Bruce Beerbower has spent the past 37 years as lead naturalist of the Catawba Science Center, but his love of nature goes back much farther. He has dedicated his life to educating people about the beauty of the great outdoors and providing a sense of wonder to the residents of Hickory, North Carolina. From West Virginia to Northern Georgia to Hickory, North Carolina, Bruce Beerbower speaks for the trees, plants, and animals.

Bruce has the rare ability to make a stranger feel like they’ve known him for years. Whether you live two blocks down from him or two states away, he brightens the Catawba Science Center with a positive attitude and readiness to teach. Bruce says more people in this town know him than he’ll ever know. He—along with the science center—is an integral part of the town of Hickory.