ONE DUCK.
ONE NEST.
ONE PROMISE.
Carolina Waterfowl Rescue began with a simple decision: not to look away. Built on compassion in action, CWR grew from founder Jennifer Gordon’s refusal to accept that some animals are forgotten or disposable into a mission dedicated to protecting those who cannot help themselves.
After getting married and starting a family, Jennifer moved from California to North Carolina. New to the area and without an established support network, she began volunteering—an act that would quietly set the course for everything that followed.
Around that time, she noticed domestic ducks being repeatedly dumped in a neighborhood pond near her home. They were usually white ducks—appearing and disappearing without much notice from passersby, often lost to predators. Jennifer noticed. She cared. She just wasn’t sure what to do.
FIRST RESCUE
Then one day, a Rouen duck appeared and eventually made a nest. Jennifer counted the days until the eggs were due to hatch and went to the pond, hopeful to see ducklings. Instead, she found the mother duck gone. One wing lay stretched protectively over the eggs. The duck had stood her ground, defending her babies to the end. Jennifer believes her final act was to shelter them with her wing, trying to keep them warm and safe.
In that moment, Jennifer knew she could not walk away. That day marked her first duck rescue. With no prior experience hatching ducks, she assumed there must be a place that could help. Coming from California—where no-kill shelters and farm sanctuaries were more widely available—she was stunned to discover how few options existed in North Carolina. After an exhaustive search, she found a mentor who guided her through those first fragile steps. She also found something else: a calling. That was the day Jennifer began her path as a wildlife rehabilitator.
LEARNING AND GROWTH
Eager to learn, Jennifer sought out every opportunity she could within a two-hour radius of her home. She absorbed everything—working with people who cared for animals, learning from hands-on experience, and eventually joining a network of wildlife rehabilitators. Soon she was caring for squirrels, rabbits, and other small wildlife.
But one pattern became clear: birds—especially waterfowl—were consistently overlooked. Calls went unanswered. Options were limited. The need was immense. Jennifer realized her focus had to be on the forgotten, the neglected, and the unwanted.
THE BIRTH OF CWR
Carolina Waterfowl Rescue was born—not yet as a nonprofit, but as a mission. Through her growing network of rehabilitators, Jennifer began taking in ducks and geese, caring for them in her garage. At one point, her husband looked around and said, “I counted forty ducks in our garage. This can’t go on here.” He was right.
What started in a garage needed room to grow. Jennifer never envisioned a 15-acre facility, a professional staff, or hundreds of volunteers. She simply wanted to help animals who had nowhere else to go. As the needs grew, she adapted. As the animals kept coming, CWR evolved—step by step—into the organization it is today.
And it all began with one duck, one nest, and a promise not to look away.