On July 20th, your gift goes even farther

July Bonus Day is next Wednesday, July 20th - and we're gearing up to celebrate our most generous donors! With their donations of $100 or more, these Protectors of the Piedmont allow us to:

• offer low -or no-cost nature programs at Title 1 schools

• ensure our Ambassador Animals receive the best possible care

• provide scholarships to campers and afterschool students in need

• keep our on-site box turtle research running

And more! As we prepare for the next #20YearsOfPWC, we know we can't do it without them - and you.

This July Bonus Day, our partner GlobalGiving is offering a special opportunity to get donations of $100 and up matched. The bigger the donation, the higher the match! Starting at 9 AM EST on Wednesday, July 20th, GlobalGiving will match:

• 30% on donations from $100-$499

• 40% on donations from $500-$749

• 50% on donations from $750-$1,000

In order to be eligible for matching, donations must be made online through GlobalGiving on the morning of July 20th while funds last. (We recommend donating early, before 10 AM EST!)

Can we count you in? Follow the link below to see all the PWC projects you can support on GlobalGiving... and mark your calendars for July Bonus Day next Wednesday, July 20th!

Have 5 minutes? Help shape future PWC events!

What kind of PWC events would you like to see in the future? Do you want us to offer more virtual experiences? Who cooks for YOU?!

We want to know! (Well, okay, Apollo may be the only one asking that last question…) Will you help us by filling out our survey?

We’re so excited to hear your opinions that we’re giving away prizes to THREE lucky respondents! Enter your name and contact info on the last page of the survey to be entered in a drawing for one of three FREE virtual or in-person animal encounters, plus some fun PWC merch.

The survey should take about 5 minutes and will remain open until Wednesday, July 27th. Thank you for giving your opinions to help us better serve our community. Don’t forget to share with family and friends!

NEW animal experiences: Paws on the Porch & Turtle Treks

Ever wanted to meet an opossum face-to-snout, or try your hand at tracking box turtles with radio telemetry? We've got you covered with TWO new animal experiences: Paws on the Porch and Turtle Treks!

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Paws on the Porch

Come hang out on the porch and meet at least two of your favorite Ambassador Animals! This up-close and unique experience will give you and three friends the private animal encounter you’ve been looking for. Ask all of your animal related questions and prepare to be inspired to conserve wildlife! (30 minutes, $100)

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Turtle Trek

Explore PWC and Leigh Farm Park like never before! Venture off trail and into the woods on your own Turtle Trek to assist in PWC’s own box turtle research project. Use radio telemetry to find a hidden box turtle in the woods and then meet a box turtle who calls PWC home. Limited to 5 active participants (i.e. those who will be actively using radio telemetry) and 10 total individuals. (45 minutes, $100, April-October only)

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Ready to get WILD? Book your wildlife encounter with us today!

We received $5,000 for Title 1 school programs!

Attention Title 1 school teachers: Your adventure starts here!

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve received a $5,000 grant from Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund! This generous grant will allow us to offer FREE wildlife programs to twelve Title 1 classrooms in Wake, Durham, Orange, and Chatham counties during the 2022-23 school year.

The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund supports conservation and education initiatives that conserve wildlife and habitat, connect new audiences to the outdoors, and protect our outdoor heritage. We are all about nature connection here at PWC, so we are thrilled to have their support as we bring educational, fun, and inspiring wildlife encounters to NC students who may otherwise lack opportunities to access nature.

Are you a teacher at a public Title 1 elementary school? Applications are NOW OPEN for our free Title 1 programs! Qualifying schools will be selected on a first come, first serve basis. Programs will happen in October, November, January, or February of the 2022-23 school year. Learn more and apply today!

P.S. Want to help us offer low- or no-cost programs to even more Title 1 classrooms this year? Support this project on GlobalGiving! GlobalGiving is currently offering a match on new monthly donations up to $200:

We had a "hoot" at our Summer Solstice Reunion!

A huge thank-you to all who attended our Summer Solstice Reunion last Saturday, June 25th! It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces while enjoying good food and even better conversations.

We had around 55 people join us - wow! We only wish we'd had time to catch up with everyone who attended to share our gratitude for being part of our Piedmont community. We hope everyone had as much fun as we did! Shout out to PWC admin intern Alex and friend Katie for grilling the burgers and hot dogs to perfection.

During the event, we asked people to fill our "memory jar" with their favorite PWC memories. Scroll down to see some of our favorite responses!

Did you take any fabulous photos on Saturday? We'd love to see them! Tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter - or send them to us directly at admin@piedmontwildlifecenter.org! We also invite you to share your PWC story with us.

Thanks again for joining us this weekend. We hope you stop by for a visit soon… or join us for our next 20th anniversary celebration event!

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What's your favorite PWC memory?

• Visiting Miracle on Saturday mornings :)

• We got married here! – Dwight and Alyssa

• We eloped at the amphitheater! – Alyssa and Dwight

• Parsley (aka Thumper) stomping her feet when I touched her favorite toy. Adorable attitude!

• My favorite memory of PWC is the old tree swing. The hair-raising jumps, the feeling of weightlessness, the challenges to complete for a push, and adrenaline rush... I miss it a lot. – Nicolas

• A Walk to Nowhere: I recall being blindfolded and led to a part of the park I had never been to before. The group I was with was then told to find our way back to camp. I enjoyed how well this helped us bond. – Tinder Wolf

• Seeing Ramzi catch a snake!