After a sold-out first year, the Running of the Goats 5k and Nature Walk returns on Sunday morning, April 24, 2022. The Friends of the WNC Nature Center will host its second-annual race, giving area runners the chance to run wild in and around the WNC Nature Center. Learn more and register at www.wildwnc.org/runwild.
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Brews and Bears at the WNC Nature Center is Back Just in Time for Summer
After being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, Brews and Bears has come out of hibernation just in time for summer! On Friday, July 9, and Friday, August 13, from 5:30-8:00PM, the WNC Nature Center will host the Brews and Bears 2021 after-hours event, where guests can explore the Nature Center in the evening hours when it’s cooler and the animals are more active.
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An Intergenerational Effort to Save the American Red Wolf
When the Cadettes of Girl Scout Troop 1819 were earning their Outdoor Art Badge, they had no idea they would be inspired to begin a journey to help save the critically endangered American red wolf.
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WNC Host Virtual Party for the Planet
For more than 20 years, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited institutions across North America have thrown a Party for the Planet to celebrate Earth Day (April 22), Endangered Species Day (May 15), and World's Ocean Day (June 8) through various events, activities, and celebrations that encourage families to take action to improve the planet and inspire the next generation of conservationists.
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Fall Events Announced at the WNC Nature Center: Wolf Howls and Junior Wolf Howls
If you’ve ever heard an animal howling in the dark of night, it can be a chilling experience. Now with the help of the wolves at the WNC Nature Center, you can attend an evening program to discover the legends and lore of these top predators, find out the truth about wolves, and hear their howls in the dead of night.
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WNC Nature Center Connects People Virtually
On average, 30,000 guests visit the WNC Nature Center in March and April. This year, only 3,700 visited in March before the gates were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nature Center Director Chris Gentile says it’s an unprecedented time: “The Nature Center is typically closed just four days a year - Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Our animals have never gone this long without seeing the public, but the animal care team is there seven days a week making sure they’re well-cared-for and getting the enrichment and interaction they need.”
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43rd Annual Hey Day Fall Festival at the WNC Nature Center
On Saturday, October 5, 2019, the WNC Nature Center will host their 43rd annual Hey Day fall festival from 10am-4pm. The event includes fun for the whole family: arts and crafts, a scavenger hunt, a hay maze, music, face painting (additional fees apply), and exciting animal programs with furry and feathered ambassadors.
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Tap Into Your Wild Side at the Brews and Bears Summer Event Series
On Friday, May 10, from 5:30-8:00PM, the WNC Nature Center will host the first Brews and Bears event of the 2019 season! Due to the popularity of this after-hours event, there will be four occurrences over the course of the summer, falling on the second Friday of each month: May 10, June 14, July 12, and August 9.
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Critter Check Up at the WNC Nature Center, February 16th
Show your child’s favorite stuffed animal some love! Critter Check Up is a chance for your child to get a clean bill of health for their stuffed animal friend from a veterinarian at the WNC Nature Center. Visitors are invited to bring one plush, stuffed animal in for a vet check up between 10a.m. and 1p.m. on Saturday, February 16 th though tickets must be purchased in advance.
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PRESS RELEASE: WNC Nature Center Red Panda Exhibit to Open Feb. 14
The City of Asheville is excited to announce that the WNC Nature Center’s new red panda exhibit will open to the public on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2019 and includes the introduction of our new resident pandas, Leafa and Phoenix.
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