Press Release
Western North Carolina Nature Center
The Friends of the WNC Nature Center are pleased to announce that the WNC Nature Center again achieved record-breaking attendance in 2013. The Center finished out the year at just under 108,000 guests – 107,949 in total.
Here’s a look at 2013 by the numbers:
•Eight out of twelve months in 2013 had the highest attendance numbers in five years.
•July 2013 was the second-highest single month for attendance in five years (the first-highest was July 2009)
• In 2013, the Center had 29 days with 600 or more guests, up from 15 such days in 2012 and 7 in2010.
•Since 2010, the Center has experienced a staggering 20% increase in guest attendance. In 2013,20,342 more people visited the Center than in 2010.2013 saw the completion of several projects and developments at the Nature Center. Projects included a new Red Wolf boardwalk and viewing areas, an improved Red Wolf habitat, the addition of a black ant exhibit in Appalachian Station, and several new play features for kids including an oversized bog turtle, a new “barn chores” play area in the North Carolina Farm, and the exciting Arachnid Adventure climbing playground near the wolf habitats.
The Nature Center and Friends would like to thank everyone who has given their time and support to the Nature Center by visiting, volunteering, donating, and spreading the word that the Center is an important resource and establishment in Western North Carolina.
The Friends’ mission is to support the programs, facilities and the residents of the Western North Carolina Nature Center, which showcases the fauna and flora of the southern Appalachian region. The WNC Nature Center connects people with the animals and plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountain region by inspiring appreciation, nurturing understanding, and advancing conservation of the region’s rich biodiversity. For more information on the Friends of the WNC Nature Center, or to join the Friends and support future projects, visit www.wildwnc.org.
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