#WadeIn to National Estuaries Week
This Saturday, September 19, marks the beginning of National Estuaries Week, and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate our favorite coastal ecosystems! Estuaries are an invaluable part of our coast! North Carolina’s rivers and sounds make up one of the largest estuarine systems in the country and serve as nursery grounds for much of the seafood we love. Protecting them through oyster reefs, living shorelines, and salt marsh restoration is at the heart of the Federation’s work.
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 have extended it to a whole week. It 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.
Over the next week, our staff will be at a number of local events to celebrate our estuaries, and several members of our team will be in San Francisco for Restore America’s Estuaries’ Coastal & Estuarine Summit (a national alliance the Federation helped found), putting the spotlight on North Carolina’s estuaries and the work we’re doing to protect and restore them.
A Toast to the Coast
This month we hosted our annual Taste of the Coast Celebration, and it was certainly a night to remember! Thank you to everyone who joined us for an evening of oysters, drinks, music and great connections.
We are grateful for your support, which enables us to continue our work at the coast! We look forward to seeing you next year.
We would like to extend a special thank you to our event sponsors and all the North Carolina oyster growers who treated us to their delicious oysters! Thank you, Royster Oyster Company, Awh Shucks Oyster Company, Peerless Oyster Company, Marsh Hippie Oyster Company, Seashore Oyster Company and White Oak Oyster Company. These local growers play an important role in our coastal economy, and every oyster we enjoy is a reminder of what clean coastal water makes possible!
Cleaning up Gallants Channel
This month, our tagline, ‘Working Together for a Healthy Coast,’ was on full display during a marine debris cleanup along Gallants Channel in Beaufort. Dozens of volunteers rolled up their sleeves and jumped into the marsh to clean up all kinds of debris.
With help from the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum, the Town of Beaufort, Duke Energy and our gracious volunteers were able to find and remove more than 1,500 pounds of debris. This cleanup was supported by the Duke Energy Foundation and the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
Want to join us as a volunteer? Be sure to subscribe to our emails to stay up to date on our next events!
Join the Climate Conversation
Building a more resilient North Carolina is a team effort! From September 28th to October 2nd, North Carolina Climate Week will bring together the people working to transform climate ambition into action. Of course, the Federation is in on the endeavor!
You can catch Salt Marsh Campaign Coordinator, Claire Rapp and Salt Marsh Program Director, Jacob Boyd, in virtual conversations on equitable climate work and the climate benefits of our salt marshes.
If climate resilience and coastal conservation are part of your work, or simply a passion, this is a week worth showing up for! Learn more about Climate Week and our staff’s sessions through the links below:
Closing the Equity Gap in NC Climate Work
Why North Carolina Salt Marshes Are More Valuable Than You Thought
A Sip on the Wildside
We hope you will make plans to join us for our Green Drinks speaker series on September 23 at Jack’s on the Waterfront in Morehead City. This month’s speaker will be Christi Davis from the Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter!
The Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter, or OWLS, is a nonprofit wildlife hospital and education center serving eastern North Carolina. Started in 1988 by Stephanie Goetzinger as a small volunteer operation run out of her home, it has grown into the region’s primary destination for injured, sick, and orphaned native wildlife, like shorebirds, raptors, songbirds, opossums, squirrels and fawns, with a clinic open seven days a week. Their mission is to rehabilitate and release wildlife while educating the community about the importance of conservation, work shaped by the same coastal pressures the Federation tracks: habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and human-wildlife conflict.
Join us to hear why intakes climb after storms and as coastal construction eats into habitat, how a shelter that runs on donations and volunteers keeps its doors open year-round, and what you can do to help from what to do when you find an injured animal to the small changes around your own property that keep wildlife out of the clinic in the first place.
Grab a drink and join us on Sept. 23 from 5:30- 7:30 pm at the Rooftop Bar at Jack’s on the Waterfront.
Save the Date: Grand Opening Celebration!
We’re home! Our staff has officially moved into the new Coastal Protection and Restoration Center in Newport, and we can’t wait to welcome our members and the community.
Located on our 10-acre campus on Bogue Sound, the Coastal Center is a place for connecting, conserving and inspiring: a community resource and a coastal destination for everyone who loves our coast. The campus includes an indoor classroom for our education programs, walking trails and demonstration projects, including a living shoreline and stormwater features, that show how nature-based solutions can protect our shorelines and clean water. Our new Pelican Landing event center gives us room to bring people together to learn, connect and celebrate.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, Nov. 14, for a free, family-friendly grand opening celebration. More details coming soon!
Escape to Ocracoke
How does a weekend getaway for two in Ocracoke sound?
Well, we have an incredible opportunity just for you during the Federation’s summer membership drive raffle! Join us in our mission to protect and restore the breathtaking beauty of North Carolina’s coast, and you could be the lucky winner of a memorable weekend in Ocracoke! The prize includes two nights at Crews Inn plus special gift cards for local businesses. Picture yourself sipping coffee at Ocracoke Coffee and enjoying a delightful meal at the Back Porch Restaurant, all included!
Becoming a member enters you in the raffle. Join by 5:00 pm on September 26, and we’ll draw the winner on October 6.
Already a member? No sweat! Share the love by sending this e-card to your friends. For every card you send, you’ll earn an additional entry into the raffle. It’s a win-win! Together, we can make a difference while dreaming of sandy shores and sunny skies.
Don’t miss out on this chance to connect, relax, and enjoy!
In the News
- Volunteers haul 1,500 pounds of marine debris from Gallants Channel cleanup – WCTI
- New toolkit to help local governments navigate abandoned, derelict vessels – Washington Daily News
- Coastal Federation offers tools for addressing derelict boats – Coastal Review
- NC Coastal Federation receives grant support from The Endowment – Port City Daily
- Internship promise in action – Inside UNC Charlotte
- Empowering local governments: Workshop on marine debris challenges – The Carteret News Times