WNC Nature Center

Since it was an unseasonably cool day yesterday, we spent the afternoon at one of our favorite places, the WNC Nature Center. When the weather is nice, we visit the Nature Center at least once a a week. It's just a great place to walk around, burn off some energy, and learn about the wildlife indigenous to the Southern Appalachian region. The last two summers, we've attended camp at the Nature Center and had the privilege of meeting some of the animals up close and learning about a lot more about them.
Tot's favorite animals are the bears. There are two black bears at the Nature Center. Each day at 11:00 and 3:00 there is a special animal presentation. Today's presentation was about they keep the bears from getting bored. Bears are opportunistic feeders. They eat whatever is easily accessible and have some amazing senses to help them search out food. In captivity, food is supplied for them and they don't have to work for it so they can easily get bored. Today we got to see one way they keep the bears entertained. The keeper had two large cardboard boxes that he threw into the bears' pen. Inside each box was a frozen rainbow trout wrapped in brown paper. The bears had to sniff out the food and break open the box to get the trout. Ursa, the female, found the first trout and ran to her night house to eat in peace. This allows them to practice skills that are important in the wild but that they don't get to use in captivity. It also gave us a chance to see why it is so important to keep anything that wild bears might think is edible inside where they can't get to it.
The main areas at the nature center are Appalachian Station where they have reptiles, amphibians, insects, and spiders from the area as well as a touch table and two giant microscopes that kids can put various objects under to display on screens on the wall. Tot's favorite thing to look at is her hand. Brother has a ball touching the objects from the touch table; smooth and rough stones, wood, bone, snake skin, etc. We can easily spend an hour here looking at the snakes and longer if someone has one of them out to touch.

The otters are always a hit. Olive and Obi-Wan love to show off for visitors and Brother could sit and watch them swim all day. Tot's favorite is the otter slide.

The farm area and petting zoo. Usually you get to pet and even brush the goats, but today they had the sheep in the petting area instead so we got to experience something new. The petting area is open from10:00 - 12:30 and 1:30 - 4:00.

Then there is the predator walk with bobcats, cougars, wolves, foxes and coyotes. We don't often make it this far before Tot's tired and ready to go, though we do try to start here every once in a while.

Prices (discounts available for City of Asheville residents):
Adults: $8
Seniors (65+): $7
Children (3-15): $4
Under 3: Free
The WNC Nature Center participates in both the AZA and ASTC member reciprocal programs, so if you're a member of another AZA or ASTC facility you also get in free here!