Open 361 Days a Year: Admissions 10:00am – 3:30pm; park closes at 4:30pm

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Due to significant flooding and impassable roads in our region from Tropical Storm Helene, the WNC Nature Center is temporarily CLOSED.

All of our animals are safe and accounted for, and there is minimal damage to the habitats. However, Swannanoa River Road and the main bridge to the Nature Center were washed away, and it will take time to reopen. We will undoubtedly need your support as we rebuild. 

Donations can be made at www.wildwnc.org/donate.

Monthly donations will be renewed on the first of each month.

Current Project:
Gateway to the Southern Appalachians

The WNC Nature Center is excited to embark on the next phase of our strategic plan, Vision for the Future.

Complete with a long-awaited butterfly garden and immersive guest experience, a renovated barn and farmyard space, and an expanded Gift Shop, the Gateway to the Southern Appalachians project will break ground in late May 2024 with an expected completion in late spring 2025.

The Gateway to the Southern Appalachians project features a newly renovated North Carolina Farm Yard area, butterfly play features and native gardens, and a larger Nature Center Gift Shop.

Over the next 11 months, guests will see construction in process to allow for the
  • renovation of the North Carolina Farm Yard and the Barn to provide larger grazing spaces for the animals and more storage space for equipment and animal feed;
  • creation of a native pollinator garden for butterflies, including Nature Play areas, shaded coverings, education kiosks; and
  • expansion of the Nature Center Gift Shop to 800 sq. ft. and creation of a Member Services Office.

Qualified Charitable IRA Distributions

Donate part or all of your unused retirement assets and support the Friends of the WNC Nature Center through a Qualified Charitable Distribution! Qualified Charitable Distribution allows IRA holders to donate tax-free to a qualified charity from their Traditional or Roth IRA (including inherited). Contact your financial advisor or tax preparer to learn how to donate to the Friends of the WNC Nature Center from your IRA tax-free.

The WNC Nature Center Endowment Fund

By giving to the WNC Nature Center Fund at the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, you help ensure the long-term sustainability of the Nature Center and its programs. Your gift to the Fund will have a lasting impact far into the future. You can make a gift of cash, property, or stock to the Fund.
For information on how to do this, please contact your financial advisor.

Gifts of Stock

Talk with your financial planner about the tax benefits of giving a gift of stock to the Friends. Your broker can help you make a gift of stock through a direct transfer to us.

Brokerage House: Wells Fargo Advisors
Account Name: Friends of the WNC Nature Center
Account Number: 6208-8089
Financial Advisor: Representative on duty
Telephone number: 1-800-872-3377
DTC Number: 0141

Please specify that the donation is for the Friends of the WNC Nature Center, and let us know when you've transferred stock, so we can acknowledge your charitable gift.

Questions

Questions? Contact the Friends of the WNC Nature Center Development Office
at development@wildwnc.org.