A FREE Daily Visitor Guide for the North Carolina Mountains and 50+ NC Mountain Cities: WNC Nature Center

Showing posts with label WNC Nature Center. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Go on Safari in Asheville!

May 31, 6 PM - 9 PM Mountain Safari at the WNC Nature Center This is a one-of-a-kind social adventure. Dress in your best safari gear and party with the animals. Tickets are available online. The evening festivities include live entertainment, special animal encounters, auction and raffle, plus great food and drink.

The evening's entertainment includes live music on stage by Aaron Wood with The Ends and Sunshine and the Bad Things. Included in the admission is a variety of food and drink generously donated by Cafe Azalea, Chili's, Edna's of Asheville, Fig Bistro, The Marketplace and Ultimate Ice Cream. Come early to get a limited release bottle of Rufus Red Ale thanks to Asheville Brewing Company in honor of the Year of the Red Wolf!

The auction and raffle will raise funds for projects at the Nature Center including a permanent butterfly exhibit, new visitor center and new animal exhibits. Some of the featured auction and raffle items are beautiful prints of the Center’s animals and one of a kind framed paw prints.

Western North Carolina Nature Center is a living museum of plants and animals native to the Appalachian region whose mission is to increase public awareness and understanding of all aspects of the natural environment of Western North Carolina through hands-on and sensory experiences. WNC Nature Center strives hard to meet the needs of their adopted 'critters' and the community. Each year they welcome 100,000 visitors, 30,000 of which are school children attending the Nature Center in conjunction with their classroom curriculum.

Get a link for the Mountain Safari and the WNC Nature Center on the Asheville NC Visitor Guide.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Have a North Carolina Elk Experience

March 20 North Carolina Elk Experience in Cataloochee Valley, sponsored by the Friends of the WNC Nature Center. Take part in an exploration of native elk species that has returned to the mountains of North Carolina.

The program includes a presentation given by a naturalist a the Nature Center and a trip to Cataloochee Valley. Fee $20.00/person non-Asheville resident, Friends members and Asheville city residents $18.00. Reservations/tickets required. Call 828-298-5600 ex. 5 to reserve a spot.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Get Lucky on St Patrick's Day

This year for luck on St. Patrick's Day, skip the rabbit's foot and . . .

Adopt A (lucky) Rabbit!

You can choose from either of the WNC Nature Center's two rabbits - Pogo and Slate

Pogo, a Holland lop-eared rabbit, and Slate, a Flemish giant rabbit, live at the Center's Educational Farm, where guests have the opportunity to visit them and learn about the similarities and differences between the two.

(Size is the first obvious difference. Holland lop-eared rabbits average 3-4 pounds, whereas when Slate is full grown, he may end up weighing 14 or more pounds!)

In return for your adoption, you'll receive an adoption certificate, a fact sheet, a Zoobook, and a photo of your rabbit. Plus you'll be assisting the Friends to provide resources to support the WNC Nature Center and its work to inspire guests while educating them on Southern Appalachian animals, such as these rabbits and many more.

Adopt at the $50 level, and you'll receive a (lucky) plush rabbit toy!

You'll also be celebrating St. Patrick's Day in a very unique way! We're pretty sure you'll be the only lucky rabbit Wild Parent at the party.

Click here to adopt a rabbit today!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Winter events at the WNC Nature Center

The Western North Carolina Nature Center is a living museum of plants and animals native to the Appalachian region. Its mission is to increase public awareness and understanding of all aspects of the natural environment of Western North Carolina through hands-on and sensory experiences.And there are plenty of experiences at the Center during the winter months.

Petting Area Hours Will Vary During the Winter - If meeting the sheep and goats at the contact yard is a stop you don't want to miss when you visit, call ahead (828-298-5600 ) or check the board in the lobby when you come in to see when the petting area will be open.

Nibbles with Nibbles plush toy

February 2, Ground Hog Day at the Center presents Carlton Burke's program about groundhogs at 2:00 PM. Explore the folklore of this native rodent species with stories and song, and meet live groundhogs, including Nibbles, the Nature Center's own Animal Ambassador. Celebrate Ground Hog's Day in a special way: Adopt Nibbles, the Nature Center's groundhog, in honor of Groundhog Day!

Being a "Wild Parent" to Nibbles is great - she's cute, she's a Nature Center star, she'll let you know when to put away your winter clothes and bring out your spring clothes. Plus, she won't keep you up all night since we'll take care of feeding her for you. The Nature Center's Wild Parent adoption packages begin at $25 and include an adoption certificate, a photograph of Nibbles, an invitation to the annual Wild Parents Day event at the Nature Center, and more. Adopt at the $50 level and a cute plush groundhog will be included in the package.

Wild Walks begin in February - Wild Walks is a "behind the scenes" tour of the Nature Center. If you've ever been curious about what happens behind the STAFF ONLY doors in the Appalachian Station, now's your chance to find out! Starting in February, the Friends of the WNC Nature Center will be offering a special look into the care of the Nature Center animals. Dates and Times TBA $50 for adults / $25 for children (no strollers).

The WNC Nature Center four-day wildlife rehabilitation workshop will be held February 18-19 & 25-26, 2012 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. The workshop is designed to educate those with or without prior rehabilitation experience to care for orphaned or injured small mammals, birds and reptiles. Workshops include lecture, demonstration and hands-on experience about all aspects of animal rehab, including feeding, housing and general medical care. Speakers will include state and federal licensed rehabilitators, wildlife vets, Nature Center staff, and more!

photo by Jessica Krippel

Nature photographers - professional and budding alike - are invited to share their very best glimpses into life at the WNC Nature Center by submitting photographs to the monthly photography contest. Every month, a winner will be featured in the WNC Friends of the Nature Center Wild ENews. Submissions are open to anyone, any age, and any experience level. Your photo should be from within the WNC Nature Center grounds, and can feature any of the animals and landscapes. Please include your name when submitting, so proper credit to the artist can be attributed. Submissions for February will be due Tuesday, January 31and should be sent to Jill Sharp at americorps@wildwnc.org Remember to specify in your email that your photo is for the contest. Unselected photos will be under consideration for future months.

The WNC Nature Center is located at 75 Gashes Creek Road in Asheville NC. Operating hours are: 7 days a week 10 AM - 5 PM with admittance until 4:30. Get a link for the WNC Nature Center and other Asheville NC Attractions HERE.

The Blue Ridge Parkway at 469 miles long is the nation's longest scenic rural parkway. Now 70 years old it is administered by the National Park Service and host to approximately 20 million visits annually. It connects the Shenandoah Valley National Park with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. Along the route are opportunities for lodging, dining, camping, hiking and simply enjoying breathtaking views from easily accessible overlooks and picnic areas. For additional information visit :The Blueridge Parkway Association

The River Arts District is open year around with the opportunity to meet artists in their studios. Schedules are available online. This unique area along the French Broad River is home to more than 165 artists with working studios located in 18 turn-of-the-century industrial buildings. The artists of the River Arts District welcome you into their studios to talk with them, see their latest artwork, watch demonstrations, and experience for yourself the magic hidden inside the time-worn factories and warehouses along the French Broad River.

Chimney Rock Park is named for a 500 million-year-old giant granite monolith overlooking Hickory Nut Gorge. Visitors are awed by the breathtaking view that spreads 1200 vertical feet beneath them and 75 miles across the Carolinas. The now state owned park encompasses 1,000 acres offers the best of the mountains in one place with spectacular 75-mile views, hiking trails for all ages, a 404-foot waterfall, a variety of special events and much more. Chimney Rock NC

The National Scenic Byways Program is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. The program is a grass-roots collaborative effort established to help recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the United States. Since 1992, the National Scenic Byways Program has provided funding for almost 1500 state and nationally designated byway projects in 48 states. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation recognizes certain roads as All-American Roads or National Scenic Byways based on one or more archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational and scenic qualities.

Tsali Recreation Area is an outdoors lover's paradise. Probably the most popular features of Tsali Recreation Area are the 39 miles of trails suited for mountain bikers and horse-back riders, as well as hikers. The 4-loop system offers a variety of landscapes. You can climb 1-foot wide rugged paths or travel flat, well-beaten roads. The four trails--Right, Left, Mouse Branch, and Thompson Loops--meander through mixed pine and hardwoods on a peninsula stretching into Fontana Lake. Near Bryson City NC and Robbinsville NC.