A new outreach educator will now be available to bring 30-minute, hands-on programs with live animals for area groups who might not make it to the Nature Center themselves.
“The Center receives many more requests for education and classes than we can possibly provide, so we often have to turn down requests,” said Education Specialist Lauren Pyle. “But thanks to this grant, we can start saying yes to those travel requests.”
The Nature Center’s award was one of 41 given to science centers across the state, totaling $2.44 million. The N.C. Science Museums Grant Program aims to enhance public education opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, especially in low-resource communities.
The WNC Nature Center attracts more than 134,000 visitors annually, and the number has been steadily increasing for the past six years. The center’s education department directly impacts more than 15,000 of those annual visitors.