Habitat and Wildlife Keepers-HAWK

03/18/2025

Earth Day with Kids in Nature Day April 5, 2025

Calling all volunteers for Earth Day with Kids in Nature Day (KIND)
at Squirrel Lake Park in Matthews, NC

Saturday, April 5, 2025 10:00am - 1:00pm

Squirrel Lake Park, 1631 Pleasant Plains Rd, Matthews, NC 28105

Earth Day with Kids in Nature Day is free family fun with lots of activities including nature walks, scavenger hunts, catch and release fishing, nature crafts, STEM activities, and hands-on nature exhibits.

Please sign up to volunteer and share your love of nature with kids that are spending too much screen time and not enough outdoor time.

We'd like those with experience to act as leads (supervision) for certain tasks. These include: Nature Walks, STEM Activities, Lake Fishing, and Arts and Crafts. Please indicate through the Comments section if you are willing to be a task lead.

Parking is limited, so please carpool if possible, park at the Matthews Community Center or other designated off-site parking, or arrange your own drop-off and pick-up.

Dress appropriately for the outdoors, the weather, and fun! Remember to bring your lunch and a water bottle to refill.

Sponsored by HAWK (Matthews Chapter of NC Wildlife Federation), Great Outdoors University, and the Town of Matthews.

Sign Up to Help! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0A4EAEAF22AAF49-55649369-earth #/

03/16/2025

Don't miss tomorrow night!

03/16/2025

The presentation "Saving The World’s Most Endangered Canid: Red Wolves in NC" is now on YouTube

This program is a collaboration between NCWF Habitat and Wildlife Keepers (HAWK) Chapter and NCWF Charlotte Wildlife Stewards Chapter.Presented by:Katerina R...

03/03/2025

01/19/2025

They’re annoying, and their bites can be painful. They spread malaria, dengue, Zika, and the West Nile virus worldwide. Bats, fish, birds, frogs, and dragonflies eat them.

Join us on Tuesday, February 4, at 7 p.m. at the Matthews Community Center to learn about the mosquitoes we have in Mecklenburg County and the efforts to control them.

James Bjorneboe, a senior environmental specialist with the Mecklenburg County Department of Environmental Health, will discuss mosquito control in the county. He will describe the county’s services and what it doesn’t provide. Bjornboe will also discuss the local mosquito species and what homeowners can do to minimize the risk of mosquito bites and the diseases mosquitoes spread.

He has worked for Mecklenburg County for 19 years and has managed the mosquito control program since 2009. He is a past president of the NCMVCA, the state's mosquito and vector control organization.

The Matthews Community Center is located at 100 McDowell St.
Registration link: https://bit.ly/4h9mEBp

12/27/2024

A FIRST DAY HIKE AND A NIGHT-TIME OWL PROWL

NEW YEAR'S DAY HIKE
January 1, 2025, 10am
Purser-Hulsey Park
13201 Philips Road, Matthews

Shake off the holiday season haze by joining HAWK on a hike through the beautiful Purser-Hulsey Park. Enjoy the scenery while learning about your area's plant and animal species. Start your year off on the right foot by getting outside and enjoying quality time with Mother Nature.

OWL PROWL
JANUARY 7, 2025, 7 pm
Squirrel Lake Park
1631 Pleasant Plains, Matthews

Join us on Tuesday, January 7th at 7 p.m. for an Owl Prowl led by Naturalist Taylor Piephoff. We will quietly walk the Four Mile Creek Greenway, searching for owls and other active nocturnal creatures after dark.

Taylor Piephoff is an expert birder who leads bird walks in many parts of North Carolina. He wrote a popular weekly column for the Charlotte Observer on birding. Piephoff is exceptionally knowledgeable about the birds of Mecklenburg County.

Meet at the picnic shelter at Squirrel Lake Park, 1631 Pleasant Plains Rd. in Matthews. Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight. Plan to arrive by 6:50 p.m.

11/20/2024

Would you be interested in a Garden Symposium on February 8, 2025? REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

Gardens Begin with a Dream.
Join fellow garden enthusiasts, experts, and novices alike for a garden design symposium on Saturday, February 8, 2025. This event is presented by the NC Extension and the Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteer Association of Union County at the Union County Agricultural and Event Center in Monroe, NC.

​Grow your knowledge and realize your garden dreams with presentations from acclaimed landscape designers, Jay Sifford and Preston Montague, along with a special lunch and learn presentation with Mary Roberts of Windcrest Farm. The day will also include vendors and exhibitors.​ This event offers an excellent opportunity to expand your knowledge, network with like-minded individuals, and gain inspiration for your garden projects.

Visit the UCEMGVA website https://www.mastergardenersunioncountync.org for more information. Follow us on FB and IG for updates!

11/08/2024

Don't miss our next meeting!

Mythbusting Biology

Will frog p*e give you warts? 'Is ringworm caused by a worm?' 'Do opossums really hang upside down to sleep?'

These are just a few myths we can explore during this program of Mythbusting Biology! So plan to join HAWK on December 3rd at 7:00 pm for a fun evening at the Matthews Community Center, 100 East McDowell St.

Dr. Erika Young of NC Sea Grant has compiled myths about common misconceptions about the natural world from students, parents, and teachers over the last two decades. Many are learned by family and friends and eventually become a version of truth.

Can you think of any that you’d like to ask? Can you tell fact from fiction?

To Register: https://bit.ly/3YY1DSz

10/24/2024

Last Saturday HAWK members Daniel & Caryl attended McDowell's Nature at Night sold-out event. We educated people on the difference between a Scarlet King Snake and a Coral Snake.
We even had many touch a snake for the first time, including many moms! Note: The Coral Snake was rubber :-)

10/24/2024

It's Bat week!

Did You Know? Bat-tastic Fun Facts!

There are over 1,400 bat species worldwide, making them the second-largest order of mammals after rodents.

A single bat can eat up to 1,000 insects in one night, making them natural pest controllers.

Bats have been on earth for more than 50 million years.

Bats are the only mammal capable of true flight and some species can live over 30 years.

10/17/2024

Consider attending this wonderful course! You will gain a deeper appreciation and knowledge of nature and be able to share with others.

10/06/2024

Did you miss our meeting on October 1st?
Watch it here!
Please find the YouTube link below to the presentation, "How to be an Ecological Gardener?"

Presented to HAWK, Matthews, NC, USADaniel JakobovitsConsultant and Landscape Designer for Eco Backyards LLCTuesday, October 1, 2024, 7:00PMMatthews Communit...

09/23/2024

How to be an Ecological Gardner

Many homeowners nationwide are joining the grassroots effort to create habitats for native plants and wildlife in their yards.

Join us on Tuesday, October 1, at 7 p.m. at the Matthews Community Center to learn how to make your yard a better place.

You can have a beautiful garden that supports a healthy, local ecosystem. We rely on nature to clean our air and water, produce oxygen, provide habitat for wildlife, and much more. Learn what you can do as a land steward to rebuild a robust ecosystem in your backyard. It’s easier than you might think.

Our speaker is Daniel Jakobovits, a consultant and landscape designer for Eco Backyards LLC, a habitat construction, ecological landscape design and installation company in Matthews. Daniel has made his passion for the environment his vocation. He's worked to improve our planet for 27 years with everyone who will listen.

He is the current President of HAWK, the Matthews Chapter of the NC Wildlife Federation. He has volunteered with TreesCharlotte, Creek Releaf, and many more. Daniel holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from UNCW, is a Certified Habitat Steward and is an Accredited Organic Landscape Professional.

The Matthews Community Center is located at 100 McDowell St.

09/15/2024

When birds of prey need our help - Carolina Raptor Center Presentation

If you missed our program here's the video of it.

Presented to HAWK, Matthews, NC, USAMaggie Stein and Mark Hughes from the Carolina Raptor CenterTuesday, September 3, 2024, 7:00PMMatthews Community Center10...

09/07/2024

https://ncwf.org/blog/wetlands-protections/

Attorneys for the North Carolina Wildlife Federation and the National Wildlife Federation file a motion for wetlands protections.

09/06/2024

Would you like to help at the Kids in Nature Day October 5th? Here's where you can sign up!