Riverwalk Memorial Bench for Will Endres

Will Endres, a beloved and feisty friend of the Hillsborough community died late January, 2021. 

We are raising funds to honor his memory with a bench and plaque dedicated to him at the Riverwalk on the Eno River in Hillsborough.  It will be near the Calvin St. entrance, and we envision a beautiful spot surrounded by native plants where the many people he touched in the herbal and drumming worlds, as well as the community at large, can pause and remember Will.   

Will, owner of Will's Wild Herbs, dedicated his life to sharing his love of herbal wildcrafting, teaching many classes to hundreds of participants and apprentices over the many decades.  He imparted his wisdom, gained in his early years in the “hollers of West Virginia” from his teacher Catfish-Man of the Woods, and the “old ways and traditions” of identifying, collecting and processing herbs native to the piedmont, coast and mountains of the southeast.  He continued to learn from traditional healers, including Hillsborough’s John Blackfeather Jeffries. 
                 
He taught many of us and our children to understand and respect the interconnectedness of Nature, to find the joy and peace in finding our place in the wildness of the outdoors, and to let go of our hesitation in entering these wild places.   

He was a steadfast presence at the Carrboro and Durham Farmer’s Markets, as well as the Eno River Festival for decades, and proud to spend his summers drumming for the American Dance Festival classes in Durham. 

It will cost $4,000 for the town of Hillsborough to install a permanent bench along the Riverwalk.  This does not include the cost of an engraved plaque on the bench, dedicated to Will.  Any funds in excess of the $4,000 will go towards the cost of the plaque.   We would ideally like to have these funds as soon as possible to set up the bench by early summer.

Thank you for your contribution in creating a space to honor and remember the place Will holds in our community and in our hearts.