"There are plenty-plenty reasons why I love this annual spring birding bacchanalia: it's run by good buddies of mine, the birding is truly incredible, Swainson's and cerulean warblers, the landscape is breathtaking, it's a small and intimate gathering of the tribe, they let me play music, there are hottubs in the cabins, and it's only a three-hour drive from the Bill of the Birds man cave." - Bill Thompson, III

Sharing secrets of science and nature in the New River watershed with West Virginians and their friends

Voted the #1 Birdwatching Spot in the Best of the Blue Ridge: 2022 Readers' Choice Awards! While exploring, be considerate to leave only soft footprints and take only litter. The Boardwalk and Trails are maintained by donations and volunteers. Open from dawn to dusk. Admission is free. Donations are welcome.

With a gorgeous view in any season, this gem of a spot drips with migrating birds and overflows with plant and wild life. Since 2008, the Center serves as an environmental education hub for residents, businesses, and visitors from across and beyond West Virginia. The Center is an outdoor classroom featuring a Wetlands Boardwalk and self-interpretive Woodland Trails and plans for an Observation Deck.

School groups, families and adults who visit the site benefit from programs, guided field trips, and self-interpretive activities unavailable anywhere else in the region.

The Center's Wetlands Boardwalk is handicapped-accessible. Upon completion it will meander a half mile through a unique 15-acre beaver-maintained wetland that borders Wolf Creek itself. The Wetlands Boardwalk allows access to a habitat seldom experienced and provides a place for first-hand exposure to the importance of wetlands and watersheds.

Dr. Bill Hilton Jr. has acted as consulting director since 2008. Hilton is a nationally known, award-winning educator-naturalist and researcher, named one of “50 Best Brains in Science” by Discover magazine (December 2008).

The Wetlands Boardwalk and Woodland Trails are built and maintained by the steam of volunteer power! Interested people of all ages from all over, including the National Civilian Conservation Corps, Scouts of BSA, Day Report Center, Fayette County students, Crosier's Sanitation, Master Naturalists, County Commissioners, a school group from Florida, and many other fantastic individuals take pride in the work they've done to provide the boardwalk and trails for others to enjoy. Maintained solely by volunteers, we appreciate visitors helping maintain the area by minimizing disturbance, leaving only soft footprints, packing out what's packed in, and picking up litter when possible.

Admission is free, but donations are welcome by PayPal or by mail.

For environmental educational program information and guided walks, as well as maintenance and building days check out the Services tab on the Nature Center's Facebook and Contact Us.

Help us maintain and extend the Wetlands Boardwalk in the outdoor classroom for all ages, at New River Birding & Nature Center. Sponsor a Section of Wetlands Boardwalk to provide a unique perspective for environmental education, serene walks, and all interests in between. The Wetlands Boardwalk extends into a 15-acre beaver maintained wetland, helping preserve the natural and scenic resources through accessibility and education for school groups, clubs, birdwatchers, and self-guided visitors, as well as providing environmental education curriculum and programming for all ages to demonstrate the vital role wetlands play in the ecosystem and the diverse habitat they support. $1000 helps build a twelve foot section of Wetlands Boardwalk, your contribution is tax deductible and supports the effort of preservation and shares your love for the environment in physical form as a forever memento you may visit and take pride in. Any amount is greatly appreciated to help maintain the area, preserve a unique environment, and provide environmental education and recreation to youth and community. See our Sponsors List.

Tax deductible donations may be sent by PayPal and by mail: Fayette County Education Fund, Inc. 310 W Oyler Ave, Oak Hill, WV 25901, attn: Nature Center

Visit the Wetlands Boardwalk then share your experiences on the Nature Center's Facebook page. You'll find it situated in the mixed-use business development Wolf Creek Park, between Fayetteville and Oak Hill. Located near the intersection of Appalachian Drive and SR-16, just off of US-19. Enter Wolf Creek Park via Nick Rahall Greenway, pass Fayetteville Veterinary, and Bridge Brew Works on the left. Then, parking is on the left at the top of Guy Dooley Drive. Walk down the graveled road (Guy Dooley Drive) to the Wetlands Boardwalk and Nature Trails. Coordinates: 38.017170 -81.111438

 

Image by Tim Naylor. Aerial view of the wetlands in the outdoor classroom of New River Birding & Nature Center. Wolf Creek Park, Fayetteville, WV 25840

2022 marked the Festival's 20th Anniversary!