Protecting WILD Durham

Urban Conservation & Equitable Access to Nature for All

Celebrating 25 years of work towards a thriving Ellerbe Creek watershed where conservation, accessibility, and community engagement converge to safeguard natural resources and enhance public well-being.

Our Vision for the Future

ECWA's vision is a living creek connecting human and natural communities in Durham. Through land acquisition, collaboration with the city, and public education, we hope to create a Durham where residents can bike or walk across the watershed and stop at local businesses and nature preserves along the way.

LAND PROTECTION

ECWA works with local landowners and local and state government agencies to permanently protect land in the Ellerbe Creek Watershed. This program aids in ensuring that future generations may continue to enjoy these protected spaces.

What We Do

LAND CONSERVATION

ECWA restores precious habitat for biodiversity. ECWA’s Land Conservation program aims to enhance the health and biodiversity of the Ellerbe Creek Watershed through active management of our protected lands. By restoring wetlands, forests, and implementing invasive species management techniques, we create more suitable conditions for native plants and animals to thrive. Engaging the community in this work ensures that ecosystem management extends beyond our preserves, equipping future generations with the skills and knowledge to protect the critical habitats and ecosystems within the watershed.

ENGAGEMENT

ECWA’s Engagement program works to collaboratively shape conservation objectives through a community based process, ensuring that all of our programming is built to increase access, participation, and benefit to marginalized communities. This is part of our ongoing work to shift away from traditionally accepted forms of conservation and move towards an equitable model that broadens the definition to address the needs and wellbeing of marginalized communities.

OUR PRESERVES

OUR PRESERVES