This month, we’re highlighting a member of Piedmont Wildlife Center’s dedicated and hardworking Board of Directors! Meet Irene Faust, board member and raptor care volunteer.

Irene joined PWC as a raptor volunteer in Fall 2022, shortly after moving to the Triangle from southern California with her husband and three rescue dogs to live closer to her daughter. Last year, she decided to get even more involved by joining our board of directors! As a retired primary care physician, Irene brings her passion for human (and animal) wellbeing to everything she does at PWC.

Irene’s interest in public health and animal welfare has taught her the importance of empowering people to protect our environment. “I believe that the more we do to educate people, young and old, about conservation, the more likely we are to have a world for our grandchildren,” she says. “As a physician, I know how important interaction with the world and with nature is to our mental health.”

While the focus of Irene’s work at PWC has shifted since becoming a board member, she continues to volunteer with Conservation Team as one of our raptor feeders. “I have still not lost my awe at seeing these birds up close,” Irene says. “They have encouraged me to read more about owls and other birds. I love watching the public watch the birds, and hope that it motivates them to be involved in conservation.”

Irene’s favorite Ambassador Animal at PWC? Juniper the great-horned owl, because “she looks so cool and has such fuzzy toes!”

When she’s not writing our end-of-year letter, attending board meetings, or caring for our raptor Ambassadors, Irene enjoys hiking on the Triangle’s many amazing trails. “Since moving here, we’ve enjoyed Umstead and the Eno parks, along with some local trails,” says Irene. “I can walk to University Lake from my house through the woods and along a creek so I can watch birds and turtles.”

We’re so grateful to have you on our board, Irene! Thank you for all the ways you’ve helped us connect people with nature over the last year and a half. We can’t wait to see how you help PWC grow in the future.