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Page 10 - shelby shopper & info - 704/484-1047 www.shelbyinfo.com Thursday, February 17-February 23, 2022 Stewardship foundation celebrates success of "Fulfilling Promises" capital campaign Grandfather Mountain is widely known for its lofty heights, offering guests a breathtaking vantage point to the natural world. But with the forthcom- ing opening of the park's brand-new Wilson Cen- ter for Nature Discovery, guests' experience on the mountain will soar above and beyond the Mile High Swinging Bridge. The new facility is of- ficially "under roof" and is expected to open in spring 2022. Under construction since fall 2019, the Wilson Center – part of an all new Conservation Campus – will nearly double the size of the park's current Na- ture Museum with 10,000 square feet of education space, including state-of- the-art museum exhibits, three classrooms, restora- tion of the ADA-accessible auditorium, enhanced food service facilities to allow for catering and serving edu- cational groups, and ex- panded capacity for hosting conferences, seminars, re- ceptions and community events. Outside the center, guests will enjoy new out- door learning spaces, in- cluding an amphitheater with terraced seating and a pavilion, as well as a new botanical garden. In turn, the park will be able to offer an expanded, mile-high slate of program- ming opportunities for audi- ences and participants of all ages. "It's been a long time in the making," said Jesse Pope, president and execu- tive director of the Grandfa- ther Mountain Stewardship Foundation, the nonprofit organization that owns and operates the Linville, N.C., nature park. "To see this come to fruition is a dream come true for me, and it's something that will be a wonderful enhancement to a visit to Grandfather Mountain." "Nobody can look up at Grandfather Mountain and not realize that this mountain is exceptional," said Catherine Morton, GMSF board secretary and daughter of the park's late founder, Hugh Morton. "But because Grandfather was advertised as a tour- ist attraction for decades, visitors came with the ex- pectation of walking across a bridge, seeing some pretty views and maybe taking a picture of a bear or two." Since 2009, when the at- traction became a nonprofit nature park with a mission of inspiring conservation, "guests have had their eyes opened to the significance of Grandfather as a sanctu- ary for an amazing web of life," Morton said. This includes unique combinations of elevation, terrain and climate that accommodate 16 distinct biological communities, providing habitat for 73 rare and endangered species. "The Wilson Center for Nature Discovery will allow the stewardship foundation to tell the story of Grandfa- ther Mountain's biological significance," Morton said. "New interactive exhibits and interpretive programs will give guests insights into the natural world, and while we know the experi- ence will be 'educational,' our guests will describe it as 'entertaining.'" While the original Grand- father Mountain Nature Mu- seum was Hugh Morton's vision, the Wilson Center represents the passion and creativity of his children, the foundation's board of directors and the project's generous collaborators. This includes Bob and Susan Wilson, after whom the center is named. "Grandfather Mountain is a unique mountain, a unique ecological center … and this is about taking our young kids and letting them learn about it," Bob Wilson said during the Wil- son Center's groundbreak- ing ceremony in 2019. "It's something that I think we need … more now than ever." The Wilson Center is designed to weave fun with education, offering expe- riential learning opportuni- ties for guests young and old. New exhibits include a 3-D interactive map of the mountain, showcas- ing Grandfather's ecologi- cal and geological history like never before; flora and fauna walls, which shine a spotlight on the moun- tain's unique biodiversity; a weather and climate sec- tion designed to dynami- cally explain the science behind Grandfather's ex- treme weather; and much more. The design of the space itself also plays a part. "The original design for this building was about bringing the natural world inside," Pope said, "and allowing the learning and education that happens in- side that space to symboli- cally spill out into the world. From the outside, it's an extension of the historic ar- chitecture with some new flairs and modern takes on the original design, and it's going to feel and look like it belongs on Grandfather Mountain, which was very much the intent." Designers, architects and landscapers went to great lengths to ensure the facility wouldn't be vis- ible from any other vantage points and that the view- shed would be preserved. "And we've tried to make it as energy-efficient and sustainable as possible," Pope added. Morton cited "the energy and inspiration" inherent in the new space, specifically "soaring ceilings, expan- sive windows, the aesthet- ics of manmade concrete blended with mountain- made boulders and trees." "The space makes you feel alive and invites you in to participate in a program or interact with an exhibit," she said. "It's a space that celebrates life." Fulfilling Promises Creating the Wilson Center took mountains of effort — and a true com- munity. Grandfather Mountain's Fulfilling Promises capital campaign has raised more than $6.8 million through donations of all sizes, from benefactors like the Wil- sons to everyday guests rounding up their bill at Mil- dred's Grill. Park employees and volunteers contributed, too, pooling together to pres- ent a check of more than $4,000 toward the cause. "It's a dream come true, being part of something so special," GMSF vice presi- dent Lesley Platek said. "So many amazing donors stepped up to invest in this project and in expanding our educational mission – so many of whom already loved Grandfather Moun- tain. They really wanted to be a part of the Conser- vation Campus and new Wilson Center for Nature Discovery." Platek thanked every donor for their vision and commitment and said the project would not have been possible without the leadership of the founda- tion's board of directors. Grandfather Mountain's Wilson Center for Nature Discovery nears completion Grandfather Mountain's forthcoming Wilson Center for Nature Discovery is officially under roof and is expected to open in spring 2022. (Photos by Frank Ruggiero/Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation) An artist's rendering depicts the finished Wilson Center for Nature Discovery, part of Grandfather Mountain's new Conservation Campus. Grandfather Mountain's new Wilson Center is designed to weave fun with education, offering experiential learning opportunities for guests young and old. New exhibits include a 3-D interac- tive map of the mountain, showcasing Grandfather's ecological and geological history like never before, and more.