Did you know that during our 2022-23 fiscal year, PWC conservation educators taught 5,232 kids, teens, and adults about wildlife? As demand for our wildlife programs grows, our Conservation Team is growing, too. Join us in welcoming Camryn Jefferson, our newest Conservation Assistant!
Cam grew up in Wilmington, NC, and attended NC State University, where she earned a B.S. in Zoology. While in college, she conducted research at the North Carolina Zoo, where she studied zoo-housed giraffe behavior and welfare. After graduating, she worked for Alabama Audubon, researching human disturbances to nesting shorebirds.
Cam brings a wealth of wildlife research and animal husbandry experience to her role here at PWC. She works closely with Kaitlin Saxton, Research & Husbandry Coordinator, to make sure our Ambassador Animals receive the best possible diet, enrichment, and housing. They recently finished building a new, larger enclosure for Pepper the opossum, and have started constructing an outdoor box turtle enclosure as well.
"At PWC, you never know what each day will entail," says Kaitlin. "Cam has welcomed every challenge and has an eagerness to learn and improve that makes her a perfect fit for Conservation Team!"
When not studying animals, Cam loves hiking, gardening, and scuba diving. Her favorite Ambassador Animal at PWC? Jade the eastern rat snake!
Thank you, Cam, for everything you've brought to PWC so far. We love having you around the cabin, and we're so excited to see how our Conservation department grows with you as a valued team member.
Community Spotlight: Arisa Fourie
School is back in session - and so is Homeschool in the Wild, Piedmont Wildlife Center's unique outdoor program for homeschoolers ages 5-17! Help us celebrate the person who's been working extra hard to make this season the best one yet. Meet Arisa Fourie, our new Homeschool & CIT Coordinator!
Arisa grew up in New York and moved to North Carolina three years ago to attend North Carolina State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. An avid hiker, skier, and swimmer, she loves being outside and helping others experience the natural world. Her favorite animal? The ostrich!
Arisa is no stranger to Homeschool in the Wild. In fact, she joined PWC in 2022 as a counselor for that very program! She loves giving our homeschool campers opportunities to explore nature at their own pace, especially at Pawpaw Creek and other cool spots around Leigh Farm Park.
"I'm excited to continue to connect kids with nature as the new Homeschool and CIT Coordinator," Arisa says. "I was a counselor for the last few seasons and am ready to continue to help the program thrive and grow."
We're excited, too, Arisa! We can't wait to see how much our Homeschool in the Wild campers, counselors, and CITs (Counselors-In-Training) will grow and learn under your leadership.
5 (More) Black Naturalists You Should Know
Happy Juneteenth from Piedmont Wildlife Center! Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, TX learned from federal troops that they had been freed. This holiday holds special significance for PWC staff and leadership, both because of our commitment to inclusivity and because two of the sites where we operate (Leigh Farm Park and Blackwood Farm Park) were once plantations where enslaved people worked the land against their will.
As we move forward with a vision of justice and inclusivity, we believe it is important to share this history with visitors, campers, and staff, while also amplifying the stories of the Indigenous and enslaved people who have cared for this land over the centuries. Learn more at our Land Context page.
PWC’s office and camps are closed today in observation of Juneteenth. While we’re away, we want to turn the spotlight on 5 incredible Black naturalists, birders, and ecologists who are shaping the future of conservation in the United States - and beyond!
Miss our Black Birders Week post from last year? Here are 5 Black naturalists you should know.
1. Tykee James
As a teenager, Tykee James took a job as an environmental educator in his Philadelphia neighborhood, hoping to earn enough to buy a phone and a bike. But the experience gave him more than spending money – it gave him a passion for birds, conservation, and inclusion that continues to drive his career in environmental advocacy. Tykee now works in Washington, D.C. as Senior Government Relations Representative at The Wilderness Society, which works to protect wild public lands across the United States while promoting accessibility and inclusion in outdoor spaces. He is also President of the D.C. Audubon Society and leads regular bird walks on Capitol Hill for bipartisan groups of Congressional staff and legislators.
In addition to his conservation advocacy, Tykee works tirelessly to create a more inclusive, equitable culture in birding and beyond. He co-founded Amplify the Future, Freedom Birders, Birder’s Fund, and Black Birders Week, and has hosted several podcasts on the Wildlife Observer Network – which he also co-founded!
You can keep up with Tykee on Twitter (@Tykee_James) and Instagram (@tykeejames). Stay tuned for his newest project, Wild Thoughts, coming soon on Wildlife Media Network.
2. Murry Burgess
Wildlife biologist Murry Burgess is a PhD candidate in Fisheries, Wildlife, & Conservation Biology at NC State, where she studies the effects of light pollution on barn swallow chicks. Her research shows how being exposed to artificial light at night harms chicks’ metabolism by affecting their cortisol, melatonin, and glucose levels. These changes, in turn, may cause stress, elevated blood sugar levels, and difficulty sleeping – unhealthy conditions for growing birds, and yet another reason to turn off your lights at night!
In 2022, Murry’s experiences doing fieldwork as a Black woman in predominantly white, rural parts of the South led her to co-found Field Inclusive. Field Inclusive seeks to make fieldwork safer and more inclusive for all by raising awareness of social field safety issues and supporting biologists from marginalized backgrounds. Murry is also an author of two nature-themed children’s books.
Follow Murry (@murryloub) on Instagram, Twitter, or her website. You can also get involved with Field Inclusive by becoming a donor or signing up for their newsletter. Don’t forget to buy her book, Why Wolves Howl, for the young nature-lover in your life – and keep an eye out for Murry’s new book, Sparrow Learns Birds, coming soon!
3. Jerome Ford
Anyone who’s ever marveled at migrating raptors, wondered at wild geese flying south, or seen a rare songbird at their feeder owes a debt of gratitude to Jerome Ford. Since 2011, Jerome has been Assistant Director of the Migratory Bird Program at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where he’s responsible for putting federal bird protection laws (like the Migratory Bird Treaty) into action.
For Jerome, protecting birds also means protecting people. “If we pay attention, birds will help us understand where threats are, where the healthy habitats are,” he told Audubon Magazine in 2021. “So birds are critically important to our society, if we give them a chance and stop to look at what those benefits are. That’s what our program is trying to do, is to keep birds relevant and keep birds common to people.”
Learn more about Jerome by reading his Audubon Magazine feature from 2021, or watching “A Conversation With Jerome Ford” from Black Birders Week 2022 on Facebook.
4. Rue Mapp
Entrepreneur, author, speaker, public lands champion, hunter, clothing designer, lifelong adventurer: Rue Mapp is a true Renaissance woman of the outdoor industry. In 2009, she turned her lifelong passion for nature into a blog called Outdoor Afro. Outdoor Afro has since expanded into a nationally-recognized nonprofit whose mission is to “celebrate and inspire Black connections and leadership in nature.” Under Rue’s leadership, Outdoor Afro has connected more than 60,000 participants with nature through outdoor recreation, education, and conservation programs. Their annual offerings include Making Waves, which teaches children and their caregivers to swim, as well as leadership training programs and events in honor of Juneteenth and Black History Month.
For Rue, empowering Black communities to connect (or reconnect) with nature is especially important because of the history of violence against Black bodies in the outdoors. It’s also a powerful way to overcome differences. “We all have a connection to nature,” Rue told Andscape in 2020, “and we can talk about nature in the way that nature views us… The trees don’t know that you’re Black, the flowers are going to bloom no matter how much money is in your account. The birds are going to sing no matter your gender or political affiliation. In that way, we can have a very different conversation about what that connection to nature can teach us about being with one another.”
Follow Rue (@ruemapp) on Instagram and Twitter, and Outdoor Afro (@outdoorafro) on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. You can also support Outdoor Afro’s life-changing work by donating or getting involved with an Outdoor Afro network near you. Be sure to grab a copy of Rue’s book, Nature Swagger: Stories and Visions of Black Joy in the Outdoors!
5. Derrick Z. Jackson
Journalist Derrick Z. Jackson is best known for his versatile and insightful columns in the Boston Globe, where he wrote on topics ranging from race and politics to education and sports. One of his most enduring interests, however, is environmental justice. He currently holds a fellowship at the Union for Concerned Scientists (UCS), where he writes on climate, energy, and the relationship between science and democracy. His commentaries for UCS won first place in the Outdoor Writers Association of America’s 2022 Excellence in Craft Awards – just the latest award in this Pulitzer Prize finalist’s long and celebrated career!
Derrick is also an accomplished birder and wildlife photographer. His favorite photography subject? Puffins! For decades, Derrick has led the way in documenting the work of Project Puffin, a National Audubon Society conservation initiative that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. He has co-authored two books on the subject: Project Puffin: The Improbable Quest to Bring a Beloved Seabird Back to Egg and The Puffin Plan: Restoring Seabirds to Egg Rock and Beyond.
Read Derrick’s latest writing on climate and science at his UCS blog or follow him (@DerrickZJackson) on Twitter. His books on Project Puffin are available wherever books are sold.
Community Spotlight: Sarah Walker
If you’ve been to Leigh Farm Park lately, you may have noticed some impressive new additions to our camp circles and picnic area! These new benches and picnic tables are the handiwork of longtime Homeschool in the Wild camper and current CIT Sarah Walker, who generously made them for us as her Eagle Scout project. This month, we’re catching up with Sarah to celebrate her accomplishments, generosity, and love of nature!
“PWC’s Homeschool in the Wild program taught me a plethora of outdoor skills,” Sarah says, including fire-starting, building survival shelters, finding food and water in the wilderness, and identifying local flora and fauna. “When Scouts BSA welcomed girls into its ranks in 2019, my PWC training made me feel very confident outdoors and eager to join. My PWC skills have enhanced my Scout skills and vice versa.”
Our staff were delighted when Sarah approached us with the idea of using her Eagle Scout project to benefit PWC. “My Eagle Scout project was dedicated to PWC,” she says, “as a thank-you for the many years of outdoor experience they’ve given me.” After several meetings with Executive Director Karen McCall, Sarah decided to build new seating for our camp circles at Leigh Farm Park. She also built new picnic tables for the picnic area near our Amphitheater. These included a much needed wheelchair-accessible table, the first of its kind in Leigh Farm Park.
In total, Sarah built 3 tables and 13 benches for us - and her hard work has already paid off. Since they were installed earlier this year, we’ve already seen visitors to Leigh Farm Park take advantage of the new accessible picnic table. And the new benches have been a hot commodity among our homeschool and intersession campers this spring!
In addition to being a Scout, Sarah is still an active part of PWC’s camp programs. “Currently,” she says, “I am serving as a CIT and passing down my knowledge and delight in the outdoors to younger generations of Piedmont campers. My goal is to give them the same enriching experience that I received and help them feel sure of their own skills in the wilderness.”
Sarah, we are so excited for you to get your well-deserved Eagle! We are so grateful for all the ways you go above and beyond to help others connect with nature. Congratulations and thank you!
Community Spotlight: Nathan Barraza
Spring is here at Leigh Farm Park. Box turtles are coming out of brumation, redbud trees are blooming - and PWC's spring camps are in full swing! With intersession camps and Homeschool in the Wild in session, we're highlighting one of the amazing counselors who makes these programs possible: support counselor Nathan Barraza!
Nathan grew up in many different places, including Washington, but one thing they all had in common was beautiful places to visit in nature. Growing up around these natural wonders gave Nathan a deep curiosity about his surroundings, and he's made it his goal to learn as much as he can about life on our planet. When he's not working at camp, Nathan likes to garden, hike, and practice amateur botany.
Nathan joined PWC's camp staff as a support counselor in September 2022. Since then, he's become one of our campers' favorite staff members! He is always eager to teach and learn about the plants and animals campers encounter while adventuring in the woods. And despite being the youngest counselor on staff, Nathan has been a wonderful mentor to the kids and teens in our programs.
Thank you, Nathan, for being such a positive influence on our campers! We're excited to see how you grow as a leader this season.
