Skip to main content
OPEN TODAY: 10AM-4:30PM Last Admission @ 3:30

Conservation Projects

From our red wolf survival program to our rainwater catchment system, the WNC Nature Center is leading by example when it comes to conservation. These conservation programs are cornerstone to our mission to connect people with the rich biodiversity of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

Our Own Backyard

When you visit the WNC Nature Center, you’ll see that we’re improving our own habitat as well as our animals’.

These nature resource conservation initiatives are part of the City of Asheville’s resolution to reduce its municipal carbon footprint 80% by the year 2050. Through these initiatives and more, we strive to improve the environment for all residents of Western North Carolina—human and animal.

The WNC Nature Center also participates in species management programs through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and The US Fish and Wildlife Department. These programs help to establish viable populations and promote species survival. While SSP (Species Survival Plan) Programs focus on managing animal populations within zoos and aquariums, AZA SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) species programs target conservation impact in the wild.

Saving Species

American Red Wolf

American Red Wolf

In 1980, the Red Wolf was declared officially extinct in the wild. With only 250 Red Wolves currently in the United States under human care, this species’ survival relies on programs like the AZA’s Species Survival Plan. As one of only 46 red wolf breeding sites, the WNC Nature Center is a crucial partner in this animal’s survival.

The Western North Carolina Nature Center participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Red Wolf SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program and the Red Wolf Species Survival Plan® (SSP). Through these collaborative conservation initiatives, the Nature Center helps support the recovery of one of the world’s most endangered canids through cooperative breeding and population management, public education, and conservation efforts to protect American red wolves and their future in the wild.

Red Panda

The WNC Nature Center participates in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Red Panda SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program and the Red Panda Species Survival Plan (SSP). Through these collaborative conservation initiatives, the Nature Center contributes to efforts to protect red pandas, support genetically diverse and sustainable populations in human care, and advance conservation awareness and action to help this endangered species survive in the wild.

Pollinators

​The WNC Nature Center is a program partner of the AZA SAFE North American Monarch and North American Songbirds. These collaborative conservation initiatives work to address threats to declining songbird and monarch butterfly populations through habitat restoration, research, public education, and community engagement.

The pollinator gardens and monarch waystations planted throughout the Nature Center utilize native host plants and flowering gardens to complement and amplify our conservation efforts and serve as an example for meaningful conservation. These gardens serve as onsite examples for visitors who can then replicate them in their own backyards, supporting native pollinators like monarchs, swallowtails, bees, and birds.

Inspiring Conservation Action

American Red Wolf

Recycling Electronics

The WNC Nature Center accepts cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, digital cameras, GPS devices, and their cords and cables in any condition for recycling through ecocell. 

Founded in 2003, ecocell promotes wildlife conservation, reduces electronic waste in landfills, and encourages sustainable electronics. The Nature Center donates any proceeds from recycling to The Red Wolf Coalition to support red wolf conservation.

Electronics contain tantalum, a mineral derived from coltan, which is mined in gorilla and chimpanzee habitat in the Congo. Recycling electronics helps reduce demand for these minerals and supports wildlife conservation.

Note: Please wipe all personal data before recycling. Electronics can be brought to the Front Ticket Office for recycling.

Green Practices

Community Science

Throughout the year, the WNC Nature Center hosts events that invite community members to contribute to real scientific research by observing, documenting, and sharing information about the natural world.

By participating in these projects, you can help scientists monitor wildlife, track biodiversity, and inform conservation efforts right here in our region.

Composting

Did you know that our barn animals are helping support sustainability beyond the WNC Nature Center? Our animal care team collects manure from our barn, and instead of going to waste — it goes to work!

We send all that barnyard gold to our friends at the Biltmore Estate, where it’s composted and used to enrich the soil in their beautiful gardens and farmland.

Advocacy

The Friends of the WNC Nature Center is a conservation organization dedicated to inspiring people to know more, care more, and do more for the wildlife of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

Through education, community engagement, and advocacy, we champion wildlife conservation and healthy ecosystems. The Friends organization believes protecting nature takes all of us, and we work to elevate conservation issues, encourage informed action, and empower our community to make a difference for wildlife and the natural world.

Learn more about the advocacy arm of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
AZA Action

Coming Soon: More information about the Friends’ local, regional, and national advocacy initiatives.