The Beacon Foundation continues bringing together communities by helping businesses affected by Hurricane Helene. In the latest update, the Western North Carolina Nature Center received some much-needed assistance over the last week.
Among the animals that call the nature center home is Obi the river otter. Thanks to the Beacon Foundation, Obi had the pool he calls home filled with fresh, potable water.
“The Beacon Foundation, they’re just being wonderful in helping us to fill our large pool for our river otter, Obi, since the hurricane has come through,” commented Erin Oldread, Animal Curator at the Western North Carolina Nature Center.
Now he has more room for exercise and a source of drinking water, and life looks a little more normal for our semiaquatic friend.
“Obviously, we want to make sure that all the human needs are taken care of first, but now that water is a little more accessible out there, we’re really excited to be able to help out our animals as well.”
Beyond meeting the needs of animals at the Western North Carolina Nature Center, efforts like these are another step in bringing back revenue to the local area. The nature center is just one business affected by Hurricane Helene and unable to open its doors to locals and tourists alike.
Sustaining organizations like the Western North Carolina Nature Center means the community will have somewhere to visit once they can return to regular business hours.
The story at the nature center is one of many, but it’s a story of hope as even the smallest creatures affected by Helene start to experience some normalcy.
You can find the Western North Carolina Nature Center on Instagram:
Instagram (@wncnaturecenter)
and learn more about how they’re connecting people with the plants and animals of Southern Appalachia.
For all other updates on the recovery for the Swannanoa Valley, make sure you continue to follow us on our social channels and website as we keep a finger on the pulse of recovery post-Helene.
Instagram: Instagram (@wncbeacon)
Facebook: Beacon Foundation
