From raptor volunteers to camp counselors, program coordinators to monthly donors, it truly takes a village to keep Piedmont Wildlife Center running. This month, we're celebrating the heart and soul of that village: Karen McCall, PWC's Executive Director!
Karen grew up in Chapel Hill, NC, and spent much of her time outside camping, hiking, sailing, kayaking, backpacking, snorkeling, and diving. She was introduced to the great outdoors by her parents, who took her on her first camping trip when she was less than 8 months old! Karen attended UNC-Wilmington, where she initially pursued Marine Biology but finished with a B.S. degree in Mathematics with emphasis on Physics in 1986 to broaden her opportunities.
After graduation, Karen's love of being outside in nature grew stronger while living and working on sailboats in the Caribbean for 7 years. Upon moving back to the States, she settled near family outside of Charlotte and worked for 10 years at the Charlotte Nature Museum, where she taught kids and families about the wonders of our natural world.
Karen eventually returned to the Triangle, and in May 2012, she joined Piedmont Wildlife Center as a raptor volunteer, outdoor educator, and eventually Director of Education. She became Executive Director in late March 2020 - just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning! Thanks in large part to Karen's compassionate leadership, PWC not only survived that difficult time but managed to expand many of our programs, and we're now preparing to celebrate our 20th anniversary in January.
In addition to being an expert outdoor educator and naturalist, Karen is a skilled artist who likes to dabble in linocut printmaking, painting, basket-making, and drawing inspired by her nature encounters. You can find some of her work in our Nature Store!
As a leader, Karen embodies our core values of gratitude, respect, curiosity, inclusivity, and awareness. She is committed to making sure every staff member, volunteer, and camper feels heard, and her passion for helping others form a deep connection with nature keeps PWC's programs grounded in our mission. We are so grateful to have her at the helm of our growing non-profit as we prepare to enter PWC's third decade. Thank you, Karen, for all you do for our staff, campers, Ambassador Animals, and community!
PWC board member wins volunteer award
A huge congratulations to Dominique Cole Johnson (second from right), who won Outstanding Board Director at the Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center’s 2022 Governor’s Volunteer Service Award & Key Volunteer of the Year Awards for her service on PWC's board of directors!
Despite her busy work life as vice president at Pinnacle Financial Partners, Dom joined PWC's board in February 2020. As Board Treasurer, she used her business expertise to assist our Executive Director during a time of pandemic-related operational challenges. When a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion task force was formed, Dom helped guide our staff to a better understanding of how to welcome diverse populations. She attended almost every fundraising and community event, greeting guests and sharing her enthusiasm for our mission. Dom always has a positive, upbeat attitude and works tirelessly to encourage our staff.
We're so proud to have you on our team, Dom! Thank you for all you do for our PWC community.
Meet Arlo and Maple!
On GivingTuesday, we introduced our THREE new raptor Ambassadors: Tony the great-horned owl, a red morph eastern screech owl, and a juvenile red-shouldered hawk. Now, thanks to the 102 donors who helped us meet - and exceed! - our GivingTuesday goal of $3,333, Tony’s two friends finally have their names. Introducing Arlo the screech owl and Maple the red-shouldered hawk!
Arlo the Eastern Screech Owl
Meet Arlo, our new eastern screech owl! Eastern screech owls come in two colors, called morphs: red and gray. Arlo is a red morph, just like our other screech owl Otus.
Arlo was rescued in VA by Nature's Nanny Wildlife Rehabilitation after colliding with the side of a van. His accident left him with head trauma and a permanent left eye injury, making him unable to properly hunt in the wild. If you look closely at his left eye, you can see where his pupil was damaged in his accident. He arrived at PWC in October 2022.
Maple the red-shouldered hawk
Maple is a juvenile red-shouldered hawk! He was found on the ground after having fallen from the nest. Someone noticed that he remained on the ground for days and became concerned since he was not yet old enough to fledge.
He was rescued by Nature's Nanny Wildlife Rehabilitation in VA who discovered that he had eye damage possibly caused by his fall. Because of his injuries, his vision is impaired and he is unable to hunt well enough to survive in the wild. He arrived at PWC in October 2022.
We know Maple is a juvenile because of the coloring and patterns on his feathers. When he gets older, he will look more like Willow, our adult red-shouldered hawk. We can’t wait to see him grow up!
You helped us SOAR past our goal this GivingTuesday
GivingTuesday 2022 was a huge success - and it's all because of YOU! Whether you donated, spread the word about us, shared our posts and reels, voted on our new birds' names, or simply cheered us on, we are so grateful for your support.
Because of you, we not only unlocked our match and surpassed our $3,333 goal, but raised $5,310 from 110 individual donations. That makes a grand total of $9,400 including matching funds!
We are so touched by your generosity. With the funds raised this GivingTuesday, we will be able to feed our 3 new birds AND provide veterinary care, enrichment, and enclosure maintenance for all 10 of our raptor Ambassadors throughout 2023.
We'll continue to accept donations to vote on our new birds' names until Thursday, Dec. 1st at 5 PM EST. Look for an announcement at the beginning of next week with the results!
Thank you, again, for all the ways you support us - on GivingTuesday and all year round!
GivingTuesday 2022 is For The Birds!
GivingTuesday is November 29th, 2022 - and this year, we’re celebrating all things bird! Join us in giving back to our feathered friends:
Meet our THREE new raptors… and donate to vote on your favorite names for them!
Learn simple steps you can take at home to protect wild birds and their habitats.
Take advantage of donation matching on GlobalGiving by giving on November 29th.
Get involved with Piedmont Wildlife Center’s conservation efforts, like our sneaker recycling drive and Triangle Turtle Trekkers citizen science project.
Help us raise a total of $3,333 to unlock an additional match of $3,000 - enough to feed all three new birds throughout 2023 AND 2024!
Help us soar past our $3,333 goal this GivingTuesday! Join our newsletter list or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for conservation tips, unique ways to support PWC, and exclusive hints about our new avian additions… then mark your calendar for GivingTuesday on November 29th, 2022!
