19
19
September 24, 1979
WRAQ and UNC-A STUDENT GOVERNMENT
present live in concert
S'
vJ'
AT THE ASHEVILLE CIVIC CENTER ARENA
8 P.M., OCTOBER 6
$5 IN ADVANCE, $6 AT THE DOOR
Continued from p.7
fascinating to watch--they look like liquid nnotion. Reptiles are also
perennial favorites, especially among children. There is an extensive
collection of snakes that are native to the Carolinas, and the display also
includes the non-native python and boa constrictor. The coral snake
exhibit is another good example of the staff's resourcefulness. By
nature a reclusive creature, staffers were faced with the problem of
keeping,the snake visible. They accomplished this by constructing a dis
play area that consists of a sheet of plywood and a sheet of glass separat
ed by two inched of dirt, thus enabling the visitor to view the snake as
it burrows.
For David Anderson, the saltwater marine life exhibit is the pride
of the Nature Center, and for sheer visual excitement it is probably
unmatched in the complex. The exotic fish are brilliantly colored, but
visitors are also impressed by the anemones and underwater plants
within the display tanks. Many zoos are reluctant to attempt an exhi
bit of this kind because the delicate systems of the fish make a display
of this sort a high-risk investment. However, Anderson feels that the one
at the Nature Center has been worthwhile, "Stocking these three aquar
iums is really expensive," he says, "The fish cost between twelve and
twenty-five dollars apiece, with some as high as sixty dollars. It's a real
gamble, for they're really fragile, but I think it's worth it if people can
come in--some of whom have never even been to the beach- and get to
see these fish in a close apprqximation of their natural environment."
The Center soon plans to permanently acquire an octopus, giving visitors
a nice mixture of vertebrate and invertebrate ocean life. Officials are also
considering adding a freshwater fish exhibit.
One of the unique things about the Nature Center is what could
be called its Please Touch the Animals" policy. While this of course
cannot be literally carried out, it does point to an effort by the Center's
staff members to encourage visitor interaction with the exhibits. One
of the most visible examples of this policy is the Petting Zoo, where
children are allowed to handle domestic animals such as goats, calves, and
rabbits.
Under staff supervision, individuals also get a chance to handle
various other animals, including non-poisonous snakes. Within the near
future this concept will undergo a large expansion. The old zoo building
is being gutted, leaving only the outside shell. The cages that once
filled the structure are being removed, and will be replaced by a full-
scale mock up of a typical farm. Included in the exhibit will be a cider
press and honey extractor which people will be able to operate. Visitors
will also get the opportunity to perform more mundane farm chores
such as milking a cow. All of these participatory activities indicate an
effort on the part of the Nature Center to become education-oriented,
to help enlighten the public to the fact that they are themselves animals
within a habitat. "Take our pond exhibit," says one staff member, "A
pond is a rather 'ordinary' thing, at least superficially. Most people don't
really notice them on a dav-to-day level. However, you can place these
same people in front of an exhibit of a pond, and they will notice that the
water is teeming with life, and is a self-contained little microcosm.
Hopefully, when they leave the Nature Center, they'll start looking at
ponds with a new awareness and appreciation."
Since its opening two years ago, the Center's potential for education
has been one of its most important features. It has served the school sys
tems of nineteen counties, and enables students to come in and observe
firsthand what they have previously been studying solely through text
books. The complex also owns an "Ark," a mobile van that enables the
Center to take its exhibits to outlying areas where people may not
usually have an opportunity to come into Asheville.
The people at the WNC Nature Center want the facility to be a
[)lace where people can come and learn more about the natural environ
ment around them. Through their efforts, they are giving individuals of all
ages a chance to observe and explore the fascinating ways animals behave.
Although they operate with limited funds, their plans are not modest,
for they hope to become the hub of a growing interest in the natural
world.
If you have an afternoon to spare, go visit the Nature Center-it will be
well worth the trip.