Wade Into National Estuaries Week
National Estuaries Week is just about to kick off on September 16th and the celebration will continue through the 23rd. This year the theme is WADE IN, and we’ll be spending the next week wading into our local estuaries to show you how important these coastal habitats are to the health of our coast. National Estuaries Week started in 1988 in an effort to promote the significance of estuaries and why it’s so important to protect them.
National Estuaries Day began in 1988 to promote the importance of estuaries and the need to protect them. In partnership with the National Estuaries Program, National Estuarine Research Reserve Association, Restore America’s Estuaries, and many other organizations, we have extended the festivities to a whole week. National Estuaries Week is an annual celebration and campaign to increase public awareness of estuaries and to encourage people to become involved in the protection of these important natural resources.
As part of the National Estuaries Week celebration, our staff will be engaged in many events and we hope you can join us. For starters, we will be attending the Old Beaufort Farmers’ Market’s Estuary Day, and we’ll be hosting a volunteer event at DREAMS in Wilmington. You can see all of the events and volunteer opportunities on our events calendar.
We The Water Plunges into Year Two
The Wrightsville Beach Outrigger Canoe team once again plunged into the coastal waters of North Carolina to raise awareness and funding in support of clean water and the work that the Coastal Federation does to improve water quality. This is year two of the three-year We the Water initiative to paddle the entire coast.
This year the team of 20 paddlers continued their journey by starting in Carteret County and trekking 125 miles, where they will end in Hatteras. In 2022, the club paddled 120 miles of the southern N.C. coast from Sunset Beach to Ocean, N.C. The group will wrap up their coastwide trip next year when they will take off from Hatteras and end at the North Carolina-Virigina state line!
The group is set to finish this leg of their paddle on Saturday. You can follow along on their trip through their live tracker by heading to our website.
Farm to Fork Oyster Tours
October is Oyster Month in North Carolina and we’re celebrating by bringing you a farm-to-fork experience in Wanchese. Join us every Thursday in October for a kayaking tour around our demonstration oyster lease and beautiful surrounding estuarine habitat, after that, it’s off to Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar to sample some delicious NC Oysters.
We are excited to be able to continue offering tours like this thanks to Outer Banks Kayak Adventure and Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar. This adventure tour will provide a unique look at just how important oysters are to our coastal ecosystem, not to mention how tasty they are as well!
Coastal Review Wins Big at Annual Press Awards
We are so excited to share that our Coastal Review team won big at the annual NC Press Association awards. This year, they were recognized for editorial excellence in four other categories. Staff writers from Coastal Review also took home several honors. You can read more about each award the Coastal Review team took home, here.
Last Chance to Enter
Our Summer Membership Drive is coming to a close, but there is still time for you to enter for a chance to win a weekend away in beautiful Beaufort, NC. By becoming a member at any level, you can help support the Federation’s work and you’ll get entered to win a weekend for two in Beaufort.
Your coastal weekend will include:
- Weekend stay for two at the Beaufort Hotel, named #1 “Best Boutique Hotel” in America by USA Today, with breakfast at 34° North
- $100 gift card to Blue Moon Bistro
- $40 gift card to Backstreet Pub
- Expert local advice from friends of the Coastal Federation
Once you have become a member, or if you are already a member, you can refer friends to earn one additional entry per referral. Enter yourself and refer your friends by September 23.
The Federation in the News
Here is a look at some of the press the Federation was featured in this month.
- ‘We got to protect it’: Wetland caretakers react to reduced protections – Spectrum News
- How do microplastics enter our water? And what effect does that have on the environment? – Public Radio East
- Volunteers needed for Oak Island living shoreline maintenance event -WECT
- Wrightsville Beach club to leave Cedar Point for 125-mile paddle Hatteras– Carteret County News-Times