Warm Wishes and Festive Photos to Brighten Your Day!

This holiday season, we’re celebrating the connections that make life meaningful—the bonds we share with each other, our community, and the natural world.

At Piedmont Wildlife Center, connection is at the heart of everything we do. Our mission is to connect people with nature, whether it’s through the quiet moments of meeting an Ambassador Animal up close, the excitement of a camper identifying animal tracks in the woods, or the teamwork of our dedicated volunteers who contribute to the care of our raptors, reptiles, and mammals. Every interaction we foster strengthens the bond between people, nature, and community, creating a brighter, more hopeful future for all.

As the holiday season unfolds, we’re sharing a festive scene with a few of our Ambassador Animals—Shelly, Basil, Bob, Wilbur, and Pumpkin—surrounded by a Lego Holiday Village lovingly built by our Executive Director, Nick DiColandrea, and his kids. It’s a joyful reminder that the simplest moments—like spending creative time with loved ones—are often the most special of all.

From all of us at Piedmont Wildlife Center, we wish you a holiday season filled with joy, peace, and the simple pleasures that bring us together!

Community Spotlight: Uliana Gutierrez, Wildlife Conservation Intern

PICTURED: Uliana Gutierrez and Willow, our Red-Shouldered Hawk

As the cool winds of late autumn usher in the winter solstice, we're excited to spotlight Uliana Gutierrez, our Fall 2024 Wildlife Conservation Intern!

Uliana is working toward an associate degree in Science and plans to transfer to NC State University to study Wildlife Conservation. Though she initially completed a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, her passion for nature inspired her to pursue a career in conservation.

Uliana’s motivation for applying for the internship at PWC stems from her belief in the organization’s mission to connect younger generations with nature. She shares, “Fostering appreciation for wildlife is the key to ensuring a sustainable future for our planet.” Her time at PWC has allowed her to engage directly with North Carolina’s native wildlife, which has been a dream come true for Uliana.

Throughout her internship, Uliana made valuable contributions to the care of our Ambassador Animals. She prepared diets for our reptiles, mammals, and raptors, designed and implemented enrichment projects—including dynamic perches for our raptors—tracked turtles for our ongoing box turtle research study, and more.

Reflecting on her time at PWC, Uliana shares, “I’m proud of how quickly I learned everything and how I’ve been able to pass that knowledge on to our incredible volunteers.”

When asked about her future, Uliana says, “My dream is to specialize in animal care and conservation. As long as my work contributes to conservation efforts, I’ll feel fulfilled.”

We’re incredibly grateful for Uliana’s hard work, compassionate nature, and the lasting impact she’s made during her time with us. We’re confident that wherever her journey takes her, she’ll continue to make remarkable contributions to wildlife conservation!

We Flew By Our Giving Tuesday Goal—Thanks to You!

Each day, we are inspired by the immense generosity and thoughtfulness of our community, and this Giving Tuesday has left us absolutely astounded.

Together, we raised an incredible $10,047.65. We flew by our goal of $7,500 and even exceeded our stretch goal of $10,000! Your overwhelming support fills us with gratitude and excitement for what lies ahead.

What does this mean for Piedmont Wildlife Center?

As you may know, 2024 has brought its share of challenges. From losing our cabin to navigating leadership transitions and managing increased veterinary expenses, it hasn't been an easy year. But your generosity is helping to massively bolster our resources and capacity, enabling us to face these challenges head-on and move forward as an organization.

Thank you for believing in our mission and for showing us, once again, the incredible power of community. Whether you’ve been part of our journey for years or just joined, we are deeply grateful for your commitment to nature education and wildlife conservation.

With overwhelming gratitude,

Piedmont Wildlife Center Staff & Board of Directors

A Thanksgiving Message From Our Team

This Thanksgiving, we’re reflecting on the little things that bring us joy—like a good book on a rainy day, barred owl calls, and the support of an incredible community like you.

We made a short video to share what our staff is grateful for this year. We hope it inspires you to pause and reflect on the things that bring you joy, too.

Watch Our Staff Gratitude Video:

From all of us at Piedmont Wildlife Center, thank you for being part of our journey. We’re so grateful for you!

November Update From Nick DiColandrea, Executive Director

Hello again, Piedmont friends and supporters!

I hope you’ve been doing well and have had a chance to enjoy this wild hot-and-cold weather we’re all so familiar with here in North Carolina. While it’s deeply troubling to see our climate swing to such extremes more regularly, these moments also provide opportunities for reflection on how we impact and care for the environment around us. They remind us to be thankful for the incredible richness of biodiversity—the plants and animals that make up our Piedmont landscape—a gift from previous generations that we’re privileged to experience every day.

Did you know that our Conservation team provides classroom educational visits for schools all across the Triangle? You didn’t?! Well, let me tell you about my recent experience. I had the opportunity to join Jenna Williams, PWC's Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator, at Pleasant Union Elementary this month, and I loved it! You should have seen the excited glee of the 4th graders, the curiosity behind their questions, and the empathy they showed for our Animal Ambassadors. With more support from our community, we can reach even more students next year and keep bringing nature into classrooms, inspiring those who will one day inherit this planet. It is an amazing experience to see how these little learners connect with nature in the classroom!

Speaking of thankfulness, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my incredible staff. Without them, Piedmont would not exist.

• Madeline, thank you for being a constant ray of positivity.

• Jenna, thank you for nerding out on sci-fi with me and making me feel younger than I am.

• Kaitlin, you are one of the most tireless and dedicated employees I’ve ever seen.

• Porter, your curiosity and thoughtful questions constantly push us to grow.

• Alia, your Facebook Marketplace skills and infectious enthusiasm are unmatched.

• Jillian, your caring demeanor and perfectly timed jokes keep us grounded and smiling.

• Mirren, thank you for seamlessly stepping into new roles without missing a beat.

• Ben, I appreciate how you ask for help when needed and offer it so generously in return.

• Arisa, for being one of the most resilient employees I've had the pleasure of working with and not being shy about challenging my ideas.

• Noelle, thank you for always asking more questions than I have answers for, but mainly for being the backbone of Piedmont during my entire first few months.

Thank you, team!

And don’t forget, folks—Giving Tuesday is just around the corner!

Yours in service, 

Nick DiColandrea (Executive Director)