For folks interested in conserving and protecting North Carolina’s open spaces, the state’s recently approved budget brought some good news. The new budget includes important increases in open space conservation funding. The Clean Water Management Trust Fund – perhaps the state’s most important funding source for open space protection – received an additional $4 million…
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SWANSBORO— While most parking lots are designed to get the rain off site as quickly as possible, the Town of Swansboro and the North Carolina Coastal Federation have partnered to install a parking lot at Town Hall that will actually let stormwater soak into the ground. The new public parking lot, located between Town Hall…
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On Thursday, June 28, the North Carolina Coastal Federation gave a group of North Carolina Association of County Agricultural Agents (NCACAA) a tour of the living shoreline at the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. NCACAA helps communities learn about research and resources that help benefit their livelihoods. These agents were interested in agriculture…
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On Thursday, July 5, 25 volunteers enjoyed a beautiful day at Stump Sound in Holly Ridge to help the North Carolina Coastal Federation install plants along the shoreline. The volunteers helped to plant 1,000 spartina alterniflora plugs on Stump Sound. These plants help to stabilize the shoreline and restore estuarine habitat. They also contribute to…
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Even though school’s out for the summer, environmental education continues at the North Carolina Coastal Federation. The Wanchese office educated several student groups toward the end of June, spending time on the grounds of the office and at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. Jr. Aquatic Adventures, a summer camp at the aquarium, visited…
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation held a community open house at its Wanchese office on June 26. The open house was held in celebration of the office’s new dock on Broad Creek. Nearly one hundred fifty attendees enjoyed time on the new dock and grounds. “I am so pleased with the community’s support of this…
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The Wanchese office has been busy, with the help of many others, maintaining and establishing regional living shoreline projects. In early June, North Carolina Coastal Federation staff, oyster shell recycling volunteers and volunteers from the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island teamed up to build an oyster reef right outside of the Wanchese office. This…
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Kate Conery, Wrightsville Beach office What was your favorite part about working for the North Carolina Coastal Federation? Of being an AmeriCorps member? All of my favorite experiences with the federation were times spent working on the coast. Whether it was an education program, Coastal Ambassador training, volunteer event or organism collection, it was always…
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Ocean office currently has about 100 seaside little bluestem plants available for pickup on a first-come, first-served basis. If you own beachfront property on Bogue Banks, please consider planting some of these to provide habitat for the crystal skipper, a small brown butterfly found only on the Crystal Coast. What…
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Last week, 47 middle school students from the Brad Sneeden Marine Science Academy received a lesson on estuaries and quadrant studies from the North Carolina Coastal Federation. The students went to Bogue Sound where they learned a bit more about how marine scientists evaluate living shorelines and marine life. The Brad Sneeden Marine Science Academy…
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Six volunteers from RBC Wealth Management helped in the rain gardens at the Fred and Alice Stanback Coastal Education Center and on Town of Wrightsville Beach property for this year’s RBC Blue Water Day on June 7. The RBC Wealth Management volunteers and the coastal federation staff worked to maintain the rain gardens on the…
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To mark the one-year anniversary of the public announcement of GenX, the Cape Fear Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation organized its first Clean Water Week from June 1-7. The week of events included free family-friendly programs that were put together by several local organizations — Cape Fear Surfrider, Plastic Ocean Project, Cape Fear River Watch,…
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Two of the main goals of the North Carolina Coastal Federation are to reduce the amount of marine debris on our coast and construct more living shorelines as an alternative to bulkheads and hard structures. When building living shorelines, the federation uses plastic mesh bags filled with oyster shells to build oyster reefs that buffer…
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The month of June kicks off Touch Tank Tuesday at the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Wrightsville Beach office. The first two programs have already educated over 300 people, a record number for Touch Tank Tuesday. At Touch Tank Tuesday visitors of all ages can drop in and interact with different plants and animals that are…
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Sunset Park Elementary School students got up close with area marine creatures, as the North Carolina Coastal Federation brought touch tanks into the classroom for a recent program to wrap up a year of lessons with the school. Support from the Landfall Foundation and Holiday Inn made the program possible. Throughout the course of the…
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Meet the Growers These growers will provide a taste of their delectable oysters at the 2018 Pelican Awards and Taste of the Coast on July 28. Oyster mariculture is a growing industry in North Carolina, and the state’s oysters are gaining recognition as some of the best around. Get to know the growers as you gear…
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Manteo Middle School and First Flight Middle School were able to learn a great deal about rain gardens this past week thanks to Sara Hallas, coastal education coordinator at the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Wanchese office, Reilly Kelly, AmeriCorps member, and a grant from the Community Foundation. Six classes of seventh-grade Manteo Middle School students monitored…
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All three regional offices took field trips to special coastal places in May, helping North Carolina students more fully experience the state’s beautiful coast. Many of these students had only seen the ocean and/or a salt marsh a few times, and some had never seen these environments before. Part of the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s…
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The North Carolina Coastal Federation and partners unveiled the Lower Cape Fear River Blueprint on Tuesday at the UNC-Wilmington Center for Marine Science. Approximately 120 people attended the Lower Cape Fear River Blueprint Open House, where they learned more about the goals of the blueprint, current research and programs focused on the Lower Cape Fear…
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Local Boys & Girls Club groups have learned a lot about the North Carolina coast this year thanks to a multi-week education program developed and run by AmeriCorps Member Kristin Gibson. Gibson, who is the AmeriCorps member at the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Ocean office, visited the Boys & Girls Clubs of Coastal Carolina in…
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By the numbers 25,000 tons of granite, or 50 million pounds 1,200 truckloads of granite 16-17 barge trips to bring all material to the project site 1,500 tons — the amount of material on each barge trip 6-8 hours — the time it takes to get out to the site 6 hours — the time…
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Native plants are again available for purchase at the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s headquarters office in Ocean. Stop by any time between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to purchase coastal native plants that will brighten up homes and yards while also providing habitat for birds, butterflies and other animals. Native plants make for beautiful…
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May 8 marked the fourth public meeting for the Lake Mattamuskeet Watershed Restoration Plan. The lake is considered unhealthy and is listed on the state 303(d) list for impaired waters. For the past year, a team of concerned people has joined together to develop a plan that will restore the lake’s health and improve conditions…
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CARTERET COUNTY — Construction on the second phase of the Swan Island Oyster Sanctuary began this month as crews started moving granite from the port in Morehead City to the project site. Construction on the 10-acre sanctuary — which is located in Pamlico Sound near the mouth of the Neuse River — started May 11. It is…
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On April 30 the North Carolina Coastal Federation hosted 37 volunteers at the Bradley Creek Elementary School rain garden for Work on Wilmington, a communitywide event to promote partnerships and community service. During the event, volunteers worked in the rain garden mulching, weeding and performing overall maintenance. One group put on waders and removed cattails,…
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