Edwin H. McGee Natural Resources Center Renovations

The Edwin H. McGee Natural Resources Center is located at 928 Fairplains Rd. in North Wilkesboro, NC.  Click here for a map and directions.  It features a 7500 sq. ft. facility, a 5 acre grassland area, several acres of forest land with a forestry station, a stream, a soils pit, and a 1300 ft. nature trail.  Here is a layout of the area.

The McGee Center is the result of a shared vision of Edwin H. McGee and the Wilkes Soil and Water Conservation District.  The seed for such a facility was planted in 1985 by the Wilkes County Forester of 35 years and member of the Wilkes SWCD Board of Supervisors.  The district, upon Mr. McGee's tragic death in 1991, committed to accept the challenge to carry the vision forward. 

The vision was to provide a natural resource center as a means to better educate our citizenry through proper utilization, preservation and/or renewal of forest, soil, water, and natural resources. 

At the formal dedication of the Edwin H. McGee Natural Resources Conservation Center on June 26, 1992, the district committed to keep the door open and go forward with Mr. McGee's vision to see it become a reality.  Today, that vision is becoming a reality. 

The "classroom"  in the McGee Center is mostly complete minus a couple of touch-up projects.  Here are some pictures which show it's progress.

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As you can see, the classroom has come a long way.  It also has HVAC to keep it comfortable.  The single restroom which was located in the corner has now been replaced with separate restroom facilities located in the center of the building, complete with hot water. 

 

The meeting room is located on the other end of the building.  Construction is presently underway to modernize this part of the facility.  It will include a kitchen, a storage area, as well as handicap access. 

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Recently, a controlled burn was conducted in a ³/₄ acre area of the forest.  The burn was in conjunction with the NC Forest Service as part of training, habitat maintenance, and study of regrowth.  A trail encompassing the area was added as a fire boundary as well as additional nature trail.  Quail will be purchased and released in the area as part of the study.

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Here is our latest project.  We are working to install paved parking areas, which will include some "natural" area within the lots. The natural areas help alleviate runoff issues, as well as maintaining visual aesthetics. A raingarden is also part of the plan. The raingarden will capture runoff, giving an opportunity for bioremediation, allows water infiltration (maintains water table) and reduces erosion. It will also be used as a demonstration in Community Conservation.

The McGee Center is an integral part of our educational outreach programs. It is paramount to have a facility which can accommodate our guests. One thing we still lack is the funding to finish the project.  If you would like to contribute to the McGee Center project, please contact our office for details. We are exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, meaning a contribution is tax deductable. Thank you!

 

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