Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, recently wrapped up construction on the Ginny Burton Education and Animal Care Facility, part of the nature park’s growing Conservation Campus. While the new space is not open to general guests, it will be a stop on Behind-the-Scenes Tours (one of the mountain’s special add-on experiences) offered by habitat staff.
The facility is tailored to the needs of Grandfather’s growing education and habitat teams, providing more collaborative work space, a break room and private offices, while also allowing keepers to give top-level care for the animals that call the mountain home.
It includes a commercial-grade kitchen with the capacity to prepare healthy meals for Grandfather’s resident creatures, as well as a dedicated area for preparing fun, interactive enrichments that ensure the best possible life for them. There is also a room for the mountain’s ambassador animals and space for minor veterinary care, laundry services and extra storage.
A dedication ceremony for the new office building took place in July.
Ginny Burton – who has long expressed her love for Grandfather’s animals (such as by regularly bringing them treats!) and her gratitude for the people who care for them – provided a major gift to support the construction of the facility.
“It warms my heart to be able to be a part of this and to have my name associated with Grandfather Mountain, one of the most beautiful places on earth and one of my favorite places to visit – it’s just an honor,” said Burton during the ribbon-cutting event.
In addition to the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery that opened in June 2022, Grandfather’s Conservation Campus currently includes the Mildred the Bear Environmental Habitats, the Cobey Botanical Garden, filled with native plantings, and the Williams Outdoor Learning Space that features an amphitheater with terraced seating and a pavilion, built around the existing natural landscape adjacent to the Wilson Center.
“This new facility will provide important support for the care of the animals in captivity that call this place home,” said Jesse Pope, president and executive director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “This facility will also be the hub for our education team to continue to share the wonders of Grandfather Mountain with the world. And, today marks another significant milestone in our journey as a growing and maturing nonprofit organization.”
“The Ginny Burton Education and Animal Care Facility stands as a testament to our dedication of excellence in animal care, conservation and education,” he added. “This facility is not just a building. It is a symbol of our ongoing commitment to make Grandfather Mountain the best place that it can be in all aspects of the park. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Ginny Burton.”
Pope also offered his appreciation to donor John Crosland III, who contributed funds for the conservation and education department offices on the second floor.
Christie Tipton, animal habitats curator with the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, described the new building as a “dream come true.”
“This facility is just a game-changer for us,” she said. “I can’t tell you how excited we are about it.”
Meanwhile, the space for the education team to more easily collaborate on developing new programs and enhancing current education offerings, plus a nice place to store all the materials that they’re producing, is something Lauren Farrell, interpretation and education programs manager for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, is excited about.
“We have a great crew of interpretive park guides, environmental educators, zoo educators and other full-time staff that are developing impeccable, amazing interpretive materials,” Farrell noted.
“These two departments have a key role in changing not only the attitudes that people have about conservation of the natural world, but also changing their lives when they come here and learn about what’s all offered here,” said John Caveny, director of conservation and education for the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, regarding the education and habitat staff now housed together in the new building.
“We really want the Conservation Campus to be a hub for transformational learning for people as they come here, and I think we’re right on track with that,” Caveny added. “We’re going to do some major things with this new space we have.”
Gordon Warburton, chair of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation’s board of directors, echoed many of the sentiments shared by employees regarding the Ginny Burton Education and Animal Care Facility.
“This has real purpose, real meaning, and it has impact,” he said. “Thank you to the donors who made this project possible. So many people have a true passion for the animals and educational work on the mountain, and we are grateful.”
For more information about the Wilson Center and surrounding Conservation Campus, visit www.grandfather.com/wilson-center. To learn more about booking a Behind-the-Scenes Tour that visits the animal care facility, visit www.grandfather.com/experiences/animal-habitats-vip-tours.
