Blogs & News

Photo by: Steve Genkins

Blog

Stay up to date on NCWF's wildlife and habitat restoration work.

Journals

Read NCWF's quarterly journals and annual reports.

Videos & Webinars

Visit our online library of wildlife and habitat educational resources.

NCWF Blog

grouse

For the Love of Birds: Six Birds from North Carolina’s list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need

Birds have always fascinated us. Two of the oldest expressions of this fascination are a 40,000-year-old cave painting of giant birds in Australia and a 33,000-year-old bird figurine from Germany,…

Photo: Pine warbler (Setophaga pinus) by Keith Benton, NCWF Photo Contest Submission

Wild Bird Essentials: How to Provide Birds with Shelter, Food, and Water

A significant aspect of conserving wildlife involves the ongoing task of advocating for wildlife and raising voices for those that do not have a voice. This can be achieved by…

White throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicolli)

Birdwatching Essentials: Your Guide to Birding Success in Cities, Suburbs, and Countrysides

Birds are found just about everywhere in North Carolina. From the friendly backyard catbird to the high-flying osprey, birds occupy just about every ecological niche you could imagine.  Dabbling ducks…

NCWF In The Field – October, 2025

North Carolina Wildlife Federation staff and Community Wildlife Chapter volunteers opened their doors and went outside during the month of October. They connected people to the outdoors through a variety…

American goldfinches (Spinus tristis) by Thomas Dierolf, NCWF Photo Contest Submission

Give Back to Birds This Giving Tuesday

Each year, on the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday, people around the world come together for Giving Tuesday – a global celebration of generosity. It’s a day dedicated…

Photo: Black bear cub (Ursus americanus) by Romulus Stanek, NCWF Photo Contest Submission

Next in The Field: NCWF’s 2025 Scholarship Winners

Black bears, seagrass meadows, white-tailed deer genetics, oyster reefs, and endangered crayfish. Seven undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. students attending NC State University and Duke University received 2025 North Carolina Wildlife…

photo contest blog header

NCWF Announces 7th Annual Photo Contest Winners

Photographers across the state perfectly captured the beauty and diversity of our state’s natural resources for North Carolina Wildlife Federation’s 7th Annual Wildlife Photography Contest. NCWF received over 1,000 submissions…

September 29, Autumn Elk Adventure: NCWF Habitat and Wildlife Keepers chapter chartered a bus and took over 40 wildlife enthusiasts to witness the beauty of elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The group stopped for lunch in the charming town of Sylva before heading to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to meet with Cherokee Nation Wildlife Biologist Dr. Caleb Hickman for a chance to see the bugling of elk during rutting season.

NCWF In The Field – September, 2025

North Carolina Wildlife Federation staff and Community Wildlife Chapter volunteers opened their doors and went outside during the month of September. They connected people to the outdoors through a variety…

public lands wildlife

Wildlife on Public Lands: 7 Species That Rely on NC’s Parks, Forests, and Refuges

North Carolina is home to over five million acres of public land, comprising both state and federal properties. This means roughly 16% of the state’s land area is designated as…

August 17, Bumble Bee Atlas Survey: NCWF Charlotte Wildlife Stewards chapter partnered with the Central Carolinas Master Naturalist Program to participate in the Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas, a community science project led by the Xerces Society to track bumble bee populations across the Southeast. Volunteers collected and captured bumble bees for documentation and data collection. While there weren’t many bumble bees, participants caught and studied other native bees and wasps before releasing them.

Thanks to Our Volunteers! – August 2025 Community Wildlife Chapter Updates

North Carolina Wildlife Federation staff and Community Wildlife Chapter volunteers opened their doors and went outside during the month of August. They connected people to the outdoors through a variety…

warbler

UPDATE! Cerulean Warbler and Avian Diversity Survey: A Successful Season in the Field

The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) recently released the draft of the 2025 North Carolina State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP)—a document that plays a foundational role in guiding wildlife…

bats

Batty about BATS – Exploring & Protecting North Carolina Bat Species 

Bats are incredibly diverse and ecologically important creatures despite their reputation as being spooky or dangerous. They are often misunderstood and misrepresented in popular culture. To start, let’s debunk four…