Cleaning Up the Coast
We’re kicking off the new year in a big way with multiple volunteer marine debris clean-ups, and we hope to see you at one of them.
In coordination with our annual Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project, which utilizes the expertise of commercial fishermen and women to help find and remove lost fishing gear and crab pots from coastal waters throughout January, we’re inviting volunteers to join us along the shore for a debris clean-up.
In our northeast region, we’re hosting a clean-up crusade on Roanoke Island on Monday, January 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for a debris cleanup of the Federation’s adopted roadsides and adjacent areas. Be a highway hero and help pave the way for a debris-free start to the year by joining us! You can sign up here.
In the central region, on Tuesday, January 27, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., our team and volunteers will be removing debris from Hoop Pole Creek Nature Preserve in Atlantic Beach. You can find out more about the event by visiting our website, here.
Join Us for Great Conversations and Drinks!
The popular Green Drinks Speaker Series is back in our central region, and we’re kicking off the new year with an incredible speaker. Green Drinks is a casual monthly gathering for people who care about our coast. Whether you enjoy boating, beach days, or simply want to keep our waters clean and our communities strong, this is a relaxed space to connect with others, hear from local voices, and stay up to date on important coastal topics. These events are free and open to the public.
Each month, we explore a different topic—like salt marsh restoration, oysters, or local happenings that impact the coast—and talk about how we can work together to protect the places we all enjoy.
This month, we’re pleased to welcome Mark Hibbs, the editor of Coastal Review.org. Mark manages the day-to-day operations of our award-winning daily online coastal news service. He assigns coverage and works with reporters to ensure the publication maintains the highest journalism standards. A native of coastal North Carolina, Mark joined the Federation on June 1, 2015, after more than 20 years with the Carteret County News-Times, where he served as a staff writer and photographer, business editor, and assistant to the editor.
Since 2015, Mark and the Coastal Review team have earned more than 100 North Carolina Press Association awards for editorial excellence, including public service, breaking news coverage, government reporting, feature and news photography, and overall general excellence.
Mark has also been recognized with the Media and the Law Award of Excellence sponsored by the North Carolina Bar Association for a series of stories on private property rights versus North Carolina’s coastal regulatory authority. Mark is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
We hope to see you at the Rooftop Bar at Jack’s on the Waterfront in downtown Morehead City on January 22, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
Hatteras Island Oyster Roast
It’s nearly time for one of our favorite events! The Hatteras Island Oyster Roast will be taking place on Saturday, February 7, at Oden’s Dock in Hatteras Village.
This sellout event will feature fresh oysters, clam chowder, cornbread, and other refreshments. Be sure to save room for homemade desserts from the bake sale. You can also enjoy live music and a silent auction with many unique, regional items. The live auction will open soon, and new items may be added weekly!
This community event will celebrate local seafood and a healthy coast. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Coastal Federation’s oyster education and restoration programs.
This is a sellout event, so get your tickets today!
Adopt an Oyster for Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air here at the Federation, and we hope you’ll consider celebrating Valentine’s Day with us by adopting an oyster or a dozen! This year, we’ve taken the guesswork out of what to do for your child’s Valentine’s Day celebrations by curating a set of these adorable valentines. With your purchase, you not only get something cute to hand out on the big day, but you’ll also be helping us protect and restore oysters along the coast- and each purchase comes with the opportunity to get updates about how your adopted oyster is doing!
We’ve also got a special Valentine ready for that important someone in your life. We have multiple levels at which you can adopt an oyster, and each comes with unique benefits!
Learn more about this program here.
Shop with the Federation
Have you shopped with the Federation recently?
We have a number of new must-have items, including an exclusive Pelican beanie made just for the Federation in Vermont!
We are also excited to share that we have a brand-new book to purchase. Cape Lookout National Seashore: Paradigm for a Coastal System Ethic is the first in a trilogy of books on North Carolina’s southern Outer Banks. Drawing on more than 60 years of scientific research, experience, and observation, Stan Riggs’ expertise comes from and reflects a deep understanding and love for the people who live in our vast coastal lowlands, abundant wetlands, and shifting barrier islands.
In the News
- NOAA-backed grants help expand knowledge on farmed seafood – National Fishermen
- 12th Annual Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project to begin Jan. 8 – The Outer Banks Voice
- Coastal Federation launches annual Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project – Carteret County News Times
- A Little Goes a Long Way: How Small Programs Are Educating Communities About Farmed Seafood – NOAA Fisheries
- The Army Corps of Engineers Wants to Dredge the Cape Fear River. Environmentalists Tally the Costs – Inside Climate News
- Partnership to test living shorelines on two Cape Fear islands – Coastal Review