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.

Piedmont Wildlife Center Teams Up with Alpacasews, Raleigh-Based Plushie Company

Piedmont Wildlife Center is excited to team up with Alpacasews, a Raleigh-based plushie company founded by NC State graduate Emily Foster, to create a plushie of our Raven Ambassador, Edgar! PWC and Alpacasews share a passion for education and conservation.

Together, we’re celebrating “Dumpster Darlings” and their vital role in the ecosystem.

This campaign also helps support PWC! When you purchase any Dumpster Darling plushie, you can add a Darling Donation Sticker Sheet, with 100% of proceeds benefiting PWC. Plus, $2 from every Edgar plushie sold will be donated to our Conservation Team and Animal Ambassador care.

What is a Dumpster Darling?

Meet the Dumpster Darlings—plushies inspired by the scavenger animals that share our urban spaces! Rats, opossums, raccoons, and more play a vital role in keeping the environment healthy by controlling pests and reducing waste. Now, thanks to Alpacasews, these often misunderstood critters are getting the appreciation they deserve—in adorable plush form, complete with their own plush trash cans!

What is BackerKit?

BackerKit is a crowdfunding platform where you can pledge support for projects like ours. By backing the Dumpster Darlings campaign, you help unlock the Edgar plushie!

How Can I Unlock the Edgar Plushie?

To unlock the Edgar plush, the campaign must reach $50,000 in backer support. When you back the campaign, the pledge level you choose determines the goodies you receive. Once the campaign reaches $50,000 in backer support, the Edgar plushie will be made, and $2 from each one sold will go to PWC. You can also add a sticker sheet to any Dumpster Darlings’ purchase, with all proceeds going to us!

Is there anything else I can do?

• Pledge today to unlock the Edgar plush!

• Share this article to spread the word.

• Even if you can’t pledge, you can help by telling others about the campaign!