Community Spotlight: Volunteer Award Recipients, Kerry Sharp and Olivia Yang

As we welcome 2025, we are thrilled to recognize Kerry Sharp and Olivia Yang with the Soaring Volunteer Award for their invaluable contributions to Piedmont Wildlife Center.

Kerry has been a cornerstone of the PWC community for 15 years, dedicating his time to caring for our Ambassador Animals. “Spending a couple of quality hours each week with the Ambassador Animals and providing food, water, and a clean environment for them was a much-needed break from my regular job of meetings, calls, chats, and emails,” Kerry shared. As a busy Project Manager at IBM, volunteering offered him a chance to unwind. "I just feel best when I’m with animals," he said. His weekly animal care shifts, training of new volunteers, and even sheltering animals during severe weather highlight his devotion. “I love getting to know the personalities of each animal and what makes them unique and special,” he added.

Olivia has volunteered with PWC for six years, contributing to animal care, outreach, and volunteer training. Inspired by her love of wildlife and conservationists like Jane Goodall, Olivia enjoys teaching kids about our Ambassadors at outreach events. Volunteering alongside her father, Dr. Yang, has made her experience even more meaningful. She describes him as a mentor, sharing how he often teaches her about animal behavior during their animal care shifts. Together, they’ve explored each animal’s feeding and exercise habits, strengthening her passion for wildlife. Olivia plans to study biology in college, focusing on neuroscience and animal behavior. “This award encourages me to continue making a positive impact,” she said.

We are deeply grateful for Kerry and Olivia. Please join us in congratulating them on their well-deserved recognition!

Community Spotlight: Uliana Gutierrez, Wildlife Conservation Intern

PICTURED: Uliana Gutierrez and Willow, our Red-Shouldered Hawk

As the cool winds of late autumn usher in the winter solstice, we're excited to spotlight Uliana Gutierrez, our Fall 2024 Wildlife Conservation Intern!

Uliana is working toward an associate degree in Science and plans to transfer to NC State University to study Wildlife Conservation. Though she initially completed a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, her passion for nature inspired her to pursue a career in conservation.

Uliana’s motivation for applying for the internship at PWC stems from her belief in the organization’s mission to connect younger generations with nature. She shares, “Fostering appreciation for wildlife is the key to ensuring a sustainable future for our planet.” Her time at PWC has allowed her to engage directly with North Carolina’s native wildlife, which has been a dream come true for Uliana.

Throughout her internship, Uliana made valuable contributions to the care of our Ambassador Animals. She prepared diets for our reptiles, mammals, and raptors, designed and implemented enrichment projects—including dynamic perches for our raptors—tracked turtles for our ongoing box turtle research study, and more.

Reflecting on her time at PWC, Uliana shares, “I’m proud of how quickly I learned everything and how I’ve been able to pass that knowledge on to our incredible volunteers.”

When asked about her future, Uliana says, “My dream is to specialize in animal care and conservation. As long as my work contributes to conservation efforts, I’ll feel fulfilled.”

We’re incredibly grateful for Uliana’s hard work, compassionate nature, and the lasting impact she’s made during her time with us. We’re confident that wherever her journey takes her, she’ll continue to make remarkable contributions to wildlife conservation!

Community Spotlight: Ben Regester, Wake County Coordinator

Our core staff keeps on growing! We are so, so excited to introduce our newest staff member for today's Community Spotlight: Ben Regester, Wake County Coordinator. (He's the one on the left!)

A North Carolina native, Ben grew up an hour west of Durham in Greensboro, NC. "I've always felt very connected with nature," Ben says, "especially animals." This love for the natural world led him to attend North Carolina State University, where he graduated last May with degrees in Environmental Science and Marine Biology and a minor in Environmental Education.

When Ben joined PWC as a camp counselor in Fall 2023, our Education Team quickly recognized his leadership skills, nature knowledge, and passion for teaching. He officially became our new Wake County Coordinator in January, and is already making big plans for summer and fall camps at Umstead State Park!

Ben was drawn to work here at PWC because of the opportunity to work outside and share his love for nature. "My favorite part of working with campers is watching them develop skills and friendships over the course of the season," Ben says. His favorite activities to lead in camp are "nature-based crafts like pottery or leaf rubbings" where campers can learn about the environment while letting their creativity run wild.
His favorite PWC Ambassador Animal? "Parsley," Ben says, "because of her funny personality and wiggly nose!" When he's not planning or leading camps at PWC, Ben enjoys building banjos and snuggling with his two cats. He also likes hiking, swimming, and "just existing outside."

We can't wait to see how our Wake County programs grow under your leadership, Ben. Welcome aboard!

Community Spotlight: Irene Faust

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.

Community Spotlight: Dave "Crescent" Cook

What makes Piedmont Wildlife Center's outdoor education programs the Best Summer Camp in Durham? It could be the supportive, close-knit community among our campers and staff. It could also be our hands-on approach to nature education through fun skill-building activities and games. Maybe it's that we get to use some of the best parks in the Triangle as our classroom, or the occasional exciting visit with our Ambassador Animals. Or maybe it's how much fun we have climbing trees and wading in creeks!

But at the end of the day, it's our amazing staff (and their passion for sharing the wonders of the natural world) who really set our camps apart. This month, we're celebrating an educator who goes above and beyond to help our campers connect with nature: Dave Cook, better known by his camp name Crescent!

A longtime outdoor educator, Crescent has spent most of his life here in the Piedmont, learning its plants, animals, and ways. He joined our staff as a specialty counselor in Summer 2023 because, in his words, he wanted to "help give children the opportunity to develop a relationship with nature." Crescent quickly impressed the rest of our team with his vast knowledge, musical talents, and ability to inspire campers! When summer camp ended, Crescent opted to stay on with us as a lead counselor in our Homeschool in the Wild program.

Crescent's favorite part of working with our campers is their enthusiasm for life. His favorite outdoor skill to teach at camp? "Fire," Crescent says. "Definitely fire." When he's not leading camp at PWC, Crescent enjoys playing music, cooking, reading books and poetry, and wandering. He also enjoys connecting with nature by walking outdoors. While he likes all animals, his favorite bird is the crow!

Thank you, Crescent, for sharing your expertise, mentorship, and sense of fun with us this year. We're so grateful to have you on our team, and we know our campers have grown so much learning from you.