Our Mission & Vision
We connect kids to wildlife through art.
Champions for Wildlife helps children form some of their first meaningful connections with native wildlife. Through hands-on art and education, kids explore, create, and begin to care. Because kids who care about wildlife will protect it.
We pair wildlife education with hands-on art to make learning personal and memorable. Art helps children slow down, observe closely, and process what they are discovering. It supports different learning styles, language abilities, and developmental needs, ensuring every child can participate and connect.
Our big dream is simple. To spark curiosity early so care can grow over time. We are not asking children to protect wildlife today. We are helping them build the kind of connection that leads to lifelong respect for wildlife and the habitats animals depend on.
Three wild Red Wolf pups at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. Photo: Nancy Arehart
A Little History...
It all began with Red Wolves—one of the most endangered animals in the U.S. Our founders, Loti Woods and Dale Weiler, wanted to help save them. Dale, a wildlife sculptor, made a beautiful stone sculpture of an American Red Wolf mom and pup. They donated over forty castings of it to zoos and wildlife centers working to protect Red Wolves.
Red Wolf Mom and Pup - Stone Sculpture - Dale Weiler
Then they taught a class of 3rd graders about these rare animals. The kids lit up and asked, “How can we help save them?” That moment changed everything—and inspired us to teach more kids about wildlife using art.
Now, we teach about all kinds of animals—like pollinators, bats, hellbenders, and birds.
Our favorite class? Nature in Your Backyard!
Kids grab backpacks filled with field guides, nature journals, and binoculars, then head outside to explore. Every lesson ends with a fun art project. That’s our secret sauce—art helps kids of all ages and abilities connect with animals and the outdoors.
Meet Our Founders
Loti and Dale met in their 60s and got engaged after just 8 days! They both love wildlife—especially the underdogs—and decided to start a nonprofit in 2022. It was first called Weiler Woods for Wildlife, but they changed the name to Champions for Wildlife to match their mission: helping kids fall in love with wildlife through art and education.
Dale is a sculptor, former Navy pilot, and engineer. All the money from his sculpture sales goes to support the nonprofit. Loti is a retired insurance executive who loves native plants and restoring habitats. She now leads the nonprofit as our Executive Director. Together, they volunteer their time and energy to bring wildlife and art to kids across the country.
And check out the video produced by First Horizon which inspired the founders to start the nonprofit.
