By Ted Wilgis
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH – The N.C. Coastal Federation will host a Rain Garden Party on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to celebrate Earth Day and the end of volunteer renovation work on its new Coastal Education Center and Southeast Office.
Volunteers from GE Hitachi, UNC Wilmington and the community that day will plant rain gardens, paint and prep the Education Center for its Grand Opening.
The GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy plant in Wilmington donated $2,500 to the federation’s campaign to renovate the 1946 Palmgrenn-O’Quinn beach cottage and committed volunteers to build demonstration projects that will reduce stormwater at the federation’s new home in Wrightsville Beach’s Historic Square.
The low-impact development projects planned for April 26 are funded by the GE donation and include rain gardens planted with native plants, rain barrels and cisterns, grassed swales and educational, informative signs.
“We are extremely grateful to GE Hitachi and its local employees, who worked with us to obtain this wonderful support to assist with our stormwater reduction and education projects at the Center,” said Todd Miller, the federation’s founder and executive director. “The funds and volunteers are a great help and represent the strong support GE provides for the community.”
To date, more than 180 GE volunteers have contributed nearly 1,200 hours on federation oyster reef and salt marsh restoration projects in the Southeast.
For nearly six months, the federation has organized a series of volunteer events, known as Renovation Fridays, at the new office. Dozens of volunteers have helped sand and scrape walls, paint the porch, move furniture and ready the center for its public debut. Volunteers’ sweat equity, enthusiasm and time enabled campaign donations to be used for major renovations and education summer programming.
On Saturday, May 3, at 2 p.m., the doors to the center will finally open. Members of the community, federation volunteers, public officials and press are invited to take a tour, enjoy light refreshments and witness the historic ribbon-cutting ceremony. For more information, see our Events Calendar.
For more information on future federation volunteer opportunities, call me at (910) 509-2838 or drop me an email.