WNC Nature Center

A living museum of plants and animals native to the Southern Appalachians! This page is supported by the Friends of the #WNCNatureCenter #KeepAshevilleWild

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

We will no longer be posting on X. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

https://t.co/RkZD9fHcHC
@wncnaturecenter

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

#FunFactFriday Howl amazing is this? 2023 was a record-setting attendance year at the WNC Nature Center! With 192,535 guests visiting from places as far as Perth, Australia. We saw the most foriegn visitors from Candada, followed by the UK and Germany.

📷 Karen Peron

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Make memories and a painting with your little one at the WNC Nature Center! Creativity will run WILD on Monday morning, January 29th, in this step-by-step painting class!

Visit https://t.co/limRzHzDyM to purchase tickets.

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Congrats to Denise W. for winning our January photo contest with this otter-ly sensational photo.

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Spotted: New newts at the Nature Center! Meet Fleabane and Duckweed, Eastern newts that were found at a local water source. They were deemed eligible as ambassador animals and join Olivia, our other newt, who came to us in 2022.

Photo by Jill Sharp.

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Due to icy weather, the WNC Nature Center will be closed until noon today (1/6/24). Please continue to check this post or the https://t.co/0yNiziEltr website for updated weather announcements.

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

It’s National Bird Day! What better time to introduce you to Morticia, our new turkey vulture. She was hatched in the wild and suffered a buckshot wound to her shoulder. As a result, she’s unable to fly. She came to us from Zoo America in Hershey, PA, and is 11 or 12 years old.

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Who still has their tree up? Looks like Frankie could help take down a few.

Thanks to Natural Mountain Growers, a local nursery vendor selling at the WNC Farmers Market, for donating several trees as a special holiday enrichment for our animals. They were a hit!

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Happy New Year from all of us at the WNC Nature Center. May 2024 go swimmingly!

As a reminder, the Nature Center will be closed today but open during regular hours on January 2nd.

Pictured: Frida, an Eastern painted turtle

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Oh baby, what a year it’s been at the WNC Nature Center! Let’s take a look back at the bundles of joy we welcomed in 2023. April: critically endangered Red Wolf pups born. September: bobcat, Tufts, and coyotes arrived. September: new raccoons November: bobcat, Kohana arrived.

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Have you been rockin' it with your camera at the Nature Center? Enter your pic in our monthly 📷 contest! Email 📷 to [email protected]. Photos must be taken on Nature Center grounds, and people pictured must give permission. Submissions may be used for marketing in the future.

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Happy Howlidays! Tomorrow, December 27th, is Visit a Zoo Day! We're open all week, so stop by and see how big our Red Wolf pups have gotten to be!

Photo by Karen Travis.

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Ribbet the sounding joy! Wishing you a happy holiday. As a reminder, the WNC Nature Center will be closed on December 24th and 25th.

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

We had A LOT going on in 2023! Take a few minutes to read our 12 Months of Critters year in review and see for yourself. https://t.co/sdTjOS76hw

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

#FunFactFriday How do I love tree? Let red pandas count the ways. They spend most of their life arboreally, are excellent tree climbers, and can descend trees head first!

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

From a guest:

"Fantastic family fun in Asheville. We love the Otters of course, but we also love the Gray Wolves, Red Pandas, Turtle Pond, and the Hellbender! The facilities are always being improved, even as the cast of animals changes. Definitely recommend!"

📷 Karen Travis

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

#MeetMeMonday Say hello to Bela! Barn owls are a farmer's best friend! They eat rodents which helps to keep crops healthy and minimize the spread of disease to other farm animals.

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Check out who's naught and nice this month!

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

Stop! You don’t have to keep stressing about those last-minute gifts! How about a Gift Membership to the WNC Nature Center? Visit the Gift Guide on our website to find the perfect holiday present for your friends and family.

https://t.co/O4Jvw4NkOO

[WNC Nature Center @wncnaturecenter]

It's time for a December Dump! We're dumping some photos in the hope that you're inspired to dump some change into our donation box! Those coat pockets and couch cushions aren't going to empty themselves! Turn that change into enrichment for our animals!