Triad Wild! board members stepped into Reedy Fork Creek to begin aquatic invertebrate training—laying the groundwork for long-term water quality monitoring in our region. With support from Haw River Assembly and the City of Greensboro, Triad Wild! is launching a hands-on stewardship initiative that blends science, conservation, and community care.

Triad Wild!’s exhibit at Science Everywhere on Saturday April 5 on the campus of the University of North Carolina – Greensboro was a great success!

On December 10th volunteers planted 100 pollinator plants and shrubs.

It all started with a simple, little bird at a simple, little feeder that led me to birding and eventually to falling in love with nature.

We had a wonderful weekend in Raleigh taking part in the Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards

Congratulations!

Creating a bird and wildlife habitat in your own yard with Carol Buie-Jackson

Recording of our January program with Katerina Ramos of NCWF

One of the things I enjoy most about living in North Carolina is the vast diversity of wildlife that can be found within a few hours of leaving my home. No matter which direction I travel, there are public lands to explore, teeming with wildlife. Be it deer, bear, elk, birds, butterflies, turtles - every season yields new treasures to be discovered and seen.

But I especially love all the wonderful waterfowl that visit NC in the winter. With thoughts of Snow Geese, Tundra Swan, and hundreds of wintering ducks, I packed my gear and bags, loaded up my car and headed east for the coast. The excitement built the closer I got. To me, winter birding at the coast is much like going to Disneyland as a child. Before I knew it, I was pulling into the parking lot of the Visitors’ Center at Pea Island NWR, just south of Nags Head. As soon as I parked my car, I was greeted by the sounds of hundreds of Tundra Swan calling! I grabbed my camera, headed for the trail, and soon I was gazing out over North Pond with a view of hundreds of Tundra Swan, White Pelicans, and a variety of ducks…Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, to name a few! If you have never experienced wintering waterfowl along our Outer Banks, I highly recommend it.

Sometimes you just have to do what calls to you…even on a random Tuesday morning in December. Such is what happened for me last Tuesday, December 1.

I was going about my morning routine (feeding the birds and changing their water, tending to the pugs, laundry, and checking email to get all caught up before really getting into what I needed to do that day) when I read an email from Madison Ohmen with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation about a volunteer opportunity to help plant some native plants in a permanently-protected Plant Conservation Preserve (PCP) in Durham.

The only snafu was that it started in 3 hours from when I read the email! I tried to shrug it off and just stay on track with “My To Do” list. But I couldn’t stop thinking that this would be so interesting, rewarding and educational. The weather was amazing. And the plants had been grown by the folks over at The North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill (one of my favorite organizations).

So….