An Intergenerational Effort to Save the American Red Wolf
When the Cadettes of Girl Scout Troop 1819 were earning their Outdoor Art Badge, they had no idea they would be inspired to begin a journey to help save the critically endangered American red wolf.
In summer 2018, the Cadettes visited Dale…
Leave a Legacy for the Next Generation of Nature Lovers
There’s something special about taking your children, and then your children’s children, to the Nature Center. Seeing the animals and play areas through their eyes helps you rediscover memories that had long been stored away. There’s a sense of bel…
Celebrate Environmentally-friendly Living with a Virtual Party for the Planet
For more than 20 years, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited institutions across North America have thrown a Party for the Planet to celebrate Earth Day (April 22), Endangered Species Day (May 15), and World’s Ocean Day (June 8) throu…
Learn from the Best at the WNC Nature Center!
This summer at the Environmental Educators of North Carolina (EENC) conference, hundreds of formal and informal educators came together virtually to learn everything education! At the end of the conference, it was announced that not one, but two ed…
Celebrate Leafa and Phoenix on International Red Panda Day
September 19 marks International Red Panda Day, and the WNC Nature Center has a lot to celebrate! It has officially been a year and a half since the red pandas, Leafa and Phoenix, were introduced to Asheville as the newest residents of the Na…
Rotary Club of Asheville and Asheville Rotaract Refurbish Their Sponsored Nature Play Space
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 y…
Appalachian Station now boasts bioactive terrariums!
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 h…
Nature Center connects with people virtually amid COVID-19 closure; Friends of the WNC Nature Center seek donations after significant loss of revenue
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 tim…
Teens Walk on the Wild Side at the WNC Nature Center
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 Commiss…
Bringing the WNC Nature Center to You!
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 ar…