The Paintings of Liza's Reef

Hope For The Oceans


 

Hope For The Rain Forests

Lee  James  Pantas

Who Liza's Reef Is Helping

Reef Store

The Western North Carolina Nature Center is a living museum exhibiting plants and animals that are native to the Southern Appalachians whose 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.  The education philosophy of the Nature Center is to interpret the natural environment  in a holistic manner, treating each organism or environmental factor as a component of the overall ecosystem. The center's goal is to foster understanding of the Southern Appalachian bioregion in order that individual components of the ecosystem, including humans, may be seen and understood in the proper perspective.

The Nature Center strives hard to meet the needs of their adopted 'critters' and our community. Each year they welcome 100,000 visitors through our doors - of which 30,000 are school children attending the Nature Center in conjunction with their classroom curriculum

It is located on the southeast side of Asheville at 75 Gashes Creek Road, along the Swannanoa River and is open Monday through Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The center is also supported by the Friends of  the Nature Center program.

The Nature Center offers many exciting and worthwhile programs. During the summer they open their 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.

The Nature Center is also one of only 28 facilities in the country participating in the red wolf re-introduction programs and as such offers a unique opportunity to see these rare animals. The center  part of a national captive breeding program run by the US Fish &Wildlife Service to raise red wolves for  release into the wild.

Website: WNC Nature Center
Telephone: 828-298-5600, Fax: 828-298-2644
Address: 75 Gashes Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28805
WNC Nature Center Staff Directory