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Stay on top of current wildlife news and education and volunteering opportunities with our monthly newsletter! The newsletter is a great way to learn about the successes and challenges of wildlife conservation in Charlotte. We also include signups for upcoming volunteering opportunities and highlight our monthly speaker series.
Volunteer with us!
Do you want to clean up your neighborhood stream or help make your local school pollinator-friendly? Sign up below for opportunities like these and plenty of others!
We typically have 1-3 volunteer opportunities each month, with events falling almost exclusively on the weekends.
Tell NC Legislators to Ban Inshore Shrimp Trawling
North Carolina is the only state that allows large-scale, inshore shrimp trawling in our sounds and estuaries. Inshore shrimp trawling is a devastating, unsustainable fishing method that has a persistent impact on our state’s environment, tourism industry, and economy. This shrimping method uses nets and chains to trawl through an underwater terrain already stripped bare by the practice, further devastating fish populations and the complex ecosystems in our sounds and estuaries. Banning inshore shrimp trawling will preserve North Carolina’s natural seafloor habitat and protect all bottom-dwelling plants and animals.
#NCWF #SaveOurSounds #BanTrawlingNC #EndTrawlingNC
Dear [Legislator’s Name],
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you as a concerned citizen and constituent from [Your City or District], deeply invested in the health and sustainability of North Carolina’s coastal environment.
North Carolina remains the only state that still permits inshore shrimp trawling. This practice is outdated and has proven highly destructive to our marine ecosystems. The trawling nets used in this process cause significant bycatch, capturing and killing countless non-target species, including juvenile fish and crabs, which are crucial to the health of our coastal waters. Inshore shrimp trawling is responsible for hundreds of millions of juvenile fish of bycatch in North Carolina annually.
The Consequences:
1. Habitat Destruction: Inshore shrimptrawling disrupts and damageshabitats essential for various marine species.
2. Declining Populations: Bycatch contributes to the decline of already pressured species, threatening biodiversity and the balance of our marine ecosystems.
3. Economic Impact: The long-term sustainability of our fisheries and the livelihoods they support are at risk.
I fully support safe and responsible fishing practices that sustainably protect our marine resources. Banning inshore shrimp trawling is a necessary step toward achieving this balance. As your constituent, I urge you to ban inshore shrimp trawling in North Carolina. This action is critical to safeguarding our coastal habitats and ensuring the future health of our marine ecosystems.
Now is the time to act. Delaying this decision will only exacerbate the environmental damage and make recovery more difficult. I implore you to consider the long-term benefits of banning inshore shrimp trawling and to champion this cause in the legislature.
Your leadership on this issue will benefit our natural resources and reflect the will and best interests of your constituents. Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue. I look forward to seeing meaningful action taken to protect North Carolina’s coastal waters.
Sincerely,
Join the conservation movement in North Carolina!
Join North Carolina Wildlife Federation and select Charlotte Wildlife Stewards as your chapter.
NCWF is one of North Carolina’s most effective organizations dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitats. With more than 60 years of experience, NCWF brings together the concerns of every North Carolinian who loves wildlife and wild places and the many ways to enjoy them. We need your support to continue our work across the state. Please, join us in our mission to connect people with nature. Sign up here!Did you know that when you join North Carolina Wildlife Federation, part of the membership fee supports your local chapter? We thank you for your support!
Member benefits include:
- NCWF’s quarterly wildlife journal
- An official NCWF membership decal and bumper sticker
- Wildlife Wire periodic e-newsletter which includes Action Alerts
- Frequent networking and volunteering opportunities with other local wildlife enthusiasts
- Making a positive difference for local wildlife
Creating quality wildlife habitats in Charlotte is critical for protecting wildlife and the environment and it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Preserving natural resources will impact future generations in the Charlotte community and is something that lies within every citizen’s reach.
Help from home:
Create and certify your property as a Wildlife Habitat by providing food, water, shelter, and nesting places.
nwf.org/CERTIFY
Join the Butterfly Highway by planting a native pollinator garden.
ncwf.org/habitat/butterfly-highway
Participate in the Homegrown National Park movement by bringing nature home.
homegrownnationalpark.org
Charlotte Wildlife Stewards
C/O North Carolina Wildlife Federation
1346 St. Julien Street
Charlotte, NC 28205
FUNDING
We depend on donations to fulfill our mission. As a volunteer run 501(c)3 nonprofit we are funded through donations from individuals, dues sharing, and business sponsorships.