This past weekend, nearly 20 volunteers gathered to build a bird-friendly rain garden, complete with bird-friendly native plants, at the new Habitat for Humanity campus in Winston-Salem. Continuing a successful community partnership that connects people to birds and conservation, Audubon North Carolina, Forsyth Audubon and Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County (Habitat) will offer the garden as a public teaching space where residents can learn how to support birds and pollinators with NC native plants.
Once complete, Audubon members will lead workshops and educational events for Habitat partner-homeowner families and all community residents on planting for birds and butterflies and how to care for their plants over time.
“Through the Bird-Friendly Communities initiative, we’re always exploring new and innovative ways to engage citizens in small, simple actions that benefit our birds and local communities,” said Kim Brand, Audubon’s Bird-Friendly Communities Coordinator. “The addition of a rain garden will be a great model for residents to learn about gardening and understand how we can all do our part to help birds and pollinators in our own backyards.”
“Our residents and Habitat homeowners are thrilled to have an exhibit garden to learn from,” said Sylvia Oberle, Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County executive director. “After the success of our neighborhood revitalization project using bird-friendly native plants provided by Audubon, we’re excited to develop a public space for more residents to experience bird-friendly gardening and be inspired to transform their own space.”
Volunteers were invited to help build the garden during a special work-day event on Saturday, April 16 at the Habitat for Humanity office at 1023 W. 14th Street.
Since 2013, Audubon North Carolina has been working with local communities in urban and suburban environments to engage citizens in increasing connected habitats for birds across our state.
For more information on Audubon North Carolina’s Bird-Friendly Communities initiative, visit our website.
The bird-friendly rain garden project is supported by Wells Fargo and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). In 2012, Wells Fargo and NFWF launched the Environmental Solutions for Communities initiative, designed to support projects that link economic development and community well-being to the stewardship and health of the environment.
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About Audubon North Carolina
With a century of conservation history in North Carolina, Audubon strives to conserve and restore the habitats we share with all wildlife, focusing on the needs of birds. Audubon North Carolina achieves its mission through a blend of science-based research and conservation, education and outreach, and advocacy. Audubon North Carolina has offices in Corolla, Boone, Wilmington and Chapel Hill. Learn more at nc.audubon.org and @audubonnc.
About Habitat Humanity of Forsyth County
Steadfastly adhering to a philosophy of a “hand-up, not a hand-out,” Habitat is a powerful engine of collaboration and reciprocity whereby those who qualify- by having a history of steady income, verifiable need and a willingness to work hard- soon become involved in giving help to others. Interest-free mortgage payments go back to Habitat to help future homeowners. Through this proven and integrity-based strategy of making home ownership a reality, Habitat Forsyth has fundamentally changed lives for 400 Partner Families in our community.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.8 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through 8,700 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 30 on Fortune’s 2015 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at Wells Fargo Blogs and Wells Fargo Stories.
