Plus, applications for the Youth Leadership Academy.
 
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Sunrise 7:40 a.m. | Sunset 5:29 p.m.
 

Expanding the experience + the family

New faces and a bright future for the WNC Nature Center
WNC Nature Center sign and exterior
The new welcome sign is just the start of the extensive renovations. | Photo via WNC Nature Center
With still a month to go in 2023, the WNC Nature Center has already had a record-breaking year. In fact, the record was broken just last week with the Center surpassing 2019’s 181,000+ visitors. Director Chris Gentile expects that, even though things slow down in the winter months, they’ll see a few thousand more before the year is out.

As exciting as the milestone is, that record isn’t the only big news happening for the Center. Meet the newest members of the family and explore the plans for their fresh digs.

Baby animals from the WNC Nature Center

Say hello to the Center’s newest friends.

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Photos by Friends of the WNC Nature Center

A flock of new faces

In the past six months, 19 animals of seven different species have taken up residence at the Center. The influx of baby animals started in April with the birth of seven critically endangered red wolf puppies. Also born in April, but arriving at the Center in July, were two coyote pups, Cal and Walker.

Tufts and Kohana the bobcat kittens joined the clutter in August and November, respectively, while Grace and Frankie the raccoons came in late September. Two baby box turtles and two baby snapping turtles will stay at the Center for the winter and be released back into the wild in the spring.

And although we love the babies (really, who doesn’t?), they weren’t the only ones to make Asheville their new home. Suli the black vulture and Morticia the turkey vulture, both adults, settled in this year, too.

These animals join the Center’s family for a variety of reasons, with some prepared to stay their whole lives and others just stopping by for a short while. Although some are born at the Center, others were injured out in the wild or not able to be released, and some just need short-term care.
Renovations for their new home
 
Events
Monday, Dec. 4
  • Lake Julian Festival of Lights Drive-Thru Nights | Monday, Dec. 4-Saturday, Dec. 23 | 6-9 p.m. | Lake Julian Park, 37 Lake Julian Rd., Arden | $10-$50 | Listen to your favorite holiday tunes as you drive through a stunning display of a million sparkling lights.
  • Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic | Monday, Dec. 4 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Noble Cider Downtown, 49 Rankin Ave., Asheville | Free | Settle in for laughs during this showcase the best local comics from the monthly Freshen Up Open Mic.
Tuesday, Dec. 5
  • The State of the Economy | Tuesday, Dec. 5 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Hi-Wire Brewing Event Space, 2A Huntsman Pl., Asheville | Free | Chris Larsen, founder of Next-Level Income, and Bryce Robertson, leader of the Cultiv8 Collective Inner Circle, will talk strategies for navigating the 2024 real estate scene + economic landscape for agents, investors, or anyone interested in the economic insights.
  • Reset Breathwork Workshop | Tuesday, Dec. 5 | 6-7:15 p.m. | The Restoration Hotel Asheville, 68 Patton Ave., Asheville | $22 | Join the Breath Nurse for a full-body reset to breathe out stress and get energized.
Wednesday, Dec. 6
  • Screening of Craft in America’s “Visionaries” | Wednesday, Dec. 6 | 12 p.m. | Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, 120 College St., Asheville | Free | Learn about the work of many of the weavers + artists featured in the Weaving at Black Mountain College exhibition.
  • Candy Cane Flashlight Hunt | Wednesday, Dec. 6 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd., Asheville | Free | Explore Carrier Park after dark as you search for candy canes and more — the event is designed for teens and adults, but kids 10-12 are welcome with an adult.
  • Music to Your Ears Discussion Series | Wednesday, Dec. 6 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr., Ste. D, Asheville | $10 | Bill Kopp, author and music journalist, and DJ Erik Mattox will lead a discussion on Paul McCartney and Wings’ landmark 1973 LP, “Band on the Run.”
Thursday, Dec. 7
  • Taking to Water: A Reading and Poetry Workshop | Thursday, Dec. 7 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Firestorm Books, 1022 Haywood Rd., Asheville | Free | Join poet Jennifer Conlon for a reading from their debut collection “Taking to Water,” a writing workshop, and open mic.
Saturday, Dec. 9
  • White Labs Test Kitchen: Pizza Making | Saturday, Dec. 9 | 2-3:30 p.m. | White Labs Brewing Company, 172 Charlotte St., Asheville | $55 | Enjoy pizza tasting + beer pairing, and learn the secrets to making the perfect pizza dough, led by R&D Chef Bert Sheffield.*
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Tech

Cut holiday spammers off at the source
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This service protects your personal data not only from targeted ads, but also from scammers and identity thieves. | Image by Incogni
The best way to cut down on all those holiday spam emails, texts, and calls? Cut marketers off at the source by removing your personal information from data brokers — aka companies that sell contact info to spammers (and scammers).

Save yourself the manual work and get your data off 180+ data brokers and people search sites automatically with Incogni.

Bonus: Sign up for a one year subscription with code 6AM60 and get 60% off.
Snag 60% off for a limited time
News Notes
Civic
  • Buncombe County released the official notice of the 2024 Property Tax Listing Period. Anyone who owns personal or business property that’s subject to taxation in Buncombe County on Monday, Jan. 1 must file a listing no later than Wednesday, Jan. 31. If all that legalese is feeling overwhelming, read through the breakdown.
Edu
  • It’s never too early to plan for the future. Applications for the City of Asheville Youth Leadership Academy are open now until Monday, Jan. 15. The summer program is aimed at high school sophomores and juniors who want to explore careers + leadership development and develop job skills. Apply now.
Health
  • With NC’s recent expansion of Medicaid eligibility, Buncombe County Health and Human Services is hosting a Medicaid Expansion Kickoff event to answer questions and help with applications. Stop by the East Asheville Library on Tuesday, Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a presentation, Q+A with agency reps, and help from local experts.
Featured
  • A local professor competing for game show glory. Who is Dr. Alisa Hove? The Warren Wilson Biology Department Chair lit up the screen last Thursday, Nov. 30 during her appearance on the Jeopardy! Wildcard Champions Hearts Tournament. Although Dr. Hove didn’t advance, she did earn a $5,000 prize. (WLOS)
Kids
  • Calling all budding scientists. Asheville Museum of Science is offering hands-on science activities, games, and museum exploration at its Winter Break Science Camps during the week of Monday, Dec. 18-Friday, Dec. 22. Register now for rising kindergartners through 5th graders.
Award
  • The Land of Sky Regional Council presented local leaders with its Annual Awards, including the Robert G. Parrish, Sr. Intergovernmental Relations Award, the Charles H. Campbell Regional Leadership Award, and the Robert E. Shepherd Excellence in Local Government Award — plus, 15 other leadership + service awards. And the winners are...
Regional
  • The Locust Cove No. 2 fire in the Sunnyvale area of McDowell County is more than 150 acres, with about 25% of the fire contained since it started Wednesday, Nov. 29. A second fire, the Clear Creek Fire, is also burning nearby at around 124 acres. (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Edu
  • Signed, sealed, and soon-to-be delivered. Students and staff got the chance to handwrite their signatures on one of the main support beams holding up their future Pre-K through 8th-grade school outside of Boone, NC. Cute names 🤝 steel frames.*
Seasonal
  • Tis’ the season of giving. If you give a charitable donation this year, Stressless furniture wants to reward you. Until Jan. 15, every $50 donation made to charity comes with generous discounts on some of the world’s comfiest recliners, motion sofas, dining chairs, and more.*
Travel
  • Did you know? There are 300+ “event days” in Greenville, SC. From signature events like Fall for Greenville and Artisphere, there’s always a reason to visit. Check out the calendar of events and plan your 2024 trip.*
Finance
  • Masterworks is a platform that helps you invest in multi-million dollar art by names like Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso, for just thousands – not millions. When Masterworks sells a painting, like the 16 it’s already sold, investors can get a return. 6AM City readers can skip the waitlist to join.**
**Investing involves risk and past performance is not indicative of future returns. See important Reg A disclosures and aggregate advisory performance masterworks.com/cd.
 
Answered

Building a BRP bridge

Answered: An update on the Blue Ridge Parkway Bridge construction
AVLtoday_Blue_Ridge_Parkway_Bridge_construction
Segments are put into place in pairs on either side of the piers. | Photo courtesy of the NCDOT
Orange cones, cranes, and fences are a regular sight in Asheville these days. It’s not always clear what’s going up, coming down, or on the construction horizon, though, so we asked for your construction questions and got to investigating. One of the most frequently mentioned projects was the Blue Ridge Parkway bridge that’s going up over I-26 between exits 33 and 37 (it’s even got its own Facebook page), so we started there. And NCDOT had the answers.

The new bridge is part of the I-26 widening project. The existing bridge’s piers don’t allow for space to place the expanded eight full lanes, so the new bridge is being built to accommodate the interstate widening.

There’s a lot to learn about this undertaking, so hit the button below to get a glimpse at the project’s conditional timeline and its cantilever construction method.
Let's get technical
The Buy

The Buy 12.04.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
A fun and useful gift that’s sure to get the holiday party started: a margarita machine.
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The Wrap
 
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Today’s edition by:
Molly
From the editor
I always had elaborate parties as a kid (like that time my mom made a whole cardboard castle to go with a medieval theme), so I appreciate a good birthday celebration. That’s why I was excited to hear that River Arts District Artists is using its birthday celebration as a way to give back. On Saturday, Dec. 9, it’ll be hosting a silent auction of small works from resident artists to benefit Beloved Asheville. Stop by for art, music, refreshment, and support.
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