NCWF In The Field – November, 2025

November 4, Nature Journaling at Fox Creek Park: Swannanoa Valley Wild gathered to nature journal a beautiful afternoon at Fox Creek Park in Swannanoa. Carolina Corona of Corona Fine Art was our guide as we walked, observed, sketched, and reflected. Nature journaling is a life changing practice that deepens one’s connection with nature and establishes a greater sense of place. It uses writing, drawing, and numbers to help us slow down, pay attention, foster curiosity, and build a more robust memory and understanding of the natural world.

November 4, ecoEXPLORE Predators & Prey: NCWF and Tyrrell County Library came together to host this month’s ecoEXPLORE program diving into predator-prey relationships amongst local mammal species. Participants enjoyed learning more about different predator and prey species and the interactions the roles they play in a healthy ecosystem. To work towards their mammalogy badge, ecoEXPLORErs completed a challenge looking at skull characteristics to determine what mammal each skull belonged to and if they were a predator or prey species.

November 8, SSS Bird Walk at Fair Bluff: On the boardwalk at Fair Bluff, golden crowned kinglets, northern flickers, cardinals, and crows could be seen and heard foraging among the amber-hued banks of the Lumbee river. A red admiral butterfly and canopy jumping spider charmed participants as a lichen-carrying green lacewing wobbled along the boardwalk fence post.

November 8, Mount Jefferson State Natural Area Planting Workday: NCWF High Country Wild alongside New River Conservancy, Keep Ashe Beautiful, and State Parks hosted a volunteer planting day along Naked Creek within the Mount Jefferson State Natural Area in Ashe County. With support from environmental science students at Oak Hill Academy, we planted over 2 thousand native plants in an effort to control erosion and enhance habitat for wildlife. Plant species included elderberry, silky willow, witchhazel, Eastern hemlock, hazel alder, and more!

November 8, Habitat Workday: NCWF Union County Wildlife Chapter partnered with Union County Parks and Recreation and Catawba Lands Conservancy to remove invasive species and improve habitat for the endangered Schweinitz’s sunflower in the prairie at Cane Creek Park. Wildlife Habitat Steward volunteers teamed up with community volunteers to remove invasive species, including privet, honeysuckle, and bushclover, while learning about the native flora and fauna that depend on early successional prairie habitats.

November 8, NRHC Main Street Park Planting: NCWF Neuse River Hawks Conservationists Chapter held a native planting workday at Main Street Park in Rolesville. Volunteers helped plant (and water!) 141 native shrubs including fringe trees, witch hazel, American beautyberry, Carolina allspice, coralberry, oakleaf hydrangea, and chickasaw plum. After multiple invasive removal workdays in the park to remove privet and Japanese stiltgrass, the chapter was able to add plants thanks to a generous grant received by the chapter from the Town of Rolesville.

November 8, Halyburton Park Wisteria Removal: Wildlife Habitat Stewards and volunteers freed nearly a half-acre of Halyburton Park from wisteria, releasing longleaf pines, huckleberry, and shrub oaks from the chokehold of climbing vines. In the open leaf litter, a Rosy Wolf Snail was found, one of our carnivorous land snails in NC.

November 12 – NCWF’s Great Outdoors University had a fantastic morning at Reedy
Creek Nature Preserve! Eighteen enthusiastic Pre-K students, along with their teacher and families, joined in the fun as they explored the fascinating world of Terrific Trees. Together, they discovered the essential roles trees play for us and the amazing animals that call them home. It was a day filled with laughter, learning, and adventure in nature!

November 13, ReWild AVL Chapter Kick-Off: The North Carolina Wildlife Federation is forming a Community Wildlife Chapter in Asheville. The Chapter, officially named ReWIld AVL, hosted their inaugural chapter event at the extraordinary, newly expanded Benjamin Walls Gallery in downtown Asheville. The event was a big success! With nearly 100 people in attendance to support, learn more, and get involved with conversation on the grassroots level. ReWild AVL’s mission is to actively restore and promote wildlife habitat in Asheville, serve as the voice for wildlife as Asheville is rebuilding, and build community by connecting people with the outdoors.

November 14, Butterfly Highway Site Prep: NCWF is partnering with Daniel Stowe Conservancy to conduct seed trials of the Butterfly Highway native seed mix. A handful of community volunteers gathered to prepare seed plots by cutting sod, building borders, and sowing seeds. These seed trials will test tips and methods for seed sowing, site prep, and germination while transforming the newly installed sidewalk area at Daniel Stowe into a vibrant Pollinator Pitstop filled with native plants.

November 15, SWC Sylvan Heights Bird Park Adventure: NCWF South Wake Conservationists Chapter took a field trip to Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck! Attendees meandered through the park enjoying a colorful menagerie of songbirds, waterfowl, cranes, birds of prey, vultures, and more

November 15, Drawn to Nature: NCWF Concord Wildlife Alliance chapter enjoyed a morning of focus and connection with nature through archery! Enthusiastic participants had ample time for target practice at Camp T.N. Spencer Park in Concord.

November 15, NRHC Holding Park Garden Workday: NCWF Neuse River Hawks Conservationists Chapter had a gardening workday at Holding Park in Wake Forest. Volunteers helped spread over 100 bags of mulch in the demonstration rain garden. There was even enough time for a native plant walk afterwards

November 15, Native Tree Planting: NCWF Lake Norman Wildlife chapter and 20 community volunteers came together to plant 142 trees with the Town of Cornelius Parks & Recreation. Native trees were planted at Legion and Jetton Neighborhood Park. Each tree planted helps build a stronger, healthier home for wildlife in and around Lake Norman.

November 16, Invasive Plant Removal: NCWF Habitat and Wildlife Keepers (HAWK) chapter spent the morning with 25 students from Butler High School in Matthews, NC. They worked together to remove invasive Wisteria at Squirel Lake Park. Repeated efforts by the chapter are starting to make a difference at the park!

November 16, Buttonbush Planting: NCWF Lake Norman Wildlife (LNW) chapter Island habitat volunteers spent the morning planting 95 buttonbush tubelings in Catawba County at Lake Norman. A dedicated crew, and even a few four-legged helpers, joined the fun. LNW’s Island Habitat Program enhances habitat for wildlife by removing litter, installing nest boxes & nest platforms, restoring native plant communities, and monitoring wildlife activity.

November 16, Pollinator Planting: NCWF Charlotte Wildlife Stewards chapter worked alongside Central Carolinas Master Naturalist volunteers and community volunteers to install a 1,000 sq ft pollinator pitstop at Veterans Park in Charlotte. Volunteers installed a brick border and planted over 300 native plants, including milkweed, boneset, coneflower, bee balm, aster, and mountain mint, among others. This newly installed habitat will serve as a demonstration garden, providing future opportunities to engage the community with wildlife and habitat.

November 19, Wildlife Wonders: Felting Figurines: NCWF and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge partnered with Pocosin Arts School of Fine Craft for a creative afternoon of creating felted wildlife prints and figurines inspired by local wildlife in Tyrrell County. Families created art in likeness of a striped skunk, grey fox, Red Wolf, owls, and a variety of waterfowl species

November 20, SWC Invasive Removal: NCWF South Wake Conservationists Chapter teamed up with Wake Audubon to tackle invasives at Carroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park in Fuquay Varina. Volunteers removed a full trailer of Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) and burning bush (Euonymus alatus) from the park. This area is a hidden treasure, rich with native species, including twenty different species of ferns and an abundance of birds, all of which will benefit from the continued removal of invasive plants.

November 22, Atlantic White Cedar Tree Planting: In partnership with Apex Clean Energy and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, NCWF and NCWF Wildlife Habitat Stewards of Northeastern NC teamed up for this large-scale Atlantic white cedar habitat restoration project! Earlier in November, over 30,000 seedlings were planted by contractors, and on the 22nd, volunteers from across the Albemarle-Pamlico peninsula came together to plant over 350 seedlings by hand in an afternoon of community and grassroots conservation

November 22, Creek ReLeaf: NCWF and NCWF Charlotte Wildlife Stewards chapter partnered with Charlotte Public Tree Fund and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services for the 17th annual Creek ReLeaf. Hundreds of volunteers, including college students, scouts, families, and adults planted thousands of trees, shrubs, and live stakes in an effort to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and enhance wildlife habitat along Mallard Creek in Charlotte!

November 23, SWC John Kinsella Memorial Tree Planting: NCWF South Wake Conservationists Chapter held a memorial tree planting for John Kinsella at Crowder County Park. Chapter supporters and friends gathered to dedicate a white oak (Quercus alba) tree in his honor at a park where he completed many wildlife projects over the years. Conservation friends and family came together to remember John and plant a tree that will support wildlife for generations to come