Office of Environmental Education
All of North Carolina's EE Resources in One Place!
Stevens Nature Center at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve

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The nature programs of the Stevens Nature Center are conducted at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve. We offer programs for adults, families, children and seniors, as well as programs for groups on a variety of topics. Programs are custom designed to meet the needs of the audience and the specific time of the year. The site contains almost three miles of self-guided nature trails that feature overlooks, stairs and boardwalks to protect fragile habitats.

Newsletter
Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Quarterly Program Brochure - Published quarterly http://townofcary.org/depts/prdept/bro01/prnatureed.pdf

ArtsEE Center
Art Collection
Metal garden art creatures adorn the native wildflower gardens in the courtyard of the Stevens Nature Center. Local artist, Jeffrey Hurr of Iron Innovations, Inc. created the large-scale butterfly, dragonfly and daddy longlegs sculptures and the Friends of Hemlock Bluffs donated the art to add whimsy to the beautiful gardens, especially in winter. When the gardens are in their full glory, you'll have to look closely to see the hidden critters!
Art Integration
The courtyard native wildflower gardens are used extensively in the environmental education programs of the Stevens Nature Center. Students are encouraged to observe the gardens and investigate the inhabitants. The garden art gives visitors an idea of a few of the critters that might visit the gardens and play a role in the intricate web of life that exists right in front of the nature center.

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Stevens Nature Center

Hours of Operation
Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve Hours
9 a.m.-sunset, open 7 days/week
Stevens Nature Center Hours
May - September
Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Sunday: 1 - 7 p.m.
October - April
Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday 1 - 5 p.m.
The Stevens Nature Center is closed for all Town of Cary holidays

Address
2616 Kildaire Farm Road
Cary, NC 27518
Directions
US 1 South/64 West from Raleigh to Tryon Road (exit 98A). Follow Tryon Road to Kildaire Farm Road, turn right. Entrance one mile down Kildaire Farm Road on right. Follow the brown binocular signs from the highway.

Phone
(919) 387-5980
(919) 388-1140 (fax)

Website  townofcary.org/depts/prdept/facilities/snchome.htm

Contacts


Mrs. Laura White
(919) 387-5980  Nature Center Supervisor, Town of Cary

Mission
The mission of the Stevens Nature Center and Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve is to preserve and protect the unique ecosystems at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve while providing the opportunity for a rewarding and unique educational and passive recreational experience in nature; available to all citizens regardless of age, gender, race, religious orientation, or ability. Through such experiences the Nature Center strives to raise environmental awareness and appreciation, thus promoting its preservation efforts and general environmental stewardship. The mission of all interpretation, impersonal and personal, at the Stevens Nature Center is to support the overall mission of the site by informing and seeking to satisfy visitors’ curiosity about the site and local nature as well as related site and environmental issues and concerns through delivery of relevant, accurate, interesting information. By providing visitors with such information, the nature center promotes a heightened awareness, appreciation and understanding of the site and its efforts in nature preservation.

Cost of Programs/Admission
Admission free; Fee for programs.

Features
Swift Creek flows through the 150-acre nature preserve which features north-facing bluffs up to 80-feet high. Along these bluffs are Eastern Hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) which comprise the only naturally occurring population of this tree in the Piedmont of this state, nearly 200 miles from its usual range in the mountains.

Accessibility
Parking, courtyard and nature center are accessible. Some trails are suitable for all terrain strollers and wheelchairs.

Eco Region(s)
Piedmont (Ecoregion 45)

Related Topics
  • Bus Parking
  • Dogs Allowed
  • Environmental Education Center
  • Environmental Education Organization
  • Exhibits
  • Garden
  • Gift Shop
  • Government
  • Hiking Trail
  • Permanent Education Staff
  • Resource Library
  • Restrooms

Posted 9/30/2006 5:10 PM
Updated   9/14/2009


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