nature Center. That year, Tori served 9,200 individuals and served four Tier 1 Counties.

Tori also recently completed her environmental education certification through the North Carolina Office of Environmental Education and Public Affairs. This rigorous program requires 180 documented hours of professional development workshops, community outreach, teaching experiences, site visits, and independent study. It establishes standards for professional excellence in environmental education for formal and non-formal educators. The program also enhances the ability of educators and organizations to provide quality programs and resources, benefiting local communities while investing in the future of North Carolina’s environment.

The Songbird Garden has been a long-time staple at the WNC Nature Center, and we are happy to announce that we were able to give it a bright and inviting face lift this summer! Education Specialist Chrissy Cochran and Education Art Intern Evyn Caiazza collaborated to create a peaceful space that is not only educational, but visually stunning. Evyn is a Biological Illustration major at The Cleveland Institute of Art, and she used her artistic talent to help design, paint, and assemble this project!

Songbird gardens are a great way to help native birds by simply providing them with the necessities of life – food, water, shelter, and space. This Certified Wildlife Habitat is a wonderful example of how to manage an easy and cost effective space that will not only beautify your yard, but also help the survival of many native species. Next time you visit the WNC Nature Center, please be sure to stop by the Songbird Garden to learn more about birds and how you too can help them thrive in their natural environment!

KultureCity has partnered with the Western North Carolina Nature Center to make the Nature Center a sensory-inclusive space. This new initiative will promote an accommodating and positive experience for all guests with sensory issues who visit the wildlife park.

The certification process entailed the staff at the WNC Nature Center being trained by leading medical professionals on how to recognize those guests with sensory needs and how to handle a sensory overload situation. Sensory bags, equipped with noise canceling headphones, fidget tools, and verbal cue cards will also be available to borrow for free to all guests at the Nature Center who may feel overwhelmed by the environment.

Sensory sensitivities or challenges with sensory regulation are often experienced by individuals with autism, dementia, PTSD, and other similar conditions. One of the major barriers for these individuals is sensitivity to over-stimulation and noise, which is a part of the environment in a venue like the WNC Nature Center. With its new certification, the Nature Center is now better prepared to assist guests with sensory sensitivities in having the most comfortable and accommodating experience possible when attending the wildlife park that focuses on species native to the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

Beginning July 22, 2019, families can download the free KultureCity App to view what sensory features are available and where they can access them prior to attending the park. The App also provides a Social Story which previews what to expect while visiting the WNC Nature Center.

To celebrate this new partnership with KultureCity, the WNC Nature Center will be hosting a Sensory Inclusion Event on Saturday, August 3. Guests with sensory sensitivities and their families will be able enter the park an hour early at 9:00am for self-guided exploration of the park. Beginning at 10:00am, the park will open to the public and will continue to offer animal programs, learning activities, games, and a sensory room in Education Center for guests with sensory needs until 1:00pm.

“To know that you soon will be able to see families attend the wildlife park, a true community binding experience, with their loved ones who have a sensory challenge and who were not able to previously attend, is truly a heartwarming moment. Our communities are what shapes our lives and to know that the Western North Carolina Nature Center is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that everyone, no matter their ability, is included in their community is amazing.” Dr. Julian Maha, Co-Founder, KultureCity.

KultureCity is a leading non-profit recognized nationwide for using their resources to revolutionize and effect change in the community for those with sensory needs; not just those with Autism. Since the program’s inception, KultureCity has created over 200 sensory inclusive venues, including the NC Zoo and the WNC Nature Center.

February 14, 2019 was a red letter day for the Nature Center. The long awaited reveal of the new red panda habitat culminated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Mayor Esther Manheimer and Friends of the WNC Nature Center Board President Nora Carpenter.Leafa and Phoenix received a warm welcome that day, and a record-setting 1,800 guests visited them the following Saturday!The red pandas are the first species to be introduced to the Nature Center’s new Prehistoric Appalachia project. Skeletal remains of the red panda’s close cousin, the now extinct Bristol’s panda, were discovered at the Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee and are estimated to be 5 million years old. Red pandas are currently endangered with several thousand individuals remaining in the wild. The WNC Nature Center red pandas are part of the Species Survival Program (SSP) associated with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).You can keep showing the love to Leafa and Phoenix by purchasing red panda merchandise in the Nature Center gift shop or symbolically adopting them (dev.wildwnc.org/adopt-an-animal).To support Leafa and Phoenix and their ongoing care at the WNC Nature Center, go to fundly.com/bringing-red-panda-to-asheville.

The WNC Nature Center’s much anticipated red panda exhibit will open to the public on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2019!

Our pair of red pandas came to the WNC Nature Center from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. The female, Leafa, is ten years old and the male, Phoenix, is seven. The two have lived together and had offspring in the past. They are currently settling into their new home at the WNC Nature Center, out of view from the public.

In order for the pair’s transition to be as smooth as possible, the Center has decided to give the red pandas a maximum amount of time to adjust to their new home without being seen by the public. “We want them to have plenty of time to acclimate to their new surroundings,” said new Nature Center Animal Curator Erin Oldread. “The next couple months will be a time for settling in, getting to know daily routines, and creating relationships with our staff members who will be caring for them. They are playful and curious and already doing great,” said Oldread.

Leafa and Phoenix will, no doubt, be much loved by Western NC residents and visitors. The Friends of the WNC Nature Center has recently announced new giving opportunities that support the red panda habitat and give donors a change to see them up close.

For $250, donors will receive 2 tickets to the soft opening of the red panda exhibit in early February. For a truly memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience, a $1,000 donation will allow the donor and up to 3 guests to have a private red panda encounter! Five out of ten of the 2019 private encounter opportunities were reserved in the first 48 hours following the announcement on social media. Oldread has carefully limited these special experiences to ensure the panda’s best interests and red panda caregivers will precisely control each encounter.

Symbolic red panda adoptions start at $25. Guests to the Center can also support the red pandas through the purchase of red panda merchandise at the Nature Center gift shop. Fundraising for the red panda exhibit and animal care is ongoing and donations of any size are appreciated.

The red pandas are the first species to be introduced to the Nature Center’s new Prehistoric Appalachia project, part of the Center’s 2020 Wild Vision. Skeletal remains of the red panda’s close cousin, the now extinct Bristol’s panda, were discovered at the Gray Fossil Site in Tennessee and are estimated to be 5 million years old. Red pandas are currently endangered with several thousand individuals remaining in the wild. The WNC Nature Center red pandas will be part of the Species Survival Program (SSP) associated with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The Nature Center is proud to be among just 10% of zoos in the nation to be accredited through AZA.

Most of the funding for the red panda exhibit is coming from the Friends of the WNC Nature Center, a nonprofit organization that has provided funds for capital projects and other needs at the Nature Center for over 40 years. Recent projects funded by the Friends include the Outreach Education Program, which has served over 9,000 people in the past year. The Friends are also donated over $700,000 toward the Center’s newly opened Front Entrance, raised through contributions by the Asheville Tourism Development Authority, Festiva and many gracious donors.

To support the red pandas, go to fundly.com/bringing-red-panda-to-asheville.