Throughout 2017, staff members have been focused on designing, permitting and building more than 1,700 linear feet of living shorelines on private properties. These private shorelines are being installed through the federation’s cost share program, which is funded by the half a million dollar Coastal Ecosystem Resiliency Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.…
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Polluted stormwater runoff is a big problem along our coast. That is why the North Carolina Coastal Federation is partnering with several coastal communities to try and reduce it. In the last year, the federation has secured more than $384,000 in grant funding from the Environmental Protection Agency Section 319 grant program, which provides funding…
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Earlier this year, news reports revealed that GenX, a key ingredient in Teflon linked to cancer and a host of other ailments, had been found in the drinking water system of the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) and the Cape Fear River. Since that time, there have been dozens of news stories on the…
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With the help of a few dedicated volunteers, the Wanchese staff recently spent some time monitoring the office’s three reefs located in Shallowbag Bay, near Broad Creek and in the southern Wanchese marsh area. Check out the photos below to see what they found.
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We had such a great time celebrating National Estuaries Week here on the North Carolina coast! Our staff was busy hosting events throughout the North Carolina coast. We hope that you were able to join us for one of the events, but if not, we’ve got a full recap here! Check out this Storify to…
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OCEAN — The North Carolina Coastal Federation received $1.088 million in funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to continue its oyster restoration work in Pamlico Sound. Construction on the second phase of the project is slated to begin next January. This is the second year the federation has received funding from NOAA’s Community-based Restoration…
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Wilmington artist David Starbuck of DStarbuck Gallery has teamed up with the North Carolina Coastal Federation to produce “Harkers Island Orientation,” the federation’s special 35th anniversary print. This bright, colorful print depicts a pelican painted over a U.S. Geological Survey map of the Harkers Island are of the North Carolina coast. Prints are available for purchase…
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Sixteen people visited the North River Wetlands Preserve on the cool, sunny morning of Saturday, Sept. 9, to celebrate the dedication of 8 new miles to the North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea trail. The Mountains-to-Sea Trail is a state trail that runs from Clingmans Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, all the way to Jockey’s…
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The North Carolina General Assembly officially “adjourned” its 2017 session in June. But since that adjournment, lawmakers have been back at work in Raleigh twice — and have made plans to return yet again early next month. So what’s going on? The short answer is that the legislature has been wrestling with court orders to…
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Researches with the Lake Level Monitoring Project are asking for help from Hyde County residents and Lake Mattamuskeet visitors to collect and report data from water level monitoring stations. The Lake Level Monitoring Project, which is a NASA-funded collaboration between The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Tennessee Technological University, aims to understand…
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The Beaufort Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a watershed restoration plan on Aug. 14 in an effort to reduce polluted stormwater runoff in the town. The plan highlights water quality impairments in the Town Creek, Taylor Creek and Davis Bay watersheds and proposes strategies to reduce the volume of stormwater runoff entering waterways.…
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Wrightsville Beach office had some extra help with its weekly Touch Tank Tuesday and other education programs this summer. Chakala Hill, a rising junior at New Hanover High School, spent the summer working at the federation as an education specialist through the Blue Ribbon Commission on the Prevention of Youth…
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In early August the North Carolina Coastal Federation hosted a field trip for students, families and volunteer tutors from Mano al Hermano’s Family Literacy Program. Sixty-two students and adults from Mano al Hermano joined 16 federation volunteers and four staff members at the Wanchese office, which is located on Broad Creek near the Roanoke Sound.…
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In late July, the North Carolina Coastal Federation worked with two education-based groups on living shorelines and a shoreline cleanup. The students also learned more about estuaries and the importance of coastal stewardship. “We love working with students to do service projects and teach about coastal stewardship,” said Rachel Bisesi, coastal education coordinator at the…
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Teachers from the Albemarle-Pamlico region learned about estuaries and living shorelines during a presentation on July 20 at the ExPLORE NC professional development workshop at Trinity Center. Rachel Bisesi, coastal education coordinator for the federation’s Ocean office, and high school volunteer Taylor Rutter, presented several lesson plans to the fourth- and fifth-grade teachers in attendance.…
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Gov. Roy Cooper spoke at the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s 2017 Pelican Awards and 35th Anniversary Soundside Soiree Aug. 5, where he called on the state to recommit to protecting the coast’s natural resources — and its economy. “How can we have a strong economy if we don’t have clean water?” Cooper told the sold-out…
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Ana Zivanovic-Nenadovic, senior policy analyst and internship coordinator, with the 2017 Coastal Policy and Restoration interns after graduation at the Pelican Awards. From left: Lakshya Dhar, Summer Rich, Morgan Rudd, Marygrace Rowe, Mackenzie Taggart and Jackie McGarry. This summer’s Coastal Policy and Restoration Interns each worked on their own project while balancing restoration workdays and…
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The 2017 Pelican Award recipients were honored on Saturday, Aug. 5, in Morehead City at the Crystal Coast Civic Center. These award recipients all contributed in unique ways toward protecting the North Carolina coast. The North Carolina Coastal Federation is thankful for the support and work of these 10 individuals and organizations. Nearly 500 people attended…
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On July 17, various groups joined together for a working meeting to discuss the growth of the non-native Phragmites australis, or Common Reed, in North Carolina’s coastal marshes. The workshop, organized by the North Carolina Coastal Federation, was held at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lab in Beaufort, in partnership with the N.C.…
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Bland Simpson, distinguished professor at UNC-Chapel Hill and award-winning musician and writer, delivered a toast to the coast at the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s 2017 Pelican Awards and 35th Anniversary Soundside Soiree on Aug. 5 in Morehead City. Simpson is a member of the federation’s board of directors. North Carolina Coastal Federation 35th Anniversary Toast…
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Today is National Oyster Day, and here at the North Carolina Coastal Federation we know there’s a lot to celebrate about these multitasking bivalves. Not only are they a delicacy and a sustainable protein source, oysters are also filter feeders that naturally clean coastal waters. They support North Carolina’s coastal economy as well. Some of…
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Earlier this week, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality announced it is hosting three public hearings on the potential oil and gas leasing program. Your attendance is needed. Please plan to attend one of the three public hearings. DEQ is looking for comments and will accept them at the hearings or in writing. Send written comments to…
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Children from Belarus stopped by the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Touch Tank Tuesday program on July 25 at the Fred and Alice Stanback Coastal Education Center in Wrightsville Beach. These 13 children came to the United States through the American Belarussian Relief Organization and Port City Community Church. The children, along with their American host…
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Madison Douthitt, AmeriCorps coastal community engagement specialist for the federation’s Wanchese office, has spent a lot of time educating students in Dare, Currituck and Hyde counties about oysters, marine debris, clean water and more. Check out this update of what she’s been up to. Hyde County summer visits Douthitt had the opportunity to visit Hyde County…
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Click the photos above to enlarge. The North Carolina Coastal Federation recently partnered with the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries and a private contractor, Stevens Towing Company, Inc., to add 15 acres of oyster reef to the Senator Jean Preston Oyster Sanctuary Network this summer. This project was slated to take six months,…
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