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| | WALKER TOP SCIENCE CENTER
(REACHING FOR THE STARS AND THE FUTURE)
Walker Top Mountain is located in Burke County North Carolina In the middle of a region of rural counties with only a few metropolitan cities such as Charlotte and Asheville on the west and south side with Winston Salem Greensboro on the East. Only the mountains of the Blue Ridges and Black mountains to the north. It is located on the Northern edge of the South Mountains State park. The state park surrounds the proposed site for the Walker Top Science Center which would be owned and operated by the South Mountain Science Education Consortium, Incorporated. It is a IRS 501 (c) 3 Tax Exempt organization. This means that any contribution to the development of the center is tax deductible in whole.
Walker top is located in a rural area in which there has been a high rate of closure of area manufacturing and business establishments. It has the South Mountains State Park located to the west and South which assures the site of a dark night for astronomical viewings. All these facilities are within seven miles of interstate forty with a paved road all the way. It is an area in which further educational endeavors need to take place which will provide the upcoming adult population more opportunities if they are displaced again. There are approximately 1,500,000 school age children and 5,000,000 persons within 100 miles of Walker Top Additionally, the area has a rather high illiteracy rate and dropout rate. It is felt that to place an educational center in the middle of this area will enhance the students desire to succeed in the early years and lead them to begin to read and pursue academic subjects earlier
We need to do what we can to stem this tide of erosion in these areas. Our adults need to be exposed to this education as well for this will give them an intelligent way of viewing those people who are elected to control what is happening in America.
Walker Top's first project is to build a Planetarium which will serve to educate children and adults in the area of astronomy. We are now living in the space age and as a consequence of that our children need to know more about the stars, planets and other heavenly objects in the sky. Our parents did not have this opportunity and it is envisioned that they too will come to visit and learn about the heavens. NASA has been impressing upon us that America is falling behind in the areas of Mathematics, Science and Technology. Recently we have appeared to slip below the top ten in the world. China is moving up. Additional projects to follow the first include an observatory, museum, technology hall, an arboretum, nature trails, and an outdoor amphitheater for nature presentations and astronomical activities.
Donations to the Walker Top Science Center can be made to:
South Mountains Science Education Consortium,. Inc. or Walker Top Science Center
PO Box 8003
Morganton, NC 28680-8003
Donors will be provided a Receipt for their tax deductible contributions.
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View Southwest Walker Top Mountain elevation 2938 ft AMSL
View Southward from Walker Top into the South Mountains State Park, Morganton, NC (largest state park in NC)
View of Walker Top Mountain from the fire tower located at the peak of the Mountain
Peak of Walker Top Mountain with Forest Service Tower in place.
Future proposed observatory would be placed here
Walker Top Mountain looking Eastward toward Hickory, NC with Blowing Rock in center-left
Looking Northward with Grandfather Mountain in the upper left and the Catawba River Valley in the foreground 2000 feet below
Direct view of Grandfather Mountain North of Walker Top Mountain
on a Blue Ridge Blue day due to haze
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