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!

Help design our 2024 camp t-shirt!

Artists, it's time to come out of brumation: Piedmont Wildlife Center’s 2024 t-shirt contest has officially begun!

This year, we're going wild for all things scales and scutes. Show us your best design featuring one or more of our reptile Ambassador species! The winning design will become our official 2024 camp t-shirt, and the winner will also receive a $50 cash prize. One runner-up will be awarded a $25 cash prize and Nature Store coupon.

All designs must adhere to the following rules and guidelines:

1. Design must be nature-themed and prominently feature a reptile species we care for at Piedmont Wildlife Center: eastern box turtle, diamondback terrapin, corn snake, eastern rat snake, eastern milk snake, hognose snake, eastern king snake.

2. Design should reflect our mission of connecting people with nature through outdoor education, conservation, and citizen science. Creative interpretations highly encouraged!

3. No color images, please. Line art works best on our screen-printed shirts.

4. Be original! Do not use another artist's work or submit a design that's been used elsewhere.

5. Be human! Images generated using AI cannot be accepted and will be disqualified.

6. Design must be submitted as PDF or vector file (.AI or .EPS) to admin@piedmontwildlifecenter.org no later than 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, March 31st.

All members of the Piedmont Wildlife Center community are eligible to enter - including YOU! The winning design will be clear, creative, appropriate for all ages, and capture the spirit of Piedmont Wildlife Center’s camps, citizen science, and conservation programs.

Please send submissions to admin@piedmontwildlifecenter.org no later than 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, March 31st, 2024. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

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.

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.

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.