Posts by Bates Whitaker
Working the Night Shift – Nocturnal Wildlife in North Carolina
Take a step outside on a misty, dew-drenched spring morning, and a group of robins might startle into flight as they root through the damp soil for earthworms. In the…
Read MoreA Landmark Victory for North Carolina’s Fisheries: Court rules North Carolina violated legal duty to protect coastal fisheries
After a multi-week trial, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins has ruled that the State of North Carolina failed to meet its constitutional obligation to protect the state’s fisheries. This…
Read MoreNew Red Wolf Litters Offer Hope While Highlighting the Need for Connected Habitat
This spring, four litters of critically endangered Red Wolf pups were born in eastern North Carolina, marking an important milestone in the recovery of a species that once stood on…
Read MoreThe Future is Wild: NCWF’s 2026 Scholarship Winners
Wildlife enforcement, invasive bass, Red Wolves, marine fisheries, sea turtles, and rare butterflies. Seven undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. students received 2026 North Carolina Wildlife Federation scholarships to support their studies…
Read MoreConservation, Connections and Competition: How Envirothon Inspires North Carolina’s Next Generation of Conservation Leaders
When six students from Enloe Magnet High School stepped onto a privately owned property in Stanly County this summer, they weren’t simply preparing for a competition – they were experiencing…
Read MoreNCWF In The Field – July, 2026
North Carolina Wildlife Federation staff and Community Wildlife Chapters connected 839 people to nature through 33 wildlife and habitat events and activities in July, including: Planting 137 native plants –…
Read MoreBuilding Better Habitat: Lake Norman’s New Artificial Reef Structures Benefit Wildlife and Anglers
As North Carolina continues to grow, conserving wildlife increasingly requires innovative solutions. In places where natural habitat has been lost or altered, that can mean creating new structures that restore…
Read MoreEvery Acre Matters: Connecting Wildlife Habitat Across North Carolina’s Electric Corridors
With more than 85 percent of North Carolina’s land in private ownership, conserving and connecting wildlife habitat requires innovative solutions. As development continues to fragment forests, farms, and natural areas,…
Read MoreNorth Carolina’s New Budget Delivers Historic Wins for Conservation
For the past two years, North Carolina stood alone as the only state in the nation operating without a comprehensive state budget. That uncertainty made long-term planning difficult across government,…
Read MoreCrossings: Habitat Connectivity and A Historic Investment in North Carolina Wildlife Crossings
“The chief irony of biological annihilation is this: we are both its cause and its solution.” – Ben Goldfarb, Crossings We live in a world with many severed connections –…
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