NWF and Affiliate News: ‘The Americas,’ Habitat Stewards, Caring for Carolina

NWF celebrates wildlife with NBC’s ‘The Americas’; plus, educating future habitat stewards and 'plishing' in South Carolina

By Delaney McPherson
NWF News
Mar 26, 2025

Cultivating Habitat Stewards

When Val Schroeder first learned of the National Wildlife Federation’s Community Wildlife Habitat™ program in 2002, she knew her home of Camano Island, Washington, was an ideal candidate. She also knew she’d need help. To expand her knowledge and recruit fellow volunteers, Schroeder became a Habitat Steward™ host.

Started in 1994, NWF’s Habitat Steward program is made up of volunteers who help teach others conservation skills. Participants receive training on topics including building birdbaths (above), selecting native plants, designing wildlife habitats and more. In return, they are asked to contribute 30 total volunteer hours. They then can become hosts themselves and continue to grow the network. Organizers estimate more than 1,500 participants have been trained to date, and many of them continue to volunteer years later.

“Each time we do a training, we get more volunteers,” Schroeder says. “They become stewards who make our goals possible, and our goal is to be in harmony with nature.”

Camano Island became a Community Wildlife Habitat in 2005, and today it is home to more than 1,000 individual Certified Wildlife Habitats®, as well as multiple demonstration gardens created and cared for by Habitat Stewards.

Many NWF regions and state affiliates currently offer stewardship trainings, including Washington Habitat Stewards, Missoula Habitat Stewards, Delaware Nature Society and Monarch Stewards. Learn about resources near you.

An image of a puma.

Explore ‘The Americas’ From Your Couch

NWF has teamed up with NBC to celebrate the wildlife and landscapes of North and South America as the conservation partner for the new nature documentary series “The Americas.” Narrated by Tom Hanks and featuring an original score by composer Hans Zimmer, the 10-part series debuted with two back-to-back episodes on February 23 and continues to air Sundays at 8 p.m. EDT on NBC, streaming the next day on Peacock, through April 20. Viewers experience the beauty, wonder and fragility of the supercontinent, from the Arctic to the Andes, and discover ways to come together for nature.

“NWF is thrilled to be the conservation partner for NBC’s groundbreaking new series ‘The Americas.’ It serves to reconnect millions of people with the natural world that surrounds and sustains us,” says Collin O’Mara, NWF president and CEO. “When we connect with nature, we get inspired to ensure our wildlife and wild places endure for future generations, because when we save wildlife, we save ourselves.”

“The Americas” was filmed over 180 expeditions and took five years to make. Through the show’s immersive journey, audiences learn new information on species such as giant river otters, pygmy owls and salt flat lizards.

To enhance the viewing experience, NWF has developed a watch kit for each episode, featuring wildlife stories, activities and a sweepstakes to inspire viewers to celebrate and care for the natural world in their own backyard. Additionally, NWF has created a series of lesson plans for students of all ages and a new grant opportunity: NBC’s “The Americas” Green Hour™ School Challenge, empowering educators and schools to engage students with nature.

For more information and to access the free education guides, visit thegreenhour.org/nbc-the-americas.

From our Donors : N.S. of Edmonds, Washington

WHY I GIVE “One of my favorite experiences is watching and hearing geese fly over our house. We are all one sharing this planet. We truly respect nature by leaving nothing harmful behind.”

Interested in learning more about the impact you can have on wildlife? Please visit nwf.org/donate.

A collage which contains an image of a child standing with bags of litter and an image of a person posing excitedly with a fishing pole and their catch.

An Environmental Ethos

Caring for wildlife and habitat are so central to the South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) that the NWF affiliate uses the acronym CARE—conserve, advocate, restore and educate—to encapsulate its mission and values.

SCWF’s conservation and restoration efforts already included several habitat programs for schools and residences when staff realized that commercial development was underutilizing conservation opportunities. In response, SCWF launched Wildlife and Industry Together (WAIT), which matches community partners skilled in creating habitats with available land on corporate campuses and at local businesses.

In the realm of advocacy, SCWF is part of the South Carolina Conservation Coalition, a group of more than 50 organizations that sets a common agenda each year on issues such as protecting the state’s wetlands.

And when it comes to education, SCWF leads outdoor training on topics including birding, hunting and “plishing” (above left), which challenges participants to pick up litter while fishing. “We are very well known in our state for our education programs,” says Sara Green, SCWF executive director. “We have things to get involved in conservation at any age—kids, adults and retirees.”

Those offerings include Palmetto Outdoor Women’s Retreats (POWR), a handful of one-day workshops throughout the year, plus two weekend-long retreats that teach skills from fly fishing (above right) to nature photography in a supportive environment. “POWR connects me to like-minded women in an atmosphere that brings me back to my beloved Girl Scout days,” says participant Stefany Beals.

An image of the eye of an American bullfrog.

Bulletin: Success Stories

This year, National Wildlife Week runs April 7 to 13. To celebrate, NWF is partnering with Amazon’s Blink Outdoor Camera to spotlight wildlife in unexpected places. Keep your eye on the wild and learn more.