It seems a lot of folks were more than ready to get outside and have some “dirt therapy” after all the Thanksgiving feasting! Over twenty volunteers came to Bass Lake Park Sunday afternoon to refresh, plant, and mulch a multitude of new native plants in the SWC Native Shade Plant Demonstration Garden. Debra Quinlan and … More Native Plant Explosion at Bass Lake Park
SWC members and friends gathered Sunday afternoon to dedicate a ten-foot white oak (Quercus alba) at Crowder County Park as a living memorial to John Kinsella, long-time SWC VP and board member and key leader of a multitude of conservation projects and activities over the years. Beth Kinsella and John and Beth’s son and daughter-in … More A Tree for John
This conservation crew is on it! SWC and Wake Audubon continue to rally around a very exciting collaborative project at a little-known gem of a nature park in Fuquay Varina called the Carroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park. Today, we removed another large trailer load of invasive plants, mostly Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense), but also … More Did Somebody Say “Privet?!”
Wildlife Gardens & Habitats Committee A new committee is born! The team has decided to combine the original Garden for Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat committees under the joint leadership of Sara Donohoe and Debra Quinlan. There is a great deal of syergy between these activities in both of these areas, and the SWC interest survey … More New Committee Announcement
Want to get some outdoor time and burn off some of those Thanksgiving calories? You are invited to join us for a workday the following Sunday afternoon at Bass Lake Park. We will be doing some end-of-year maintenance at SWC’s Native Shade Plant Demonstration Garden near the Bass Lake picnic shelter. In addition to weeding … More Get Outside and Work Off those Thanksgiving Indulgences Nov. 30th!
SWC is partnering with Wake Audubon’s ongoing project to conserve and support the natural heritage of a unique nature park in Fuquay Varina, the Carroll Howard Johnson Environmental Education Park. The NC Natural Heritage Progam lists portions of this site as 7 out of 10 for natural diversity, which is exceptional for a suburban/urban location! … More Invasives Blitz at Johnson Environmental Education Park Nov. 20th
Response was great to our interest survey, so we are definitely going ahead with this trip. We will be visiting Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck, NC, home to one of the world’s most unique collections of waterfowl and exotic birds! If you have not had a chance yet, check out their website to learn more about what … More Trip to Sylvan Heights Bird Park is Now Confirmed for Nov. 15th – PLEASE REGISTER
All of John’s friends and members of the conservation community are invited to come to a memorial tree planting in his honor. John was an integral part of South Wake Conservationists, and we are proud to plant a beautiful white oak tree as a lasting remembrance of all he did for conservation and all the … More John Kinsella Memorial Tree Planting
On Oct. 19th, our eager SWC crew was assigned the task of removing woody invasives to give a small patch of river cane more sun to create a beachhead to support additional growth. Due to the thick brush, our small crew was perfect. Celia, the park’s activities director, explained the importance of this native plant to … More Making Room for River Cane
It was a grand day at Lake Benson Park on Oct. 4th, as SWC held its fourth annual Kids in Nature Day! The weather was perfect, and kids got to explore 25 different nature activities, including nine with live animals. There were birds of prey, arachnids, insects (including bees), reptiles, amphibians, crustaceans, macroinvertebrates (both aquatic … More Best One Yet! Kids in Nature Day 2025
South Wake Conservationists 