2012-Summer - Western North Carolina Nature Center

Published by the Friends of the Western North Carolina Nature Center
www.wildwnc.org Volume 36, number 3 • Summer 2012
Year of the Red Wolf...Puppies!
By Jill Sharp, AmeriCorps Outreach Associate
The Western North Carolina Nature
Center made a very special announcement
at this year’s Mountain
Safari event: Mayo, the Center’s female
red wolf, gave birth to four healthy red
wolf puppies on May 9th!
Red wolves are critically endangered
with fewer than 400 left in the world.
That means these four puppies have increased
the population of red wolves by
a full 1%. With seven red wolves on the
grounds, the Nature Center houses 2%
of the entire population. This is an overwhelmingly
tiny population, but news
for the red wolf is good. In the 1970s,
there were only fourteen pure individuals
in the world. From those, the US
Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership
with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
founded the Species Survival Plan
(SSP) for the red wolf. With a focus on
strong genetic diversity, those fourteen
wolves became the foundation for the
current population.
Red Wolf pups -
1 month old!
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Red Wolf pup -
3 weeks old!
While Nature Center visitors are not yet able to view the red wolf puppies, you can give them a special
welcome by becoming their Wild Parent!
Adoption levels start at $25. All adopters receive an adoption certificate, a special red wolf pup photo,
a fact sheet, a Zoobook, and an invitation to our annual Wild Parents Day event at the Nature Center.
To share our excitement over these four new additions to the Nature Center—for a limited time, all our
red wolf adopters will receive a Friends Red Wolf magnet!
Adopt a red wolf today by mailing in the form at the back of the newsletter, by visiting
www.wildwnc.org, or by calling 828-259-8092.
The Mission of the Friends of the WNC Nature Center, a not-for-profit membership organization, is to create awareness
and provide financial resources through fundraising and events, in support of the Nature Center.

www.wildwnc.org
828-259-8092
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Robert Pierce, President
Holly Stiles, Vice President
Sarah Merrell, Secretary
John Stanier, Treasurer
Barbara Veach, Past President
Johanna Cahan
Jami Daniels
Tommy Duncan
Sara Fields
Vicky Garner
Aaron Johnson
Matthew Kern
Dan Lazar
Sarah MacLeod
Hal Mahan
Johnny McKay
Brian Methvin
FRIENDS STAFF
Kimberly Brewster
Executive Director
828-298-1082
friends@wildwnc.org
Suzanne Mwengi
& Cassie Pfleger
Membership &
Outreach Coordinators
828-259-8092
membership@wildwnc.org
Jill Sharp
AmeriCorps Outreach Associate
americorps@wildwnc.org
A Note from The Friends
Dear Friends,
As this fiscal year comes to a close, we look back at another year of great
success and accomplishments. Thank you to everyone who has played a part
and provided support! The Center has experienced record-breaking attendance, the
membership program continues to grow and we have received generous gifts from
the community including $50,000 for new animal exhibits in the barn from Festiva
Resorts. And, to top it off, we have added four red wolf pups to the critically endangered
species! Congratulations to the red wolf parents, Phoenix and Mayo!
We especially would like to extend thanks to our exiting board directors
John Delaloye, Kevin FitzPatrick, David Greenspan and Doug Williams. These
gentlemen have put in a great amount of time, talent and energy into the Friends
and the Center. Thank you all!
As we look to the future, we continue to focus on the 2020 Vision and building
a strong Friends organization to support the Center. The Friends board is excited
to welcome four new directors – Hal Mahan, Tommy Duncan, Brian Methvin and
Dan Lazar. Thank you for your willingness to serve and help us move the
2020 Vision forward into reality!
The coming year promises to keep the excitement coming with the new
Arachnid Adventure Playground opening along with plans being made for transitioning
the new entrance to the barn level. This transition will provide easier access
for our visitors and an immediate wild welcome with the new animal habitats
Festiva is funding in the barn. Please plan to visit often and be sure to keep up with
all that is happening including our growing red wolf pups on FaceBook & YouTube.
Summer Smiles!
Thank you to our
Mountain Safari
sponsors & volunteers!
Thanks to you, our
party with the animals
was a big success!
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
The Nature Center is operated by the
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts
Department of the City of Asheville.
Center Hours: 10am - 5pm daily
828-298-5600
www.wncnaturecenter.com
Asheville Brewing
Company
Beer City Bicycles
Café Azalea
Chili’s
Diamond Brand
Outdoors
Edna’s of Asheville
Festiva
Hospitality Group
Forest
Commercial Bank
groovy tables
Ultimate Ice Cream
Printed on 100% Recycled Paper

Director’s Message
by Chris Gentile, WNC Nature Center Director
Dear Friends,
The past few months have been busy
at the Nature Center. Almost
14,000 people visited the center in
April, our largest single month since
July 2007 so you can all imagine how
the lobby in our main building has been
looking! As part of our 2020 Vision
master plan adopted last October, we
put a new entrance at the top of our priority
list for projects. I am pleased to
announce that we are now working
closely with Haizlip Studios (a local
Asheville design firm) on planning for a
new entrance experience. Gone will be
the days of ascending two flights of
stairs when entering the Center.
Instead, a future visit will be much
more welcoming and accessible. New
points of sale will be able to handle even
the busiest days, a new express line will
be available exclusively to our Friends
of the Nature Center members during
busy times and a new parking area will
allow for more “level” parking for guests
with strollers and wheelchairs. Look for
construction to start on this much
needed enhancement soon as we
continue to grow your Nature Center.
If you are interested in more information
on all of our incredible plans for the
future, be sure to check out the 2020
Vision link on our website. As always, we
welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Chris Gentile
WNC NatureCenter Director
Got Gas?
By Keith Mastin, Nature Center Education Curator
Traveling by motorized vehicles these days is no cheap
adventure, with prices continuing to rise gradually in the
next few months. Want some statistics on human travel
versus animal travel? Here are some fun facts:
Distance: Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, a long
distance trip will be considered anything over 50 miles away
from home with an average of 284 miles one-way. Some bats,
like the Mexican Free-tailed bat, regularly will fly over 100
miles in a night searching for food.
Transportation: For America, 91% of all summer trips are
in personal vehicles, 7% by air, and 2% by train or bus. The
Eastern box turtle, our North Carolina State Reptile, can live
in a space about the size of our home (200 m in circumference)
if there is clean food, plentiful water, and shelter from
the weather’s extremes. It supports its own shell which is not
considered its shelter. It can obtain a walking speed of
1/6 of a MPH (14.5’/minute).
Destination: 97 percent of
summer trips are to domestic
destinations while 3 percent
are to international destinations.
During the remainder of the year international travel
drops to just under 2 percent. The Arctic Tern, on the other
hand, recently revealed that the 4-ounce (113-gram) bird
follows zigzagging routes between Greenland and Antarctica
each year. In the process, the arctic tern racks up about
44,000 frequent flier miles (71,000 kilometers)—edging out
its archrival, the sooty shearwater, by roughly 4,000 miles
(6,440 kilometers).
Maybe we should not ask so much about “gas energy” as we
should look at our “personal energy”! Which do you fall closer
to within the realm of energy, the turtle, the tern, or the bat?
3

Year of the Red Wolf...Puppies!
CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
The focus on breeding pairs is still
genetic diversity, and Phoenix, the puppies’
father, was specially chosen by the
SSP as a mate for Mayo.
Mayo was also born at the Nature
Center on May 5, 2009. She was a litter
of one, though Angel and Rufus, her
parents, had a litter of five prior to
Mayo. All five of those pups were relocated
by the SSP to ensure they were
paired for breeding with other wolves
for the best possible genetic combination.
It’s exciting for the Nature Center
to have three generations of wolves on
the grounds!
Red wolves are found in the wild
only in Alligator River National Wildlife
Refuge on the coast of North
Carolina. The genetic material
of our four new wolves is an
important part of this wild population,
though they will grow
up in captivity. Someday, the
descendants of Rufus, Mayo,
and these puppies may be
released into the wild.
The four new wolves and
their parents are being kept off
public view until a time that
staff and veterinarians think appropriate.
One of the stipulations for raising
red wolves here at the Nature Center is
to protect their wild instincts as much
as possible. That means the staff of the
Nature Center interacts with these puppies
on a very limited basis and only
during veterinary exams.
Red Wolf pups -
2 days old
Although you won’t be able to see
the pups at the Nature Center yet, you
can always come and visit Rufus, their
grandfather. You can also follow the
pups’ progress on Facebook and
YouTube where we’ll be posting pictures
and videos of their development.
4
Living The Dream By Jill Sharp, AmeriCorps Outreach Associate
When I was in first grade, I knew
what I wanted to be when I grew
up: a unicorn. As I grew older, I
realized this was a ridiculous fantasy.
Unicorns, after all, aren’t real. By
second grade, I had a new ambition:
I would grow up to be a horse instead.
While I had to eventually face the
disillusionment that I would never be
quite that connected to the animal kingdom,
my aspiration to work closely with
creatures great and small lost none of
its ambition, and has landed me right
where I always wanted to be. It’s not
everyone who can say they’re working in
their dream job – but snakes, vultures,
and wolves are rarely listed as dream
coworkers, either.
As a child, I had no idea you could
actually get hired to work at a place like
the Nature Center. I thought zookeepers
must be specially imported from a magical
place where they let you feed wolves
and train otters. It wasn’t until I volunteered
that I learned I could become one
of them – and what that really meant.
While volunteering, and later working
as an Animal Care Intern, might not
be accurately described as ‘magical,’ it
was life changing. When my internship
ended, I applied for the AmeriCorps position
and waited. Good things do come
to those who wait, and in September of
2011, I joined the Friends of the WNC
Nature Center as their AmeriCorps Outreach
Associate. With the Friends, there
were no otter meals to prepare or bobcat
beds to scrub. Instead, I was coordinating
volunteers, writing articles for local
publications, and generally discovering a
whole different side of being an Animal
Enthusiast...and it’s awesome!
I talk to the public, either on social
media or face-to-face in educational programs,
about the native species of wildlife
in western North Carolina. If they want to
get involved, I help them become a volunteer.
I help work the gears that run our
big events like Hey Day and Mountain
Safari, getting a chance to impress upon
guests the importance of our southeast
Appalachian ecosystems.
The best part of my job is when people
and animals meet. Among the 60
represented species, ambassadors like
the red wolf are fast disappearing from
planet Earth. Preserving these species is
conservation on a critical scale. Every
animal encounter educates, and education
fosters appreciation, and appreciation
becomes conservation.
I love snakes, and my favorite introduction
to make at the Nature Center is
to our snakes. Having a child who’s
never seen a snake up close before get a
chance to touch a seven-foot black rat
snake is really why I never want to do
anything else with my life. It’s not just
about the animals. It’s not just about
the people, either. It’s about connection,
stewardship, and preservation. It’s
about all of us.
I’m not sure what I’ll be doing when
my AmeriCorps service position comes
to an end, but at least now I know what
I want to be when I grow up: someone
who never stops caring about animals.

Thank you to all our Wild Parents, who adopted a Nature Center animal in 2011!
American Hellbender
PJ Yeargin
American Toad
Kimberly Traylor
Angora Goat
Sandra Houts
Hannah Procida
Barred Owl
Rebecca Robinson
PJ Yeargin
The Women of Sugar Hollow
Black Bear
David Jackson Cooper
Matthew Daniel
Isaak Davis
Debbie Dills’ Kindergarten Class
Eve Duncan
Lucia Harrington
Savannah Holland
Geyssie Ingram
Jakob Iwanek
Jessica Joseph
Marty Mann
Judge J. Matthew Martin
Noah Senzon
Gibson Smith
The Wenzel Children
Bobcat
Addison Duncan
The First Grade Dolphins
Gretchen Eileen Fisher
Gina Tenore Griffin
Amanda Hiebert
John Roulet
Bob Semple
Patti Sgambellone
Steven Stewart
Copperhead
Joy Absher
Cougar
Carly, Chloe & Carolina Allen
Morgan Bishop
Kate E. Burger
Patrick Crowell
Alegra Eksioglu
Diamond Family
Drew Fuller
Dorothy W. Griffin
James Ingram
Amaya Jones
Kathleen Lewis
Preston Peters
Gina Pieroni
Carol Richards
Jessica Rutenis
Arielle Senzon
Sage Snider
Nicholas Stanier
Parker Paul Summey
Jean W. Vernon
Marcia Jean Vodicka
Luke & Kendall Williamson
Coyote
Dave Grinnell
Donkey
Marcia Jean Vodicka
Eastern Box Turtle
Ms. Pearl Hall
Eastern Screech Owl
Joy Laguna
The Women of Sugar Hollow
Gray Fox
Mans Ruin Tattoo
Salavador Van Rolabledin
Gray Wolf
Beverly Amendola
Ashley E. Blankenship
Asa Bryan
Ashley Taylor Byrd
Lonny Chestnutt
Ellie & Jack Cross
Michael Jeffries Griffin
Sara Frances Jones
Paul Knoke
Mark Lemke
Robin Lenner
Brandon Lynch
Ms. Masters’ 5th Grade Class
2010-2011
Lucy Rose Mattox
Robert Nagan
Ava Nolan
Misty Oliver
Scott Rachlinski
Deb Ramsey
Elizabeth Gray Skinner
Emma Sullivan
All Wild Parents from the previous year are invited to our annual Wild Parents Day
celebration. This year, our Wild Parents enjoyed special visits from Nature Center
ambassadors and took a special tour of the Center, where they observed Center
animals, including the gray wolves pictured below, receiving enrichment items.
To become a Wild Parent, Adopt an Animal online at www.wildwnc.org.
Great Horned Owl
Ryan Parker
Nicole Robertson
Grady Scala
The Women of Sugar Hollow
Michele
Groundhog
Marmoty Marmot
Tom Roller
Aidan Simic
Carole Soucaze
Matthew David Streets
Sarah Weiss
Holland Lop-Eared Rabbit
Sophie Smitten
Lilliana Soucaze
PJ Yeargin
Icelandic Sheep
Rose Withrow
Indian Peafowl
The Funicello Family
Nigerian Pygmy Goat
Frank R. Beer
Raccoon
Asa Bryan
Bob Powell
Bobbi Powers
Jennifer & Scott Stuckey
Red Fox
Jarica Crain
Asya Eksioglu
Cothran Family
Arlene Hohn
Grace Anne Jaye
Richard, Julie, & Harriet Johnston
Linda Meyer-Peyroux
Charles & Kelley Middleton
Bryan Roseberry
Creative Village
Benjamin Williams
Red Salamander
Aiden Bryson
Carter & Jacob Chandler
Red Wolf
Kaylyn Brank
Connie Burns & Vijay Director
Joan Carl
Jon & Olga Georgi
Emma, Riley & Andrew Gilland
Sophia Smith
Ericka Smitten
Laura Piercy Stout
Ellen Weaver
Naccia Whittaker
Christopher & Ashley Wilson
Red-Tailed Hawk
Bruce Olson
PJ Yeargin
Allison
River Otter
1st/2nd Grade Jubilee Class
Karen Amendola
Caleb Anglin
Emily Burns
Sarah Burns
Ava Dendy
Alara Eksioglu
Jessica Gibson
Rennie Habel
Amy Hanzel
Julie Harris
Owen Johansen
Estefani Kids
David Thomas Kiral
Liam Ashe Rigsbee
Tana Samuels-Fair
Scampers, Lily & Tibby
Mary Schilling
Becky Swan
Katelyn & Colin Vaskovsky
Ellen Weaver
Steve Webb
The Wenzel Family
Rough Green Snake
Leeanna Huff
Cameron Tarpley
Sicilian Donkey
Kathy Coco
Marianne Ferber
Spotted Turtle
PJ Yeargin
Striped Skunk
Kathy Coco
Cynthia Lidd
Bill & Jerry McAninch
PJ Yeargin
Timber Rattlesnake
David Dobbins & family
Jim Ingram
Turkey Vulture
Caroline Strong
PJ Yeargin
White-Tailed Deer
Saila Buser
Parker Paul Summey
Thank you to Hal & Laura Mahan, owners of The Compleat Naturalist
For hosting the Friends on April 13 for an evening of great food and company as we made friends
with the supporters of this beautiful little shop. The Compleat Naturalist carries a wide variety of
merchandise, from jewelry to children’s books to spectacular nature photography and artwork. To
celebrate their 20 year anniversary, owners Hal and Laura Mahan invited us to celebrate with food
donated from Neo Cantina, door prizes, and a special presentation about the WNC Nature Center’s
2020 Vision. There were also a few special guests – a box turtle and a corn snake, who beguiled
guests with their reptilian charm! Thank you to Hal, Laura, and the Compleat Naturalist for their
support of the WNC Nature Center – and congratulations on 20 years!
5

6
NATURE NOTES The Life of Guest Services
By Mischa Trinks, Guest Services/Front Desk Manager
Hello, how are you folks doing
today?” This is a line you may have
heard me say a time or two while working
the front desk. I love working the
desk and interacting with guests, but I
also have another passion I’m pursuing.
“
Yes, I actually like doing animal care,
cleaning habitats, and making life comfortable
for the animals. I have been at the
Center almost 10 years and oh my time
has time flown by. For the last few years I
have felt like I’m missing out on something
and now my passion is in full force.
Back in the fall I took on the task of
caring for the bunnies at the barn. We
have a Holland Lop named Pogo and a
Giant Flemish named Slate. Slate was
the “BIG” reason I wanted to take on
the task. Although Pogo is a cutie pie,
there was something about Slate’s
breed that intrigued me. I read up on
the care for these Giants and immediately
started working with him. After
Slate was ready to go into his new
exhibit, I felt like not only was I ready
to care for him but for Pogo as well.
What a joy it has been! I have learned
so much about them and I hope I have
helped them be the best they can be.
When I’m down there with them, I forget
all my worries and focus totally on
their needs. It has truly been a blessing
to have the opportunity to bond with
these boys and I look forward to spending
many more wonderful moments
with them. If you are visiting and have
not got the chance to meet them, please
head to the barn and see what you have
been missing. Thanks for visiting and
ya’ll come back now, ya hear.
P.S. Slate would be the BIG BUNNY!
Hehehe
A Girl, Her Camera, and the Great Outdoors
By Caroline Bryant, Nature Center volunteer
Whenever I am outdoors, I want
my camera with me. It started
as I roamed the yard with my parent’s
camera when I was 10. I took loads of
blurry flower pictures and tried to get
my dog to pose. I got down in the grass
to get shots from an ant’s perspective
and took close ups of my cats’ faces as
they lounged on the porch. The camera
lens became my way of enjoying nature.
Caroline is a 15 year-old homeschool student. When she isn’t
outside with a camera in her hand, Caroline spends her time in
the dance studio or on the stage. She volunteered as a Junior
Naturalist at the WNC Nature Center for 3 summers.
My mom’s computer was filled with
my photo files, and I began begging for
my own camera. Scrolling through my
pictures was like taking the walk or the
hike all over again. I noticed new details
as the images filled the monitor screen
and was often surprised at what I had
captured with my shots. A picture I took
of a praying mantis just as it turned its
head towards me looked like he posed
and said “What do you
think you’re doing?”
The difference in the
details of a moth’s antennae
from my eyes
to the full screen shot
was fascinating to
study. I could appreciate
the details of
the lines in a spider
web’s design in a
whole new way.
As my skills as a
photographer grew,
my appreciation of
nature did too. The
changing colors of the
sky or the shades of
green leaves reflecting in a still pool
were all magnified when I captured
them in the frozen moment of a photograph.
The amazing variety of designs
and colors of butterflies really caught
my attention as I worked in the Butterfly
House during my summers as a Junior
Naturalist. Once a week I watched
and worked as they flew all around me.
I would rush back after my shift with
my camera to take pictures.
My love of animals was one of the
main reasons I wanted to be a Junior
Naturalist, so obviously I enjoy photographing
them. Taking pictures of animals
from various angles and settings
captures different perspectives and
continually teaches me more about
them. Birds can be extra frustrating to
photograph, though, because they
never sit still long. I never seem to
grow tired of watching them which
might be why I can keep clicking away
trying to get that one perfect shot.
My words don’t really express my
feelings about nature and all of creation,
but maybe my pictures do.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Animal Moments Programs
Twice daily at 11:30am and 3pm
Wild Walks Behind the
Scenes at the WNC Nature Center
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Walks are from 2-3pm
Preregistration required:
828-259-8092
Bele Chere
The Nature Center will make KidsZone Presentations
Saturday, July 28, 11am & Sunday, July 29, Noon
Bat Conservation Week
Junior Naturalists will be sharing knowledge
about bats through games and kids activities
every day at the Nature Center.
August 6th – 10th
Hey Day
A Fall Family Festival
Saturday, October 6
Hey Day Festival
Photo: Jamie Sharp
WILD WEEKS
Summer Camps at the
WNC Nature Center
SOME CAMPS STILL
AVAILABLE!
Our selection of camp programs
all have new twists in their content
this year, so sign up now!
Pee Wee Camp is available for
children ages 1-5.
Call the Nature Center
today to check availability!
Call 828-298-5600, ext. 5,
or visit us online at www.wncnaturecenter.com
for more information.
Thanks to Edna’s of Asheville for their generous donation to the Nature Center! Edna’s of
Asheville hosted an all-day fundraiser at their Grand Opening on May 19, raising a total of $2600 for
the Nature Center! Thanks to Tom, Mike, and Edna for all their support, and to everyone who came and
enjoyed delicious muffins, sandwiches and drinks. Be sure to stop by and say thanks!
Join us in support of The Nature Center! Please select your gift choice:
Join or Renew Your Membership:
Individual $30 Dual (two adults) $45
Family (1-2 adults, 4 children) $62
Add a member: Extra Adult $15
Extra Child $10
Wildlife Guardian $100
All adult and child members must live in the same household,
unless all adults are grandparents to the children listed.
Fill out names of members
Adopt An Animal - Animal Choice:
Name on Certificate:
Wild Parent 1 $25 Wild Parent 3 $100
Wild Parent 2 $50
Pkg 2-3, Gift Choice: Book Plush Mousepad
Plush not available for red wolf adoptions.
Engraved Brick:
Regular brick $100
Corporate brick $150 (contact office for details)
Message to go on brick (up to 3 lines, 20 characters per line)
Details at www.wildwnc.org/support-the-center/buy-a-brick
Join Our Food Chain You are the missing link!
Donation Amount:
Details at www.wildwnc.org/support-the-center/food-chain
Tell me more about the 2020 Vision!
BUYER INFORMATION If this is a gift, please fill out Gift Recipient Information section below.
Name:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Phone:
Email:
MEMBERSHIP / GIFT RECIPIENT INFORMATION
First and Last Names: of adults, if membership
First and Last Names: of children, if membership
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Phone:
Gift Message to Recipient:
Total enclosed: $
Please make checks payable to the Friends of the WNC Nature Center,
or pay by credit card:
MC/Visa #:
Exp. Date: CVV #:
Mail to: Friends of the WNC Nature Center, PO Box 19151, Asheville, NC 28815
Thank you for your support!
7

NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U S POSTAGE
PAID
ASHEVILLE, NC
PERMIT #125
P.O. Box 19151
Asheville, NC 28815
www.wildwnc.org
828-259-8092
Return Service Requested
In
This
Issue:
Plug us in!
Grab your calendar and mark us
down for wildlife programs every
day at 11:30am and 3:00pm at the
WNC Nature Center. We never know
what to expect from our happy collection
of animals, so we wait until the day
of the program to decide who wants to
be shown to the human audiences.
FRONT - Year of the Red Wolf...Puppies!
PAGE 2 - A Note From The Friends
PAGE 3 - Director’s Message • Got Gas?
PAGE 4 - Living The Dream • Red Wolf Pup Story (continued)
PAGE 5 - Wild Parents Thank-Yous
PAGE 6 - Nature Notes/A Girl, Her Camera and the Great Outdoors
PAGE 7 - Upcoming Events • Giving Form
Many of you have already met Art the
Barred owl and Nibbles the groundhog,
but have you seen the otters being fed,
or the cougars receiving a box of hidden
goodies? It’s all a part of our education
series here to enlighten and entertain
you, our guests! You are more
than welcome to call us prior to your
arrival to see what is we will be doing
that day with our “special guests”, you!
Subscribe to the online
version of Wild WNC News! Just send
an email to membership@wildwnc.org.
Wild WNC News Is Printed on 100% Recycled Paper
Thanks to FESTIVA
HOSPITALITY GROUP
for their generous donation
to the Nature Center!
Festiva Hospitality Group donated $50,000 for exhibits at the barn!
Future plans include barn owls, snakes, and other wildlife commonly found at farms as well as renovations to existing
habitats. Thank you to Butch Patrick and Don Clayton for helping move the Nature Center further in the 2020 Vision!