Carolina Waterfowl Rescue (CWR) has found that a great way to engage local communities in conservation projects is to grab the attention of the next generation with stories of wildlife. Making kids excited about getting involved—whether through educational classroom visits, through popups at locals fairs and festivals, through social media shout-outs, or through our student internship program—not only nurtures their growing interest but is a way for parents to open their hearts to the ideas too. CWR has spent time focusing on the youth in our local communities, and we find that children who learn about conservation and wildlife are instilled with senses of empathy, justice, and optimism for a brighter future. Speaking to them face-to-face and treating them not as kids but as individuals capable of understanding and processing environmental consequences as well as accomplishing momentous good has been worthwhile. Recently, a neighborhood in Raleigh, NC, experienced a shock when a Canada goose was seriously wounded following an incident with fishing tackle. The neighborhood pond where this happened is often used for fishing, and fishing gear gets left behind, posing a threat to the wildlife who also use that water source. Two CWR volunteers were directly involved in the rescue of this goose, who received urgent medical attention at a local veterinary hospital and then was transported to us in Indian Trail, NC. One of the volunteers, Mr. Geoffrey Santoliquido, is also a resident of the neighborhood where this happened and posted a video in a neighborhood forum of the goose struggling with a large fishing hook gaping out of its mouth. This instantly became a call-to-action. A neighborhood mom rounded up a group of kids who picked up every scrap of litter they could find around the pond. Calling them the “Glenridge Clean-Up Crew,” the mom was proud to share that four bags of trash were collected at the pond in one morning. Mr. Santoliquido said of the results, “I am proud of the effort to teach the kids.” These children made that pond a safer place for native wildlife to share the space with humans. Now, when the kids walk by, they’ll be reminded that they are responsible for making a conservation oasis in the middle of a city! Because for them, that’s what it is now and why shouldn’t it be?