Wildly Grateful for Our Volunteers

In 2024, volunteers contributed a remarkable 3,120 hours of service at Piedmont Wildlife Center. From working behind the scenes to engaging directly in the community, their dedication supports our mission on a daily basis.

This National Volunteer Week, we’re thrilled to spotlight just a few of the outstanding individuals who help make our work possible:

Chelsea Taylor-Long
Raptor Handling Volunteer
Chelsea has been volunteering with Piedmont Wildlife Center since 2018. She is an Evening Raptor Feeder and participates in Raptor Handling & Training sessions. Every Thursday, Chelsea and fellow volunteers work on building trust and skill with our Raptor Ambassadors—learning how to safely handle them, transfer them between handlers, box them for transport, and return them to their enclosures.

“Raptor handling has inspired me to learn more about native birds. When I see raptors in the wild, I get excited trying to identify them.”

​Beyond animal care, Chelsea also supports our outreach events—sharing the Ambassadors’ stories and inspiring a deeper appreciation for North Carolina wildlife in our community.

Owen Erquiaga
Administrative Volunteer
Owen moved from Colorado to North Carolina in 2023 and quickly fell in love with Piedmont Wildlife Center.

“I admired the mission of Piedmont Wildlife Center and immediately felt connected to its people.”

As an Administrative Volunteer, Owen is helping us organize and streamline our digital file library, making program information more accessible for our team. His favorite part of volunteering? The Animal Ambassadors and the peaceful outdoor environment just steps away from his desk!

Kerry & Kyle Apostolico
Animal Care Volunteers (Parent & Teen Duo)
Kyle, a senior at Green Level High School, has always been fascinated by animals. As someone interested in Marine Science—his future major at UNCW—he searched for a volunteer opportunity that went beyond the usual cats and dogs. That’s when he and his mom, Kerry, discovered Piedmont Wildlife Center.

Now an Animal Care Volunteer team, Kyle and Kerry work side-by-side to clean enclosures, provide fresh food and water, and administer medications when needed. They enjoy learning each animal’s unique personality—like which turtles are the messiest or how the once-separated rabbits now snuggle up together.

Kerry says it’s been a joy to share this experience with her son before he heads off to college in the fall.

Jody McAuliffe
Raptor Care Volunteer
Jody has been volunteering at Piedmont Wildlife Center for 6 years. She currently cares for our raptors during afternoon feeding shifts and has developed a special bond with our Great Horned Owl Ambassador, Juniper.

“Juniper is so calm and beautiful,” she says. “Volunteering here has made me more aware of the world I share with these birds—even in my own neighborhood.”

Raptor Care Volunteers like Jody provide our birds with fresh food and water, and ensure that their enclosures are clean, tidy, and comfortable.

We are deeply grateful for every volunteer who shares their time, skills, and heart with our animals, our people, and the greater mission of connecting our community with nature and wildlife.

Community Spotlight: Kyra Thurow-Bartow, Husbandry & Intern Coordinator

Meet Kyra, PWC's Husbandry and Intern Coordinator! Kyra oversees the daily care of all 27 of our Animal Ambassadors and leads our Conservation Intern program. Her work ensures that every animal at PWC thrives—and that our interns do too!

Kyra’s favorite part of the job? Getting to know each of our Animal Ambassadors and making their lives the best they can be. “Every one of our ambassadors is unique, and it's a joy to discover their quirks,” she says.

Kyra’s journey into environmental education started early. With a love for nature (especially birds!), she earned her BA in Environmental Education from Catawba College and her MS in Biology from Miami University of Ohio. Her background includes roles at Osprey Wilds, the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, and the Greenville Zoo. Along the way, she developed a special connection to birds of prey—and now she gets to work with them daily here at PWC!

Originally from Butler, PA, and raised in Holly Springs, NC, Kyra now lives in Durham. Outside of work, you’ll find her birding, playing Wingspan, journaling, painting, reading, or spending time with her husband, dog, and cat.

Kyra's favorite animals? The American Kestrel and the Bearded Vulture (also known as the Lammergeier).

Thank you for all that you do for our staff and Animal Ambassadors, Kyra!

Empowering Future STEM Leaders with El Centro Hispano

We’re thrilled to share an exciting update about our ongoing Camp Scholarship Fundraiser, running through April 2!

This year, in addition to fulfilling PWC scholarship requests, we’re partnering with El Centro Hispano, a leading organization serving North Carolina’s Latino/Latinx community across Durham, Wake, Orange, and neighboring counties. Together, we aim to bring 20-25 of El Centro Hispano's STEM campers to PWC this July.

Donations will:

• Fund camp scholarships for El Centro Hispano's young learners.

• Support counselor and coordinator time.

• Cover transportation costs, ensuring every child can participate in camp at no cost to their families.

This is a brand-new partnership, and we're starting from scratch with no prior funding. That's why we need the support of our generous donor community and camp families. With your generosity, we can empower the next generation of STEM leaders and changemakers.

Please consider supporting this exciting partnership with a donation to our Camp Scholarship Fund!

To donate to the Camp Scholarship Fund, click the dropdown menu under "Where would you like your gift to go?" and choose "Camp Scholarships.”

Community Spotlight: Celeste Erlenmeyer

At just seven years old, Celeste Erlenmeyer is using her love of art to spread kindness and support causes close to her heart.

Celeste and her family are frequent visitors to PWC, and one of their favorite stops is Edgar’s enclosure. She loves reading to our Raven Ambassador once or twice a month and says that PWC has always made her feel "welcome." So, with markers in hand and a big idea in mind, Celeste organized a neighborhood fundraiser to support both Piedmont Wildlife Center and St. Jude’s. She set up a stand selling her hand-drawn posters—many featuring inspiring quotes—and the response was incredible. The Mebane Fire Department even rolled up in their biggest fire truck, and both the Fire Department and Orange County Police Department showed their support by purchasing Celeste's artwork to display in their stations.

But this wasn’t just any fundraiser—it was a full-on neighborhood celebration! Kids had a blast with sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and coloring pages, while friends, family, and even a few teachers from Celeste's school stopped by to enjoy the fun. Celeste’s grandparents even made a day of it, joining the family for lunch before heading to Eno River Farm for ice cream.

For Celeste, making art is all about bringing ideas to life, and this time, her creativity helped two causes close to her heart.

Thank you, Celeste, for your kindness, creativity, and support—you’re an inspiration to us all!

Change a Child's Summer by Supporting PWC's Camp Scholarship Fund

Summer camp gives kids the chance to connect with nature, make new friends, and discover their strengths in a supportive, outdoor setting. It's a place for exploration, learning, play, and making lasting memories.

““It (camp) enriches their education and childhood experience in a way that indoor, paper, or computer-based learning simply can’t.””

— Adam S. (Parent of Camper)

This year, we’ve received an unprecedented number of scholarship requests, and we need your help to ensure that every child, regardless of financial barriers, can attend camp.

Over the next three weeks, we’ll be highlighting how scholarships make transformative camp experiences possible, in hopes that together, we can raise $7,000 to send 20 kids to summer camp this year!

Camp scholarships are exclusively funded through donations, and every gift, big or small, makes a difference. Whether you choose to sponsor a camper, make a smaller contribution, or rally friends and family to fundraise together, your support will give a child the opportunity to enjoy "a week in the wild" at Piedmont Wildlife Center.