Erin Fleckenstein, oyster program director for the North Carolina Coastal Federation, was presented with Dare County Soil and Water Conservation District’s inaugural Salt Marsh Award.
County staff and her colleagues recognized Fleckenstein Tuesday morning during a short presentation at the nonprofit Coastal Federation’s office in Wanchese.
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The newly established award recognizes those who make outstanding contributions to the conservation of natural resources in Dare County, with a particular focus on combating erosion, runoff and other water quality issues, the county said.
Soil and Water Conservation Districts are established by state law to help landowners conserve and protect natural resources. The district’s board of supervisors provides citizen guidance and is made up of elected officials and board-appointed members.
Fleckenstein has been a member of the district’s supervisor board since 2015 “providing valuable expert guidance on soil and water conservation, oyster restoration, and living shorelines in general,” officials said, adding that she’s attended meetings and trainings, “but her most important responsibility was to promote soil and water conservation in the community. She has taken this responsibility to heart in her positions with both the Dare Soil & Water Conservation District and the N.C. Coastal Federation.”
Fleckenstein earned her bachelor’s degree in marine and freshwater biology from the University of New Hampshire and her master’s in marine biology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She joined the Coastal Federation in 2008 as a coastal scientist in the Wanchese office and served in that role for 14 years before becoming oyster program director in 2022. She also acted as regional manager for the office in the Outer Banks from 2012 to 2022.
Fleckenstein has lead and assisted in a range of projects, including living shorelines to reduce erosion, wetland restorations and other natural mitigation strategies. She has served as a mentor and subject matter expert to boards and committees.
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“Erin has played a key role in preserving the Dare Soil & Water Conservation District and all of the work it does. It is our pleasure to present the 2024 Inaugural Salt Marsh Award from the Dare Soil & Water Conservation District to Erin Fleckenstein as an appreciation for the many things she has done, is doing, and will do in the future to improve and conserve the natural resources of Dare County,” county officials said.
The Coastal Federation published Coastal Review.
