Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association

05/08/2026

The weather is heating up and so are our May calendars! Join ECWA on Memorial Day for the annual heron rookery tour, and our partner in the watershed, Sound Rivers, for a Water Watch training on the 14th. Links to register available here: https://mailchi.mp/ellerbecreek/may-rookery-walks-s2-1388365

Every spring, minutes from downtown Durham, a giant colony of great blue herons and great egrets nest adjacent to Ellerbee Creek. This rookery is one of the few known nesting sites of great egrets in the entire Piedmont, and this is the time of year that these birds gather to raise their young.

03/21/2026

We're flying the coop and into remote working! ECWA is moving out of 904 Broad Street but would like to rehome much of its well loved furniture and select office equipment. Please share the listing or stop by from 1:00-4:00 pm on Sunday, March 22nd. Take what you need, donate what you can via ellerbecreek.org/donate to support ECWA's work. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/793525400489629

Donate Join our crew of sustaining donors supporting our work year round Plus, gain access to deals on new ECWA shirts & gear, exclusive events in preserves not yet open to the public and discounts on event tickets! “Immersing yourself with local organizations like ECWA is one of the most impactfu...

12/24/2025

Everyone here at ECWA hopes you have a safe, healthy, and restful holiday season. See you in 2026!

Driving through the streets of Durham’s urban core, you likely crossed Ellerbe Creek, even if you didn't realize it. The creek winds quietly through backyards and under Durham’s streets: filtering stormwater, feeding our wetlands, and creating green spaces where herons, turtles, and people all f...

12/09/2025

Good news from ECWA's 26th Annual Meeting and the $50K December Match is live!

Nearly seventy-five supporters of Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA) gathered at Crank Arm Brewing on Thursday, December 4 for ECWA’s 26th annual meeting. The room buzzed with shared stories of beaver, salamander, and migratory birds. The evening was filled with good news.

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at ECWA! https://mailchi.mp/ellerbecreek/thankful-for-you-and-ellerbe-creek

11/12/2025

Join us for the 2025 Annual Meeting and read about some good news from Ellerbe Creek in our November Newsletter.

THANK YOU to everyone has contributed toward ECWA’s reemergence! We have made progress, but still have some ground to make up as we rebuild the organization and its financial health.

10/20/2025

Greetings ECWA friends. We've been dealing with some recurring technical issues with our social media accounts, but always are online at ellerbecreek.org. Please check there if this page becomes unavailable, and of course, don't forget to get out in nature!

09/09/2025

The September Newsletter drops today! Learn more about ECWA's Pearl Mill Preserve and its stormwater management system (bioretention pond pictured), what has been happening at ECWA this Summer, and RSVP for the first of this Fall's in-person gatherings. https://mailchi.mp/ellerbecreek/ellerbe-creek-september-2025-newsletter

07/22/2025

2025 has been a year! Learn more about what has been happening at ECWA and how you can be part of ECWA's next chapter: https://www.ellerbecreek.org/breaking-news

Photo credit: Jordan Abdur-Raoof

01/14/2025

Chilly morning of imagined futures at the Veasey Farm!

This morning, students from the Department of
Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning at NC State University () joined us for a site visit at the Veasey Farm Preserve as they brainstorm site design for access, land use, and ecosystem restoration for a class project.

We discussed the different habitats, species, land use history, & topography that make up this preserve. Did you know that there is a vineyard with muscadine grapes on the preserve? 🍇
We also discussed pollution sources in the watershed & reconnecting local communities to the Ellerbe creek

Special thanks to Dr. Meg Calkins & Dr. Kofi Boone for bringing your class out to explore Veasey Farm Preserve!

What would YOU like to see at the Veasey Farm Preserve? Let us know in the comments below!