There's a world beyond the headlights.
Drive slower. Look closer.
Let the wild edges stay wild.
We help people see—and save—the wild lives around them.
From marshes to porches, turtles to tree frogs, the Lowcountry is full of wildlife moving quietly alongside us.
Paws for the Wild shares their stories through species cards, roadside signs, and simple tools that help people notice—and protect—what's still wild.
The cards that started it all.
A vibrant set of art-and-science cards celebrating overlooked species of the South.
They're made for naturalists, teachers, road-trippers, and anyone who's ever stopped for a turtle.
Each notecard features a species from the South Carolina Lowcountry—some familiar, most not. With hand-drawn illustrations and short, science-grounded stories, they highlight the quiet lives that often go unnoticed.
They're made for anyone who wants to better understand—and better protect—the life around them.
Wildlife doesn't just cross highways.
Most animal-vehicle collisions happen on local streets—alongside neighborhoods, parks, woods, and marshes.
Our signs raise awareness and save lives, one crossing at a time.
Who We Are
Paws for the Wild began with a simple idea: we protect what we notice.
Founded in the South Carolina Lowcountry by Erin K. Rothman, a scientist and longtime advocate for data-driven environmental protection, Paws for the Wild began as a personal effort to slow down and pay attention—to the frog calls at night, the turtles in the road, and the lives most people miss. It's since grown into a public project rooted in science, illustration, and quiet storytelling, helping people notice what's here—and protect it.
The art is created by Marco Boetti, a conservation illustrator whose work captures not just how creatures look—but how they live. His pen-and-ink textures and vivid watercolors bring each species to life.
Together, we're building a more observant, more protective world—one critter at a time.
This is a grassroots project.
Every dollar helps print more cards, install more signs, and support work that protects species many people don't even realize are here. By making space for them, we help safeguard the ecosystems we all depend on.