Make a Difference — Volunteer to Protect the Coast

Volunteers are the key to our success in protecting the North Carolina coast. Thousands of people have helped with projects to restore coastal habitat, have pushed for stronger environmental rules and standards, and have promoted widespread stewardship of our coastal resources. As environmental pressures increase, so does the need for the protection of coastal resources and thus the need for continued volunteer support.

As a volunteer for the North Carolina Coastal Federation, you will have the opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills, and contribute to the community. Working with others to help protect the coast is an enriching experience. We invite you to join us — visit our events page to register for scheduled volunteer events.

Don’t see an upcoming Federation-led event to join? Below are a number of other ways to get involved and make a difference on our coast.

Fill out the volunteer form to receive email notifications about scheduled volunteer events.

Volunteer Form

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Ways you can get involved

Volunteer Opportunities

Wetland Restoration

Plant native vegetation and restore marshes at our wetland restoration project sites, including our living shoreline projects.

Oyster Habitat Restoration

Bag oyster shells that are used to build oyster reefs. Assist with building, monitoring, and maintaining living shoreline reefs/sills and patch oyster reefs.

Oyster Shell Recycling

Transport recycled oyster shells from collection sites and restaurants to holding locations for use in oyster restoration projects.

Stormwater Projects

Plant native plants in new stormwater BMP projects, such as rain gardens. Help with annual maintenance of existing rain gardens.

Coastal Cleanups

Join one of our events to help clean up marine debris from estuarine shorelines.

Property Stewardship

Monitor and maintain coastal protected properties, including the Hoop Pole Creek Nature Preserve and the Patsy Pond Nature Trail.

Outreach

Help with education and outreach at tabling events and festivals throughout the year.

Office Maintenance

Help maintain Federation buildings and landscaping.

Office Docent

Answer phones and greet visitors at the Federation Headquarters or Wrightsville Beach office. Assist with general office tasks such as filing or helping with mailings.
Calendar of events.

Host your own Cleanup

Get a group together or head out solo for a coastal clean-up in your area. We all need to do our part to have a coast free of marine debris and litter. Whether part of a larger Federation-hosted volunteer clean-up or by forming a group on your own, you can help protect and restore our beautiful coastline. Be sure to email and tag us in any photos you share on social media @Nccoastalfed.

Student Opportunities

The Federation loves working with enthusiastic student groups of all ages! There are volunteer opportunities for students both in and outside of the classroom. Please visit the Education page to learn more about the federation’s education programs and school group volunteer opportunities. If you’re an educator interested in getting your classroom involved with the federation, please contact one of the federation’s education coordinators.

In Spring 2016, the northeast office hosted a group from Ithaca College that worked on oyster reef restoration, maintaining rain gardens, and cleaning debris from wetlands. Hear from them first-hand about the benefits of volunteering for the Federation: