SHoehne

Valley Nature Center

The Valley Nature Center (VNC) is a "secret garden in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley." It is a non-profit environmental education organization. Sitting on land leased from the City of Weslaco, the nature park is hidden from view, surrounded by businesses and residential neighborhoods. The building contains its administrative offices, as well as a gift shop, meeting and class room, exhibit hall with interactive displays of native species, and a nature reference library. The park consists of six acres of recreated Mid-delta Thorn Forest, a biotic community of the Tamaulipan Mezquital Ecoregion. Features of the park include ponds, walking trails, wildlife feeding stations,butterfly habitat and cactus gardens. The Center conducts a variety of educational programs, including field trips, lectures, special events, and nature camps.