Gateway To Southern Appalachians Open At WNC Nature Center
This week, the WNC Nature Center officially opened its latest educational installment, the Gateway to the Southern Appalachians. The ribbon cutting for the Gateway, represents and important milestone as the center works to recover from Helene.
This project is part of our strategic plan, and includes:
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
Expansion of the Nature Center Gift Shop
The Nature Center is fully accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums – the gold standard for animal care and welfare. There are sixty species unique to the Southern Appalachians cared for here which attract locals and visitors alike. Just this past week, the Nature Center saw the highest spring break attendance numbers since 2010. Nearly 11-thousand guests passed through these gates from April 3 to 12 – averaging over 1-thousand visitors a day.
The City is proud to partner with the Friends, the TDA, the staff and the community to keep making this awesome place even more educational and inviting.
