What’s Your Favorite Misunderstood Animal?
Snake Guards Can Help Save Your Bluebirds
If you have a bluebird house or any kind of bird nesting box, you might not have given much thought to snake guards. Nor had we until that fateful morning… But let’s back up. Just what is a snake guard?
Moths vs Butterflies: Both are Amazing Pollinators
I never thought of moths as pollinators until recently. Their cousins, the butterfly, get a lot more attention. But moths are vital parts of nature and come in so many varieties. And they are fascinating so let’s learn more! First, what is a moth? An insect, of course, which is a group of animals with six legs and antennae. An interesting side note, spiders are not insects because they have eight legs. Hmm.
Gray Foxes: The Joy of Living with Them
The leaves next to Dale’s studio are rustling. Cool, it must be our resident black snake, who we haven’t seen in a long time. Then a tiny nose pokes around the corner. This isn’t our snake, but a baby fox. I’m about to have heart failure I am so excited. We have a baby fox living under our studio! Wondering if it’s a red or gray fox, I can’t tell. We have both living in our woods and this one is so little.
When & How To Put Out Hummingbird Feeders (Updated 2024)
An age-old dilemma. When to put out hummingbird feeders? Well, in North Carolina, ruby-throated hummingbirds are often spotted along the North Carolina coast in early March. And they are hungry!
Educational Programs: The More You Learn, the More You Love
Education programs for wildlife are magical. But what does that mean?
First, close your eyes. Next, listen to the video. Ok, it is a little tricky to close your eyes and click on the video but give it a try
Dove Art: Lonesome Dove
This dove art is very special to me This piece was sculpted as my best friend and mentor, David, was dying. Each day, I would call him to discuss my progress on the sculpture. When I finally...
Marble Sculpture: Facing Destiny
As a wildlife artist, sculpting figurative art is a real challenge and not something I do often The first time I laid eyes on this exquisite piece of marble, I knew exactly what was residing...
Bird Sculpture: William Mathews Black Bellied Plover
Shorebirds are often seen wading along the shoreline. From the artist, Dale Weiler: This black-bellied plover, originally carved by William Mathews back in the early 1900s, is the second bronze...
Bronze Fish Sculpture: In the Shadows
Brook trout are not technically trout but are part of the char family of fish. After sculpting this trout as a stone bas-relief, I knew it would look especially great as a bronze. Then, I...
Owl Sculpture: The Matador
I immediately saw a burrowing owl in this oddly shaped piece of stone. Owls will "mantle" their prey, or put their wing over it, to hide it from other animals. That is exactly what I saw...
Kingfisher Art: Still as Stone
This is one of the most beautiful pieces of yule marble I've ever carved. From the artist, Dale Weiler: There’s a dustiness to the stone that is quite unusual. Once I looked deeper into the marble,...
Raven Art, The Embrace
Ravens are some of the smartest birds on the planet and they generally mate for life. There’s a mystical air to the raven that has always captivated me. The strong relationships they forge...
For the Love of Red Wolves
Let’s start with a question. What is the most endangered wild animal in the US?
Love To Stack Rocks? Don’t Be a Hellbender Homewrecker!
You may be a hellbender home wrecker and not even know it. But first what the hell is a hellbender, also affectionately called a snot otter? This saga begins as a love story. A what? This is getting intriguing!
Chipmunk Art: Sweet Cheeks
I created this chipmunk art to see how many acorns a chipmunk can cram in it's mouth Chipmunk art was not really on my mind when I watched a cute chipmunk jam its mouth full of acorns. Then I...
Canvas Back Duck Sculpture: Cruisin’
I want to create water movement in the stone From the artist, Dale Weiler: The stone for the canvas back duck is the perfect vehicle for generating water movement. There’s a thin layer of...
Shorebird Art: Ira Hudson Yellow Lesserlegs
I CREATED THIS PIECE TO COMMEMORATE MY FATHER.From the artist, Dale Weiler: Shorebird art is one way to honor my father. As a world-renowned sporting art watercolorist, my dad was captivated by how...
The Magic of a Sea Turtle Baby
Could it be a sea turtle baby? As we walk down the beach in Ponte Vedra, FL we see a tiny brown lump. And it is moving! Is it a crab?
Incredible Skunk Spray. Everything You Want To Know
Skunk spray. Ever wonder about it? Do you know skunks only spray when they are scared? But first, let’s delve into why it smells so bad. And how often does a skunk spray? Or even, how does a skunk spray?
Turtles vs Tortoises: The Astonishing Differences
Turtle or tortoise? How do you know? Confusing! What exactly is the difference between turtles vs tortoises. Or are they one & the same? Let’s find out.
How to Do Successful Wildlife Rescues
Are you helping or hindering when you do wildlife rescues? Well, let’s start at the beginning. What happens when you see an animal in distress? You want to help it, of course. But, are you helping or hurting the very animal you are trying to save…
Creating a Red Wolf Sculpture
A red wolf sculpture was not on our minds when we visited the NC Zoo in 2018. But after seeing their red wolves for the first time, we learned the only wild ones in the entire world (yes, on the whole planet) live in our home state of North Carolina. And with less than 20 left in the wild and just over 250 in captivity, they are critically endangered and may soon become extinct (again) in the wild.
Why Do Beavers Build The Most Amazing Dams?
Ever wonder why do beavers build dams? I know, it is not something you think about every day. But when you do…let’s start at the beginning. What exactly is a beaver?
What In The World Do Wolves Eat? Think Blueberries!
We never really thought about what wolves eat until we saw a pack of 18 gray wolves at Nanuk Lodge outside Churchill, Canada. We were there to walk with polar bears which is a whole other story (read our blog Walking With Polar Bears! to learn about that adventure).
Frog Skin: The Ultimate In Recycling
Frog skin. I never really thought about it. Other than it feels slimy to the touch. Hmmm, bet you never thought about it either, did you? But it could just be the best use of recycling we have seen. No way. Frogs (& toads) are good recyclers?
Discover How The Amazing Fox Uses Earth’s Magnetic Field
Do you ever go into the woods and use a compass to find your way around the forest? The compass has a needle that aligns with the earth’s magnetic field to point north/south. You are either really good at it (think scouts) or terrible like me. I still don’t get how they work.
Horseshoe Crab Blood: How It Can Save Your Life
We just got our first COVID-19 vaccine. Which is a little scary since the vaccine is brand new. But we take comfort the vaccine is free of bacteria since it is tested with a substance called LAL. But our comfort quickly vanishes when we learn LAL is made from the blood of horseshoe crabs. Whoa. Horseshoe crab blood! How can that be?
Garden Bugs Come In All Colors! Discover Why.
I have a confession to make. Garden bugs are cool, but I didn’t grow up caring much about bugs. One of my favorite things to do when I was little? Step on ants. The more the better.
A Great Time To Be A Citizen Scientist
Wouldn’t it be cool to be a scientist? It turns out you may already be a citizen scientist and don’t even know it. But wait, what the heck is one?
Amazing Pollinators in the Garden
How many pollinators in the garden can you name? Well, of course, there are bees and butterflies, but what about hummingbird moths, lizards, wasps, ants and opossums? Wait, they all help pollinate your flowers? They do and wow, are they all misunderstood.
Red Wolves Get Huge Boost From N.C. Governor Cooper
In this season of hope and thankfulness, we applaud North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s efforts to help the critically endangered red wolf. In a recent letter to the US Fish & Wildlife Services (USFWS), he has again asked USFWS to rebuild and protect our wild population of red wolves.
Gotta Love the Underdog
Finally, an underdog species gets front & center stage. Immortalized as a sculpture and on the cover of a magazine. Wow, it just doesn’t get much better!
A Passion for Wildlife
There is always a back story… How do you capture one’s passion? And on paper, no less.
The Red Wolf Art Sculpture is Finished. Now What?
We didn’t think red wolf art would be in high demand. It turns out we are wrong, in a good way!
Extinct No More
Extinct species? What do a giant tortoise and a giant bee have in common? They are both big? True, but even better, they both were thought to be extinct and have been newly discovered alive. How exciting! A Giant Tortoise on Fernandina Island in The Galapagos was discovered on Feb 17, 2019, during the filming of an episode of Animal Planet. The female is estimated to be over 100 years old and had not been seen since 1906. Now the hunt begins for other members of her species.
Falling in Love
Fate. Falling in love. A broken sculpture, a missed art opening, and a chance encounter. It sounds like a mystery. Hmmm. We hear so much about “it is meant to be”, “things always have a way of working out”, and “as one door closes another opens”. In our case, it is all of the above.
Our Weiler Woods Love Story, an Article in Foothills Magazine
Our Weiler Woods love story. We met at one of Dale’s art shows, fell in love on first sight (yes, it really happens and we are over 60!), got engaged in 8 days, married, and now are trying to raise awareness and money for wildlife conservation.
Keystone Species: The Remarkable Benefits
I keep reading about keystone species. But what is one exactly? Is it a new type of animal or plant? Not exactly, but let’s start with a comparison. Think about what a starfish and an elephant might have in common. They eat different things. Starfish eat meat (hmm, that’s interesting) and elephants eat plants. There are only 3 species of elephant, but over 2,000 species of starfish.
A New Public Art Sculpture, “Tails to Rails”
Emotional, connected and energized. Three words Dale uses to describe how he feels about his new public art sculpture, “Tails to Rails”.