About Us

Mary Alice Hardin is a former elementary school teacher who has become a naturalist. She has studied under Tom Brown, Jr. at the Tracker School, Jon Young at the Wilderness Awareness School, and Charles Worsham at the Nature and Vision School.

Mary Alice is currently working with home schooled children and with the after school program at Marion Primary School. At present time, she is in training to be certified as a Virginia Master Naturalist.

She and her husband Charlie raised their two children near Cincinnati, Ohio. She has now come full circle back to Smyth County where she was born and where she plans to spend the rest of her life helping people to enjoy nature.

The word Powers in our name came from the wonderful family who sold us the land on Jerry's Creek Road. The nature center building was owned by the late Jack Powers. The small house to the south of it was owned by his mother, the late Annie Ethel Powers. They represent people who loved life and nature. When Jack's daughter Cindy sold us the land, she knew we would open a nature center. To have her blessing in this endeavor is a great honor. It is our joy to honor the Powers family members by including their name in the name of our business. May their tradition of living gently on the land continue for all future generations!