Each time Kate Frost wanders into the WNC Nature Center in Asheville, she can’t help but be overjoyed by the animals she sees and the unforgettable experiences she takes with her. 

“Every time I get a chance to go to a wildlife park,” Frost said, “it’s [for] the children at heart [as an adult] who always want to learn, who love animals and nature.”

As the executive director of the Friends of the WNC Nature Center, Frost oversees a conversation organization that “inspires a passion to know more, care more, and do more for the wildlife of the Southern Appalachians.”

“And there’s nothing better than people who have reached out to say, ‘I went there as a kid, and now I’m taking my kids,’” Frost said. “This truly is such an intergenerational place, and so many people are finding so many different things from it.”

Last year, the WNC Nature Center celebrated two milestones: the 100th anniversary of the opening of the (now-defunct) Recreation Park Zoo in Asheville in 1925, and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Friends of the WNC Nature Center in 1975. To note, the center itself was launched in 1977.

“What’s unique about the center is that it’s a wildlife park that specifically focuses on animals who live or have lived in the Southern Appalachian Mountains,” Frost noted. “This is a really great way to actually see the animals you might find in your backyard or could have found if you lived here five million years ago.”

With one of the most diverse ecosystems on the entire planet, Western North Carolina is home to countless species of plants and animals. And even in a modern world of technology and distraction, the center remains a vital force in reconnecting humans to the intrinsic value of nature in our everyday lives.

“The nature center allows you to be up close and personal with [animals],” Frost said. “And we’ve found, through outreach and education that until you have a true connection [with animals and nature] — to feel, learn, and use your senses with an animal — you may not have the connection we feel they would want in order to try to conserve [these creatures] in the future.”

Some of those native animals onsite at the 42-acre zoological park include the black bear, bobcat, red wolf, cougar, coyote, river otter, box turtle, gray fox, barn owl, and many more. Visitors can also see pygmy goats, angora goats, donkeys, skunks, and a red panda, as well as an array of snakes and turtles.

“When you’re walking the nature center, you’re going to see red wolves, then you walk a couple hundred feet and see our coyotes, and, in that moment, you can see there’s a distinct difference,” Frost said.

For Frost and her colleagues, the ethos at the foundation of the nature center is “the more you know, the more you care, the more you do.”

“Education is really at the heart of conservation,” Frost said. “And that’s what we hope to do here at the nature center — to make sure people are aware of and learning about the species in this region, so that they can preserve them.”

Strolling the center, Frost will observe folks of all walks of life, age and backgrounds: kids, adults, and the elderly all coming together and enjoying the timeless beauty of nature firsthand. And it’s a feeling of gratitude for Frost to know she’s part of who and what is ensuring the preservation and perpetuation of the center for future generations.

“You know, when you’re watching a group of kids in a field trip, and you see the wonder and curiosity sparked?” Frost posed. “It gives you hope for the future.”

Want to go?

Showcasing a wide selection of wildlife native to Southern Appalachia, as well as offering numerous educational opportunities, the Western North Carolina Nature Center is located at 75 Gashes Creek Road in Asheville.

Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day of the year, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. For more information, visit wildwnc.org or call 828.259.8080.