3609 Hwy 24 (Ocean) | Newport, North Carolina 28570

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2006

Ted Wilgis, Cape Fear COASTKEEPER^®
910-790-3275 Office
910-231-6605 Cell
coastkeeper-cf@nccoast.org

Public Forum Focuses on Local Oyster
and Water Quality Initiatives

     Wilmington, NC – A reminder: The last day to register for the Oyster Public Forum is Wednesday, March 22. If you’ve ever wondered how oysters live and feed, or if you’d like to take a field trip learn more about oysters and water quality, this is for you.
     The forum will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, beginning at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher in Kure Beach. There will be hands-on activities, talks by scientists, and displays by groups that are working to bring the native North Carolina oyster back in healthy numbers.
     In the afternoon, participants will be able to enjoy one of three field trips – to view creek side buffer projects and rain gardens at Airlie Gardens, visit an oyster shell recycling facility and fill shell bags for a reef restoration project; see a stormwater mediation project and learn about water quality protection and monitoring efforts.
     There is no charge for any of the events – not even for the box lunch! – but space is limited and you must register by the close of business the previous Wednesday. To register, visit the North Carolina Coastal Federation web site at www.nccoast.org, or call the NCCF central coast office at 252-393-8185.
     The public forum is part of the Blueprint for Oysters, a coast-wide program that coordinates efforts between state and federal agencies, conservation groups, scientists, and fishing interests to restore native oysters to North Carolina coast. Two other events will be held simultaneously in Beaufort and Manteo.
     The forums were organized by the NC Coastal Federation, North Carolina Sea Grant, NC Aquariums, NC Estuarine Research Reserve, NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund, Airlie Gardens, New Hanover Soil & Water Conservation District, City of Wilmington Stormwater Services; Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program, Environmental Defense, University of North Carolina Wilmington and the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, among others.