Woolly Bears
Who We Are:
The Woolly Bears are a neighborhood organization that formed spontaneously during an uncharacteristically dramatic lightning and thunderstorm in 2017. We are a small group of neighbors with a variety of skill sets and interests, bound together by an ethic of land stewardship. Together we promote an expanded concept of who resides in Fourth & Gill to include wildlife. We discover large and small ways to recognize our yards and neighborhood green spaces as habitat. We strive to encourage diversity while strengthening and celebrating the urban ecosystem we live in.
UPCOMING EVENTS
We meet at 6:30PM on the second Sunday of every month at either the Birdhouse Neighborhood Center or Crafty Bastard. All are welcome!
Our Mission Statement:
We are an organization dedicated to improving our neighborhood's unique urban ecosystem by providing habitat for wildlife. Through community engagement, education, and restoration projects we strive to forge a deep connection between residents and the natural world where we live. A neighborhood focused on nature creates beauty, while increasing the health and happiness within the complex web of Fourth & Gill inhabitants.
What We Do:
The Woolly Bears steward several green spaces in the neighborhood, host workshops, present educational talks, and organize events. Some examples of our initiatives include the restoration of the 4th Avenue meadow and woodland across from the 4th & Gill park, National Wildlife Federation Habitat Certification at the yard and community level, the Meet Your Neighbors collaborative photo exhibit, and building community and supporting our local ecology through working and learning outside together!
National Wildlife Federation Habitat Certification:
The Woolly Bears fully supports the National Wildlife Federation's (NWF) Wildlife Habitat Certification. The NWF certification walks you through how to ecologically improve your yard or garden so that it better supports our native wildlife by providing habitat! You've likely seen their signs scattered across Fourth & Gill signaling that the person's yard has been certified. Fourth & Gill itself has now been certified on the community scale as wildlife habitat with NWF! If you're interested in certifying your own yard follow this link: https://www.nwf.org/Garden-for-Wildlife/Certify. Here you can learn more about the process, what habitat elements are required, and how to get your own sign. Feel free to reach out to the Woolly Bears if you have any questions or concerns about the process at woollybears@googlegroups.com.