Western North Carolina Nature Center

WNC Nature Center strives hard to meet the needs of our adopted 'critters' and our community. Each year we welcome 100,000 visitors through our doors - of which 30,000 are school children attending the Nature Center in conjunction with their classroom curriculum. The Nature Center offers many exciting and worthwhile programs. During the summer we open our gates to children taking part in the summer camp series which includes the Native American Camp, Reptiles and Amphibians, Arts and Crafts, Pioneer Living, and Beetles and Butterflies. Also, educational programs such as Frogs and Tadpoles, Nature at Night, the World Underground, Dairy Delight, Wildlife Tour, Snakes and Turtles, Amateur Naturalist, and Trees in Winter, offer a multitude of learning opportunities about the rich heritage of the Southern Appalachian Region. Additionally, the WNC Nature Center is one of only 28 facilities in the country participating in the Red Wolf re-introduction program.

Directions
Site Link

Come join the Nature for an educational Fall evening on Wednesday, October 15th, 5:30-7:30 p.m. You can learn about storm water issues: how they affect our streams and how you can do something about it at your home. Besides light finger food, the evening will also include time for your family to enjoy a private viewing of the traveling exhibit, Native Waters: Sharing the Source, on premises. Children over 7 years old are welcome with adult supervision. Board of Realtors ECO agents will receive 2 hours of credits toward their certification for attending. Center

There will be three breakout sessions: Haywood Waterways will explain the effects of storm water on our streams, North Carolina State University's Water Quality Group will discuss storm water mitigation measures for homeowners and Nature Center staff will describe the Nature's new water catchment cisterns that were recently installed thanks to the Pigeon River Fund. You will also have the opportunity to participate in a one time, at-cost, bulk order of the same cisterns directly from the manufacturer. Hot cider and finger food will be served for old and young alike. Center

This special complimentary evening is limited to just 80 persons, so please R.S.V.P. directly to dclere@ashevillenc.gov by October 13th to secure your family's place. For more information or questions, please contact Dan Clere at (828) 298-5600 ext. 320.

Hey! Come to Hey Day, on Saturday, October 11^th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road in East Asheville and enjoy the following entertainers:

Mountain Thunder Cloggers (10 – 11 a.m.) dance to many types of music - from Bluegrass & Country to 80s/Pop/Hip-Hop. A family-oriented team, they encourage the families watching them to join in!

Haw Creek String Band (11 a.m. -Noon) Whoop it up to the music of the Haw Creek String Band, featuring banjoist Brad Searson and ole time fiddler Bob Hill!

Forge Mountain Cloggers (Noon to 1 p.m.) LOVE to clog and they bring smiles and energy to their audiences!

Marian Macrae & Jamie Herrmann (1 -2 p.m.)  play a mix of traditional Appalachian string band music, with touches of early bluegrass. Marian performs on fiddle and vocals and Jamie plays the bass. Together they play and sing Appalachian fiddle tunes, acapella ballads and traditional songs in their own unique, yet authentic style.

Sherry Lynn and the Mountain Friends Band (2:00 -3:30 p.m.)  play a high energy American swing-grass. This is a strong team that combines fine musicianship and pure joy, giving audiences a highly entertaining show.

Mark DeVerges (2:30 – 4:00 p.m. behind the Big Red Barn) is a true balloon artist. He will create a massive custom object/animal/creature right before the audience with the help of many volunteers in a way that incorporates science, education, and visual art! Following the show, Mark will amaze the kids with his award winning balloon twisting!

Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children, and FREE to Members of Friends of the Nature Center.  Scrumptious food will be available at the Classroom Café onsite, so families can spend the whole day! This year’s generous Hey Day sponsors include Advantage Printing, Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company, Brent Ford of Merrill, Lynch, Grimes and Teich, LLP, Harrington Electric Company, Prestige Subaru and the Toy Box . Media sponsors include Mountain Xpress, WNC Parent magazine and WOXL-FM.

Hey Day will be filled with a whole lot of fun for the whole family. Other fun events include pony rides (extra $), bird carving, story telling, buttermaking, crafts, face painting, and pumpkin painting (extra $) and the always popular cake walk (extra $). Visiting animals include rescue Llamas, Fjord Horses, Endless Endeavors Rabbitry and Miniature Ponies. Enjoy educational exhibits from Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, the North Carolina Farm Bureau, the Buncombe County 4H Club, Rainbow Recycling (inventors of the Recycling Stomp!), Riverlink, Quality Forward and the Asheville Fire Department (AM only). Brett Moore, a visiting farrier, will demonstrate his work at 11 a.m.

All proceeds benefit the Friends of the WNC Nature Center. The Friends’ mission is to support the programs, facilities and the residents of the Western North Carolina Nature Center, which showcases the fauna and flora of the southern Appalachian region. For more information on the Friends or Hey Day, contact Sarah Oram, Director, at 298-5600 ext. 308

We're Sorry...
due to the gas shortage,
the Nature Center will be closed through Monday, September 30th

“Kitty Kats: Discovering Wild Cats of North America” sponsored by the AT & T Real Yellow Pages

Saturday September 20, 2008 from 10:00am – 3:00pm at the WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road in East Asheville, 298-5600 for more information.

It's a puuuufect day for celebrating the magic of cats.  Come visit our felines at the Center and participate in our Family Feud game, become a Skull Sleauth and examine native cat skulls and those of their prey.

Watch our bobcats play with enrichment objects, and listen to our animal keepers share how our cats are cared for and why they are here.

There are 36 species of cats in the world, categorized into subspecies, and all are protected by their specific governing countries.  Our three primary species of wildcats in North America include the bobcat, the cougar, and the Canadian lynx. 

Come discover the “ghosts” of North America’s wilderness!  Come watch them romp, leap, and search for goodies in their enclosures as we treat them to something special.

Children may bring a stuffed cat toy to receive free admission for that day only.  Grandparents get ½ off their admission that day only to celebrate Grandparents’ Day. Regular admission rates apply to all others.

Friends members please use your Friends card for free admission.

Call for more details at (828) 298-5600, ext 305 or visit wildwnc.org.
 

Where: Sante Wine Bar, 1 Page Avenue, Ste. 152, Northeast corner of the Grove Arcade Downtown, 828-254-8188

When: Wednesday, August 20th , 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Join Sante Wine Bar this Wednesday to help raise funds for the Friends. Special guest and wine rep extraordinaire Josh Odom of Owl's Nest Trading Company (get it?  Owls... Nature Center... it's the theme!!) will pour four fabulous critter wines.  These are not you grocery story variety critter wines, but critter wines with class, finesse and pedigree.  

Here are the wines:

Yarraman Estate "Hayburner" Unoaked Chardonnay, New South Wales, Australia - "Yarraman" is an aboriginal term for "wild horse"  and "Hayburner is an old-timey, jokey way of referring to a horse - think "gas-guzzler..."  The juice sees only stainlesss steel - no oak - so what you get is clean, unadulterated chardonnay fruit.  Crisp, refreshing, but with good balance and great body

Yarraman Estate "Ripsnorter" Shiraz/Cab Blend, New South Wales, Australia - A "ripsnorter" is defined as "one that is remarkable for strength, intensity or excellence," and trust us the wine is appropriately named.  A blend of 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, this red is big and bold with ripe berry and vanilla aromas. On the palate, the Shiraz lends blackberry and cracked pepper flavors, while the Cabernet contributes chocolate and licorice. 

Ventura Carmenère, Lontué Valley, Chile - Great care is taken with the Ventura wines as all the fruit is raised organically.  to continue the animal theme, there is an unusual artist's rendition of a llama on the label. Carmenère, known as the "lost grape of Bordeaux" is Chiles' trademark red varietal and is considered to be their "noble grape." This beauty has a deep ruby color, bright berries on the nose, and a complex, full body.

Ventura Malbec, Lontué Valley, Chile - Malbec is normally associated with Argentina, but Chile is producing some magnificent wine from this other Bordeaux varietal as well - and again Ventura is crafting a wine made from all organic fruit.  This wine has a great smoky, plumy nose that continues as the wine moves onto the palette.  Packed with fruit and well rounded.

So here's your chance to come out, taste some free wine and give back to the community.  Guests are encouraged to taste each wine only once and may purchase bottles or cases at the end of the evening.

The Santé motto on Free Tasting Night is "Give till it hurts, drink till you feel better!"  No need to RSVP, just show up on Wednesday, August 20, between 5:00 - 8:00 PM, come up to the wine bar, pick up your tasting glass, make your donation, feel good about contributing and proceed to the lounge to get your taste on.  So, so simple...

Drop into the Wonders of Waters Festival and the grand opening of the special traveling exhibit, “Native Waters”, Saturday, August 9th from 10:00am to 4:00pm, at the WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road, in East Asheville.

The Nature Center will celebrate our most precious resource, water, while teaching what all of us can do to protect it.  Numerous local nonprofits and government agencies (specifically,  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Project WET, Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District, Riverlink, and Haywood Waterways) will be here to promote water conservation, recreation, and awareness.  The Center will be giving away water conservation kits free to the first 30 families entering that day. Other water conservation items will be available at cost or as prizes during the day. Vegetarian food will be served exclusively to highlight the fact that  vegetarian diets use far less water than meat based diets.   Other fun activities include collecting aquatic insects from the Swannanoa River, participating in enrichment activities with the Center’s aquatic animals (the River Otter and the Northern Water Snake), and otherwise getting all wet at a big community water party!  Run on down for gallons of fun in the sun! 

That same day will be the grand opening of “Native Waters”, a national traveling exhibit from Bozeman, MT focused on Native American perceptions of water and its conservation. This exhibit juxtaposes themes of water cycle science with Native American regard for water.  It will provide a powerful and multidimensional perspective of water as something spiritually significant as well as precious in a very practical sense. Visitors will do things such as pump “rain” over a model landscape with urban and rural sections and see first hand the relative absorption capacities of each type of landscape.  Children will race marbles through a landscape trying to avoid nonpoint source pollution on their way to the river.  Certain panels have audio components with Native American elders speaking of their regard for water and its meaning. The exhibit will be hosted by the WNC Nature Center until the end of October and is made possible by a generous grant from the Pigeon River Fund of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina.

"We are very excited and proud to be able to share the "Native Waters" traveling exhibit with Nature Center visitors. This wonderful exhibit will help us educate and fascinate visitors about the intricacies of all life forms dependent on water as well as the strong connection and reverence that Native Americans have for this precious resource. We will be able to also highlight the need for good stewardship of water and present many practical methods for responsible water resource management. We are grateful for the generosity of the Pigeon River Fund of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina that made this special exhibit possible," said Bob Fay, Nature Center Operations Manager. For more information on either the Wonders of Water Festival or the "Native Waters" exhibit, please contact Dan Clere, Nature Center Education Specialist, at (828) 298-5600 ext. 403. 
 

If you live in the city of Asheville and have an Asheville's drivers license, come on out and visit the Nature Center on Saturday, July 26, 2008 anytime between 10:00am and 4:00pm for FREE admission this one day only. Bring your family and your Asheville's drivers license (must say Asheville, NC on it) to the Nature Center on Saturday, July 26 between 10:00am and 4:00pm for free admission.  It is a small way of saying thank you for being a resident of our Asheville community. Regular admission rates apply to all others. 

The WNC Nature Center’s mission is to educate the public about the flora and fauna of Western North Carolina and foster an interest in the conservation of native plants and animals. The Nature Center serves 27 counties in western North Carolina and each year welcomes 100,000 visitors through its doors. It is operated by the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department of the City of Asheville. The Friends of the WNC Nature Center was incorporated in 1974 and since that time, has privately raised over $1 million to enhance the programs and facilities of the Nature Center.

Western North Carolina Nature Center is featured on the cover of the new AT&T Real Yellow Pages directory serving Asheville. The Nature Center is also on the AT&T Real Yellow Pages Companion directory, which is the smaller, more portable version of the traditional print directory. More than 322,000 total copies of the AT&T Real Yellow Pages directories have been produced for distribution in the area this year. Delivery starts this week and lasts approximately four weeks. The directory also will be available to new residents and businesses throughout the year.

“We are pleased to feature the Nature Center on the cover of our new AT&T Real Yellow Pages directories for Asheville and we are a proud supporter of the Nature Center,” said Lavoy Spooner, AT&T Regional Director for External Affairs. “We’re always working to make our directories an even greater value by tailoring the contents and services offered in them to the needs of our customers. You can count on the AT&T Real Yellow Pages as your complete source of community information.”

The Western North Carolina Nature Center is a living museum of plants and animals native to the Southern Appalachians. The Center has more than 73 species of wild animals, 17 different breeds of domestic animals and hundreds of species of native plants. Its purpose is to increase public awareness and understanding of all aspects of the natural environment of Western North Carolina through hands-on and sensory experiences. Each year, the center welcomes 100,000 visitors through its doors, including 30,000 school children. The WNC Nature Center is a facility owned by the City of Asheville and operated by Asheville’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts department. The cover photo was taken by retired WNC Nature Center naturalist and wildlife photographer Tony Dills.

“We are excited that the Western North Carolina Nature Center will be on the new directory covers for the next year,” said Bob Fay, Western North Carolina Nature Center Operations Manager. “It’s great timing to have this type of exposure for the center right before we open the new animal habitats in the fall. We hope residents and visitors will come out and see our new improvements.”  

In addition to area residential and business listings, the AT&T Real Yellow Pages includes local, state and federal government listings; area attractions and events; arts, maps, emergency and 911 guides; severe weather tips; and other important local information. The Asheville directory includes listings for Arden, Skyland, Enka, Candler, Fairview, Fletcher, Leicester, Swannanoa Valley, Black Mountain, Montreat, Ridgecrest, Barnardsville and Weaverville.
AT&T Real Yellow Pages directories are recyclable, and the paper used to print the directories contains 40 percent recycled materials. Directories are recycled into such products as paper towels, bathroom tissue, insulation, animal bedding and paper for new phone books. To recycle outdated phone books, please visit Keep America Beautiful online at http://www.kab.org for recycling information in your community.
AT&T Advertising & Publishing is the largest directory company in the world in terms of revenue, and it delivers print directories to more than 83 million residences and businesses in 22 states. The company is the Leads Leader for local business, with the most-effective, full suite of advertising search products that enables you to connect with potential customers anytime, anywhere. It has a leading online presence with YELLOWPAGES.COM. Combined, these print and online products receive more than 5 billion consumer searches a year for local business information and provide more than 1 million advertisers with valuable sales leads to help their businesses grow.
For more information on the print directory or YELLOWPAGES.COM, please call AT&T Advertising & Publishing at 800-GET-REAL (438-7325) or visit online at http://www.1800getreal.com.

For more information about Western North Carolina Nature Center, visit http://www.wildwnc.org.

Slither on Over to the Annual Reptile Beauty Pageant
at the WNC Nature Center in east Asheville
July 12, 2008 from 10:00am – 3:00pm
      Put on your scales and slither on over to the WNC Nature Center this Saturday, July 12th from 10 to 3 p.m. Bring your beautiful and talented pet reptile(s) to the WNC Nature Center for its annual Reptile Beauty Pageant. The Nature Center has expanded its categories to include all reptiles; snakes, lizards and turtles (non-venomous, please). All reptiles will compete for the Silver Scale Award, where owners stand before the audience and state why their reptile should be "crowned" the Best Reptile in the show. Festivities include reptile and amphibian exhibits with the Southern Appalachian Herpetological Society, live animal programs, along with reptilian presentations, arts/crafts, the Family Feud game and of course, the Reptile Beauty Pageant at 2:00pm to conclude the day.
      Pre-register your pet reptile by calling (828)298-5600, extension 305 or download an entry form from the Nature Center’s website, wildwnc.org, and fax it to (828) 299-8558 attn: Reptile Master.  Since the Nature Center is an educational institution, it is also required that contestants produce a simple educational display for their pet. The dimensions for the display should be 2'x3' or less. Poster boards, photographs, and literature on your pet (species) should be included in your display. Those entering a reptile must have their display set up by 10:00am on Saturday, July 12th.. Those entering will also receive free admission for the day. Regular admission rates apply to all others. Give us a call to register your pet reptile today!
      Come join us for a fascinating day of education, fun and wonderful reptiles! For more information on this contest, please contact Bob Fay, Operations Manager, at (828) 298-5600 ext. 303.

Come meet the new kid on the block at the Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road in East Asheville. Cocoa, the Center’s Nigerian Dwarf goat, gave birth for the first time, Thursday, May 15^th, to a very cute little brown kid. Mom and kid are both doing well, but please don’t touch when you visit until this little kid grows older!

Cocoa has resided at the Nature Center since 2005. The father, Walker, also of the same breed, has returned to Reid Hill Farm after a brief appearance at the Nature Center this past winter.

From Wikipedia, “The Nigerian Dwarf goat is a miniature dairy goat breed of West African ancestry that was originally brought to the United States on ships as food for large cats such as lions… Nigerian Dwarf kids are usually very active. Within a short time after birth they are able to stand, walk and nurse. After a day or two they are usually trying to bounce and jump. Nigerian kids love to climb, run and skip. Siblings and groups of kids often race, butt or play "king of the mountain." When tired from play, the young kid will often find a quiet, hidden place and sleep until its dam (mom) bleats for it to nurse.”

Come join us at the WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road, for an afternoon of fun facts about birds.  See live birds of prey demonstrations, various bird feeding stations, discover what it is to be a bird, how they operate and how they survive the various seasons.  Programs, arts and games are all a part of this informative day on birds! 

 Regular admission rates apply. Call Dan Clere, Education Specialist, for more details at 828-298-5600.  Regular admission rates of $7 for adults and $3 for children 3 and older apply. $2 discount for adults residing in the City of Asheville.

Show Mom you are wild about her on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11^th by bringing her to the WNC Nature Center’s celebration of mothers. The Western North Carolina Nature Center celebrates the day for all mothers with a half priced admission for mothers that are escorted by their offspring all day on Sunday, May 11 only.  The first 100 mothers visiting will also receive a free carnation! Visit the Center’s animals, enjoy the grounds in full Spring Blossom, discover some fun facts about wildlife moms and enjoy a few special treats for everyone who visits during this festive day! Regular admission rates apply: $3.00 per child, $7.00 per adult and seniors $6.00 (moms ½ price!). For more information on this special event, please call Keith Mastin, Education Curator, at (828) 298-5600 ext. 305 or dial “0” for the front desk. Visit our website, wildwnc.org for directions and more information about current events at the Nature Center. The Nature Center is located at 75 Gashes Creek Road in east Asheville.

Spring has sprung and the Nature Center barn is teeming with new arrivals. Smallest, but not least in interest, are our new Cochin Bantam chicks, 25 in all. These could be Red Cochin Bantam Chickens, Barred, Golden Lace Cochin Bantams or even, Silver Sebrights, a rare breed of Bantam which is listed on the American Livestock Breed Conservancy as a watch breed since there are fewer than 5,000 breeding birds in the U.S. Come watch them develop and guess their future colors!

Speaking of poultry, our Royal Palm turkey is in full display every day with a fan of beautiful black and white feathers. The Royal Palm Turkey is considered a heritage breed and is listed as critical by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Our new slate turkey, Sally, is also a critically endangered breed.  The Slate or Blue Slate variety is named for its color, which is solid to ashy blue over the entire body, with or without a few black flecks. It is also called the Blue or Lavender turkey. Slate hens are lighter in hue than the toms. Sally’s head and throat are red to bluish white, her beak is horn in color and her eyes are brown. Her shanks and toes are pink.

The Slate was accepted by the American Poultry Association in 1874. It has been popular in exhibition circles and is gaining popularity in pastured poultry production. Renewed interest in the biological fitness, survivability, and superior flavor of the Slate has captured consumer interest and created a growing market niche. For more information on the chicks and turkeys, please contact Henry Bulluck, Animal Curator, at 298-5600 ext. 311.

The WNC Nature Center is located in East Asheville at 75 Gashes Creek Road. Visit wildwnc.org for hours and more information.The Nature Center’s mission is to educate the public about the flora and fauna of Western North Carolina and foster an interest in the conservation of native plants and animals. The Nature Center serves 27 counties in western North Carolina and each year welcomes 100,000 visitors through its doors. It is operated by the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department of the City of Asheville. The Friends of the WNC Nature Center was incorporated in 1974 and since that time, has privately raised over $1 million to enhance the programs and facilities of the Nature Center, including beloved special projects such as building the Red Wolf, Gray Wolf, Cougar and Bobcat habitats. The Friends has over 2200 members who support its activities on behalf of the Nature Center.  For more information on the Friends, contact Sarah Oram, Director, at 298-5600 ext. 308

 Hop to the Western North Carolina Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Road, as it celebrates the AZA’s Year of the Frog on Saturday, April 12^th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s a hip-hop grand adventure to be a frog!  Want to learn how to be one?  Then come join us for a fun filled day of croaking laughter, trilling music and song with local musicians and a swamp-load of crafts and games with a “tad” of amphibian education! 

The American Zoological Association has made 2008 the Year of the Frog to highlight the alarming decline of amphibians worldwide. One third to a half of all amphibian species are now threatened with extinction. Habitat loss is the major threat followed by the rapid spread of amphibian chytrid fungus which wipes out entire species once affected.

 Frogs Matter!

• Amphibians eat pest insects benefiting agriculture and minimized disease spread
• The skin of amphibians has substances that may offer possible medical cures
• Biologists see amphibians as the “canary in the coal mine” because their highly permeable skin makes them an exceptional indicator of environmental quality
• Frogs have been cherished as agents of life and good luck in many human cultures

 So jump in on Saturday, April 12^th! The fun and education all starts at 10:00 a.m. at the Nature Center.  Lectures on frogs, toads, and salamanders will be given throughout the day in our classroom.  Participate in a frog-jumping race, test your vocal skills in our Frog Calling Contest, or just sit back and have some fun in our “Froggy Family Feud” game!  Call for more details at 828-298-5600.  Regular admission rates of $7 for adults and $3 for children 3 and older apply. $2 discount for adults residing in the City of Asheville. For more information on this program, contact Keith Mastin, Education Curator, at (828) 298-5600 ext. 305.