Ruffner Mountain Nature Center Reopens with Upgrades

0:00From Birmingham, this is your March 19th update. The Nature Center at Ruffner Mountain has reopened to visitors after a long closure for renovations. It's shut down from September 2025 through February 2026, mainly to rebuild the treetop patio that had been off-limits since. 2018. That patio fell apart over years of harsh weather and weak design. Local officials tapped into American Rescue Plan Act money from the pandemic era to finally make the fixes and get everything up to speed. Families and hikers are thrilled with the upgrades, like the exhibit hall for meeting wildlife ambassadors, stacks of trail info, and fresh water, fountains. The center boosts learning about the outdoors right in Birmingham's backyard. During the closure, staff added three new animals to the lineup, including grits, a colorful corn snake that teaches about pest control and avoiding. Mixups with dangerous species and kitty hawk, an injured red-tailed hawk, now helping spread the word on raptor care.

1:00Looking ahead, spring brings a native plant sale every Saturday in April, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. plus the Junior Naturalist Academy summer camp in. June for kids aged 7 to 12. School field trips are booking up fast too, so check it out soon. Thanks to our sponsor for supporting today's coverage. Your pillow, your podcast, your moment, made for listening in bed, S-O-L-L-I, soleypillow.com