Grandfather Mountain opens Yonni’s Clubhous

LINVILLE, N.C. -- Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, has announced that the new hands-on science and conservation education center, Yonni’s Clubhouse, opened to the public on April 4. Admission is included with an entrance ticket to the park.

Yonni’s is a part of the expanding Conservation Campus at Grandfather Mountain that includes the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery, the Williams Outdoor Learning Space, Cobey Botanical Garden and more. Yonni’s Clubhouse, located next to the Wilson Center, is geared toward children ages 5 to 12, though all are welcome. The space is currently open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will be closed for most of the afternoon on April 18 for a private event. April 20 and beyond, the facility will be open daily.

“Our entire Conservation Campus aims to provide our visitors, and particularly young folks, with deeper experiences to provide a fuller understanding of nature and the interconnectedness of all species and natural systems,” said Jesse Pope, president and CEO of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation. “A large part of our mission is to help educate a new generation of dedicated environmental stewards and by providing more interactive exhibits and hands-on experiences on the mountain, we are hopefully creating a lifelong interest in science and conservation among the children who visit the mountain.”

The new addition’s name comes from the cartoon mascot for Grandfather Mountain’s Junior Naturalist Program: Yonni, the Yonahlossee salamander. This species of salamander was first collected at a site on Grandfather Mountain in 1917 and, for more than a decade, young adventurers have explored the park with Yonni as their guide.

“When planning for this new space, it made perfect sense to link this opportunity for children’s discovery of the wonders of nature with the woodland creature,” said John Caveny, vice president of conservation and education. “Yonni can be found serving as an educational guide on interpretive signage throughout the nature park, and now, the junior naturalist mascot will have its very own space to further education, conservation and exploration!”

The nature park and preserve is working with Yonni’s original creator, artist David Williams of Wingin’ It Works, on the exhibits and murals for the space. Coffey Architecture of Boone and Alex Johnson Construction Company of Newland are handling the design and construction aspects of the remodel.

This new facility is designed to combine learning and fun by integrating indoor and outdoor educational opportunities, demonstrating how concepts taught in a classroom can play out in nature. The space will be 1,300 square feet and ADA-accessible – including Jada and Mila’s Discovery Trail outside. The clubhouse hosts around 10 interactive indoor exhibits, focusing on pollinators, climate, weather and ecosystems that include a seek-and-find forest mural, glass exhibit habitats for educational animals, a full-scale tree model, a drawing nook and a microscope station.

“Each exhibit and educational element is thoughtfully intended to help kids get a foundational basis for the information and then apply what they have learned to what they see outside,” said Caveny. “If they discover something outside that they are interested in learning more about, we welcome them to bring it inside the space and explore it under the microscope or utilize the drawing nook to discover more about the object. We also hope that these hands-on experiences inspire children and their families to form a connection not only with the nature at Grandfather Mountain, but the nature where they live as well!”

Outside, Jada and Mila’s Discovery Trail will connect the facility’s covered deck and new pollinator and sensory gardens with interactive and interpretive signage that reinforce and expand upon the indoor exhibit’s concepts.

Stewart and Martha Gray – Grandfather donors who have a passion for both the mountain and for exploring science museums with their grandchildren – provided a major gift to support the construction of the center, envisioning it as an immersive offering for kids to learn about conservation of the natural world around them.

“Curiosity is the spark that ignites a child’s quest for knowledge,” said Stewart Gray. “We are thrilled to be a part of the creation and now the opening of Yonni’s Clubhouse, where kids can follow their curiosity both inside and outside, observing and discovering the natural world and how it all connects,” added Martha Gray.

The couple retired to Western North Carolina after years of visiting the area, and Stewart also volunteers as a naturalist with the park’s education team. Along with Grandfather’s naturalists and educators, the Grays look forward to seeing children experience the space.

“We want to extend our gratitude to the Grays – not only for their generosity, but also for their vision in bringing Yonni’s Clubhouse to fruition,” said Pope. “We are thrilled to expand the mountain’s Conservation Campus with this space!”

In addition to Yonni’s Clubhouse, Grandfather’s Conservation Campus currently includes the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery; the Mildred the Bear Environmental Habitats; the Cobey Botanical Garden, filled with native plantings; 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; and the Ginny Burton Education and Animal Care Facility that houses the mountain’s growing education and habitat teams and is a stop on Behind-the-Scenes Tours (one of the park’s special add-on experiences) offered by keeper staff.

For more information about Yonni’s Clubhouse visit www.grandfather.com/yonnis-clubhouse.

To book your visit to Grandfather Mountain, visit www.grandfather.com/tickets.

 The nonprofit Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation strives to inspire conservation of the natural world through education, exploration and example. For more information, visit www.grandfather.com.

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Captions:

GMSF_Yonnis Clubhouse_Photo by Skip Sickler_Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation: Grandfather Mountain, the not-for-profit nature park run by the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, has announced that the new hands-on science and conservation education center, Yonni’s Clubhouse, opened to the public on April 4. Admission is included with an entrance ticket to the park. Yonni’s Clubhouse is currently open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will be closed for most of the afternoon on April 18 for a private event. April 20 and beyond, the facility will be open daily. (Photo by Skip Sickler, Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation)

GMSF_Seek and Find Mural_Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation: Yonni’s Clubhouse hosts around 10 interactive indoor exhibits, focusing on pollinators, climate, weather and ecosystems that include a seek-and-find forest mural, glass exhibit habitats for educational animals, a full-scale tree model, a drawing nook and a microscope station. (Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation)

GMSF _Discovery Trail_Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation: Outside of Yonni’s Clubhouse, the ADA-accessible Jada and Mila’s Discovery Trail will connect the facility’s covered deck and new pollinator and sensory gardens with interactive and interpretive signage that reinforce and expand upon the indoor exhibit’s concepts. (Photo Courtesy of Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation)

Molly Dowdle

Director of Marketing and Communications

Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, Inc.

(828)833-6340

www.grandfather.com