What’s Your Favorite Misunderstood Animal?
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 The stone for the canvas back duck is the perfect vehicle for generating water movement. There's a thin layer of quartz in the steatite (the...
Shorebird Art: Ira Hudson Yellow Lesserlegs
I CREATED THIS PIECE TO COMMEMORATE MY FATHER. Shorebird art is one way to honor my father. As a world-renowned sporting art watercolorist, my dad was captivated by how beautifully and simply...
Emergency Funding
When the North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) calls and asks for emergency funding, we know it is important. US Fish & Wildlife Services (USFWS) has announced they will be...
Educational Programs: The More You Learn, the More You Love
It is impossible to love and protect something you don't know about. So one of our goals is to provide educational programs about the underdogs in nature, especially the endangered. Think...
Seven Impressive Reasons We Love Endangered Red Wolves
Let's start with a question. What is the most endangered wild animal in the US? Black-footed ferret Eastern hellbender Gray bat Red wolf If your pick is the critically endangered red...
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? Sea Turtle Baby Wow, it is a hatchling trying to make it...
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...
Turtles vs Tortoises: The Astonishing Differences
Confusing! What exactly is the difference between turtles vs tortoises. Or are they one & the same? Let's find out.A quick overview of turtles vs tortoises First, all reptiles with a hard...
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...
When & How To Put Out Hummingbird Feeders
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...
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... Beavers want to protect their families just like we do which is one...
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...
Girl Scouts Fall in Love With Red Wolves
Helping three Girl Scouts fall in love with our American red wolf is not something we ever imagined would happen. But here we are at the WNC Nature Center introducing the girls to Karma...
Do You Fear Bees? So Do Elephants!
How Can Bees Help Elephants? As elephants and humans compete for scarce land and water resources, they come into conflict, sometimes with fatal results. It doesn't take long for an elephant to...
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...
Discover How The Amazing Fox Uses Earth’s Magnetic Field
Using Earth's Magnetic Field To Navigate 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...
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...
Saving Your Bluebirds With Snake Guards
Just What is a Snake Guard? 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...
Garden Bugs Come In All Colors! Discover Why.
A Garden Bug Confession 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...
A Great Time To Be A Citizen Scientist
Dream of being a 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? Well, anyone who...
Amazing Pollinators in the Garden
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...
A Gorilla Win!
Getting in the Game with Gorillas Dale with "Enigma" at the National Sculpture Society show Who doesn't enjoy being acknowledged for their hard work? Dale is looking dapper in his suit as he...
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! Dale & Chancellor Kelly...
Saying Thank you
Here we are with Governor Cooper & his wife, Kristin I don't say thank you enough. First, it requires interacting with people which as an introvert, I sometimes find hard to do. But I am finding...
Red Wolves Get Huge Boost From N.C. Governor Cooper
Four week old red wolf pups at Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center Hope for the Red Wolves In this season of hope and thankfulness, we applaud North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper's...
A Passion for Wildlife
There is always a back story... How do you capture one's passion? And on paper, no less. Here's the full article. We think Rose Jenkins at Conserving Carolina...
Extinct No More
Giant Tortoise Discovered 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...
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! Once Dale completes a sculpture, an obvious question is where will it go? What do you do with a...
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...
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...
Falling in Love
Our Story Begins... 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...
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...
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?...
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". Emotional The sculpture was installed in its final resting...
Kiss a Frog? You bet!
Would either of us kiss a frog? You bet if it helps protect them from extinction. But we better kiss them quick as they may not be with us much longer. What? Over 40% of frogs, classified as...
