A vital part of our everyday lives that we could all probably stand to be more considerate of is the environment in which we live. There are endless organizations dedicated to preserving the environment and educating people on the importance of that responsibility. The Wildcat Bluff Nature Center located at 2301 N Soncy Rd in Amarillo, TX 79124, is a nature preserve part of the Children Nature Network 2020-2021 and in the northwest part of town three miles to the north of West Interstate 40.
The office is open from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm on Tuesday through Saturday, but visitors are welcome to explore the trails any day of the week from sun up until sun down. Admission is free for children one year of age and younger and members of the Association of Nature Centers Administrators (ANCA). Children two years and older are $3 for entry and adults are $4. Discounts for admission fees are given to military and veterans as well as college students with acceptable ID, senior citizens and members of Museums for All (with EBT card.) If you arrive at the nature preserve after office hours, admission can be placed in the designated slot box.
Wildcat Bluff offers memberships to those who are interested in hiking the trails all year round. Members receive free admission at any time of the year to not only Wildcat Bluff, but over 120 other nature centers, invitations to happening events and functions, activity updates through email, and member discounts. Anyone interested in becoming a member of Wildcat Bluff Nature Preserve can visit this link to learn more and sign up. There is also an option to add a membership to Wildcat Bluff when you sign up for the Don Harrington Discovery Center’s membership program. Individual memberships are $60 and a family membership is $80 (at the time of this article’s publication.)
When you visit Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, you get access to over 7 miles worth of hiking trails featuring the panhandle plain’s beautiful scenery. The center has over 640 acres of rolling hills and prairies in addition to a Butterfly Garden located directly behind the office. Be sure to keep your eye out for critters of all kinds when you are exploring the garden.
In 2016, the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center was opened in the Wildcat Bluff Nature Center. Buildings and land from the nature center were donated to the cause after founder of Wild West Wildlife, Stephanie Oravetz, realized the implicit need for a rehabilitation center for wild animals. When members of the community find a injured or orphaned wild animal, they can take them to the center to receive proper care. Visit the website here to learn more.
Wildcat Bluff Nature Center offers educational opportunities and programs for school groups from all around. In addition to guided and self-guided hikes individuals can take when visiting, the center offers the following courses for Kindergarten through sixth grade: Animals of the High Plains, amphibians and reptiles, and Texas insects and their relatives. For third through eighth the programs include Geology Rocks!, Talking Bones and Rocks, and Leaving Your Mark.
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