About Charlotte Wildlife Stewards

We are the Charlotte Wildlife Stewards

Imagine a treatment that would improve your mood, make you smarter, keep you healthier and improve your relationships. How much would you invest in that therapy? Turns out, there is such a thing and best of all, it’s free. It’s called Nature.”
~Dr. Lawrence Rosen, The Whole Child Center

Mission Statement:
"Charlotte Wildlife Steward's mission is to create, preserve, and protect wildlife habitat through education, engagement, and enjoyment."

About us
Charlotte Wildlife Stewards (formerly CROWN) was established in 2013 by a group of passionate volunteers who saw a need to raise awareness to the status of the Charlotte Mecklenburg region's wildlife as well as their habitat. Charlotte is the largest city in the Carolinas and continues to grow in size and population, creating major stress on the surrounding natural resources. With supporting leadership from both the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation, our all-volunteer staff work tirelessly to create balance between economic growth and strong, healthy ecosystems, in support of sustainable and livable communities. We work with our partners to enhance landscapes and restore habitat throughout the region so that they may become healthy, thriving ecosystems, as unique and wonderful as the wildlife they support. Join us, by making your property wildlife friendly. This website is Charlotte's source of information related to local wildlife and conservation, and offers ways you can participate.

Do you have an interest in nature? Do you see development creating poor quality natural habitat for wildlife to thrive? We want to empower folks through our programs and resources to offset the damage caused by common development and home landscape practices. This website and our programs are making a positive difference in our community.

Can Charlotte become a "nature-rich" city?
With your help, we can begin the transformation of Charlotte towards a nature-rich city. A nature rich city includes these principles (from Richard Louv, author of “The Nature Principle”)

Every child has a right to a positive connection to the natural world
Want to envision a better future? View Charlotte through the lens of the natural world
Nature-rich communities are healthier for children, adults and other living things
Conservation is no longer enough. Now is the time to create nature-rich futures
The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need. This is especially true for today’s young people.
Natural history is as important as human history to a region’s sense of identity
Different cultures and people of various abilities experience nature differently
We need to build a larger network of diverse organizations and partners to open more doors towards supporting the concepts and benefits offered by the natural world
The future belongs to the nature-smart. True economic wealth understands and operates with the realization that everything is connected to nature
Nature-deficit disorder is real and is a threat to civilization

“May the relationship between man and nature not be driven by greed, to manipulate and exploit, but may the divine harmony between beings and creation be conserved in the logic
of respect and care.”
-- Pope Francis General audience, Vatican City, April 22, 2015

Our Upcoming Event

Secure Donation

Wild on the Water!

AWARDS

From leading family nature walks to organizing community paddling events, this dedicated group has led the way for environmental awareness and wildlife conservation in Charlotte. Celebrating its fifth year as a wildlife chapter, Charlotte Wildlife Stewards achieved recognition of Charlotte as a Community Wildlife Habitat, installed several pollinator gardens in schools and created venison recipe kits for those in need in Mecklenburg County. CWS is the 2019 NCWF Chapter of the year. Details

Trees Charlotte recognized our organization with the award for "Proud Partner of the Canopy" based on our involvement as Tree Masters, providing information on the wildlife value of their trees, and our ongoing work in promoting wildlife habitats.
February 5, 2019

We received the 2015 Sustain Charlotte recipient of the "Community Sustainability Award"
for Outstanding Contributions to Local Sustainability!
April 22, 2015

Also, in 2015, we were selected by the Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Programs for their outstanding teamwork with Central Carolinas Master Naturalist Program.

From left to right; City Councilwoman Patsy Kinsey, and NWF President Collin O'Mara, join Ernie McLaney, (CROWN) NCWF Affiliate Representative Richard Mode, and NWF Board Member Carol Buie Jackson, in the Charlotte certification celebration, May 2, 2015

The Charlotte Chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, has been recognized by the editors of the Charlotte Observer as an organization that made Charlotte a "better place to live, in 2015".
Visit these web pages to see why!

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