Donor Spotlights

Grandfather Mountain has always been a big part of the lives of Gail and Snyder Garrison and their family. One of the couple’s first dates was hiking the Profile Trail through rain and hail to go camping on a weekend away from college at UNC-Chapel Hill. Snyder’s...

“It’s our job to foster a child’s curiosity of nature and science, and help them to understand the world around them.” – Stewart Gray Stewart and Martha Gray have taken their two grandchildren across North Carolina exploring science museums. For them, an...

Lory and Ray Lockwood have been coming to Linville in the summers since the 1970s with their parents Peggy and Bill Lockwood. Grandfather Mountain was their playground, and it loomed large over their family’s mountain getaway. “It was just where we went to relax and...

Munroe and Becky Cobey wake up to a view of Grandfather from their home near the base of the mountain. This sight is one that they do not take for granted, as it was a top priority for them when they selected their homesite. “Grandfather Mountain is a gift that keeps...

What is the story and inspiration behind the vibrant new bear portrait hung prominently in the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery? The project had been in the works since 2019, when artist Kent Paulette first proposed the idea of creating and then donating an original...

In autumn of 2019, a special animal adoption took place at Grandfather Mountain in memory of Ralph Wheeles. His wife, Carolyn, and their son, Wayne, adopted Carolina, one of Grandfather Mountain’s resident habitat black bears, because of their deep emotional...

It’s been more than 50 years since Monty and Brenda Combs first visited Grandfather Mountain. Over the decades, their gifts of time, talent and treasure have inspired all who meet them. Enduring friendships, indelible photographs and a passion for conservation are...

Summer is always an exciting time, and we were delighted to welcome Darrell D. Stover, who became the new Head of the N.C. Science Museums Grant Program in August of 2021, for a recent visit. Funding from the program has been vital in helping the Stewardship...

Many friends of the mountain invested generously to create the new Conservation Campus and Wilson Center for Nature Discovery (opened July 2022). We are grateful! They are a force for nature and together we will share the wonders of the mountain and...