The North Carolina Coastal Federation has already hosted five cleanups this year, and two of those took place this month at Fort Macon State Park and a section of adopted highway. Nineteen volunteers joined staff from the Ocean office for the first cleanup of February at Fort Macon on Feb. 13. The volunteers picked up…
Details
Feb. 6 marked the third public meeting for the Lake Mattamuskeet Watershed Restoration Plan. The plan development is funded by a partnership of Hyde County, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. It is guided by an 11-person stakeholder committee and public input, and will be written by the North Carolina Coastal…
Details
The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s fifth annual Hatteras Island Oyster Roast drew more than 400 guests and volunteers on Feb. 3 at Oden’s Dock and Risky Business Seafood. A line started forming outside of the entrance 30 minutes before the start of the event, which featured North Carolina oysters, clam chowder, live music and homemade…
Details
When it comes to oysters, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has had a fair amount of success convincing lawmakers that shellfish are a good investment in our environment and our economy. Part of that success depends on our many allies on the oyster issue – and their willingness to take the time to walk the…
Details
Below is the press release released today by the Southern Environmental Law Center: Press Release from American Rivers, Charleston Waterkeeper, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Clean Water Action, Coastal Conservation League, Defenders of Wildlife, Friends of the Rappahannock, North Carolina Coastal Federation, North Carolina Wildlife Federation and the Southern Environmental Law Center Conservation Groups Challenge Attack on Clean…
Details
The Leadership Carteret class of 2018 learned about stormwater runoff at this year’s visit to the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Ocean office. Leadership Carteret is an annual program that brings together some of Carteret County’s top decision-makers and business leaders. During the 10-week program, members attend Wednesday presentations at organizations throughout the county. This year’s class…
Details
The North Carolina Coastal Federation hosted three marine debris cleanups in January to kick off its 2018 marine debris work and to celebrate the Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project, a statewide effort to pick up lost crab pots from North Carolina sounds during the no-potting period. From 2014-2016, the federation received funding from NOAA to…
Details
“Rally to Raleigh” to Oppose Offshore Oil and Gas Off of Our Coast Buses will be leaving from Wilmington, Morehead City and Nags Head to bring coastal residents to the Feb. 26 public meeting in Raleigh. The federal government proposes to allow drilling for oil and gas just three miles off of North Carolina’s beaches,…
Details
Ann Daisey, community conservationist with Dare County Soil and Water Conservation District and the North Carolina Coastal Federation, recently commenced the annual Soil and Water Fifth-grade Bookmark Contest in the county’s elementary schools. This year’s bookmark theme is “The Water Cycle.” Daisey supplied bookmark materials and coordinated additional outreach opportunities for the students. Along with…
Details
SWAN QUARTER — The third public meeting to discuss progress and ongoing research related to the development of the Lake Mattamuskeet Watershed Restoration Plan will be held on Feb. 6. The goal of the watershed restoration plan is to provide a blueprint for how to best address water quality and flooding issues that affect nearby landowners…
Details
The North Carolina Coastal Federation staff members ended 2017 on a sweet note after getting to spend time with volunteers and project partners at the annual volunteer appreciation parties. Each regional office hosted their own party featuring food, desserts and a celebration of the year’s accomplishments. The Wanchese office staff hosted theirs on Nov. 17…
Details
Sixth-grade students at Broad Creek Middle School will soon have an outdoor classroom of their own that they will use to learn about stormwater runoff, native plants and local water quality. Staff in the federation’s Ocean office have been busy at work this school year leading rain garden lessons and planning the construction of a…
Details
For the last year, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has been able to increase its capacity to engage more students from underserved communities in coastal stewardship through service learning because of a grant from the State Farm Youth Advisory Board. The 12-month, $38,000 grant, which wrapped up in November, enabled the federation to increase its…
Details
Two New Hanover County based organizations recently provided critical support for the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s education programs. The federation strives to reach people from all walks of life with its education programs, and these two grants will help staff to promote and expand their education work. The Landfall Foundation awarded the federation $3,995 for…
Details
If it’s a new year, it’s time for the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s annual Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project across the state’s coast. This unique effort employs the state’s commercial fishermen to remove lost crab pots, which improves both the crab and other state fisheries. It also creates work for commercial fishermen during the no-potting…
DetailsA state court recently vacated a state permit that would have allowed a mining firm to discharge wastewater into Blounts Creek. The millions of gallons of discharge would have changed the flow and habitat of the creek, severely altering a popular fishing spot. The North Carolina Coastal Federation and Sound Rivers were represented by the…
Details
An oyster roast in Greensboro recently benefited the North Carolina Coastal Federation. Revolution on the Half Shell, hosted by Revolution Mill, took place Dec. 15. More than 100 attendees enjoyed oysters, live music, craft beer and a marshmallow roast. Kelly Bodie, membership director for the federation, organized 10 federation volunteers to recycle oyster shells at…
Details
This fall, volunteers joined the North Carolina Coastal Federation at Oak Island Waterway Park, Carolina Beach State Park and Morris Landing for living shoreline monitoring events, where they measured marsh coverage and looked for new oyster growth. Living shorelines, or erosion control techniques that reduce the impact of waves through the use of more natural…
Details
Students from the Dare County-based nonprofit Mano al Hermano enjoyed a day of winter crafts with North Carolina Coastal Federation staff earlier this week. The annual Winter Break Activity Day took place at the Dare County Arts Council on Dec. 18. This is the second year that the federation has collaborated with Mano al Hermano…
Details
The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has awarded the North Carolina Coastal Federation a $110,000 grant. The federation plans to use the grant to support its community-based education, restoration and advocacy programs in 2018. The federation works with coastal communities in all aspects of its work, and these partnerships create a healthier, more resilient coast. The…
Details
The North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Wanchese office held their last Adopt-a-Highway cleanup of the year on Dec. 1. Volunteers picked up litter off an adopted two-mile stretch of N.C. 345 in Wanchese, which the federation adopted at the beginning of 2017. Since adopting it, the federation has held multiple cleanups. At the Dec. 1 cleanup,…
Details
Nov. 7 marked the second public meeting as part of the development of the Lake Mattamuskeet Watershed Restoration Plan. The plan development is funded by a partnership of Hyde County, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The plan is guided by an 11-person stakeholder committee and public input, and will be…
Details
As the presence of GenX and other “emerging contaminants” in drinking water continues to make news across the state, the North Carolina Coastal Federation is building support for a statewide effort to detect these pollutants in our rivers and streams. The federation is working closely with Duke engineering professor Dr. Lee Ferguson, who has spent…
Details
Students from Elizabeth City-based River City YouthBuild recently spent time at the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s Wanchese office and the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island for a fall field trip. Sara Hallas, coastal education coordinator, and Reilly Kelly, the AmeriCorps member at that office, hosted 14 students and staff from River City YouthBuild. Hallas…
Details
In November, 52 volunteers helped the North Carolina Coastal Federation clean up marine debris near Harkers Island and at Wards Creek Bridge in Bettie. Both cleanups were part of a grant to clean up a former clam-growing operation that went out of business decades ago. Plastic netting, cages, buoys, pipes and ropes are creating navigation…
Details