On this Valentine’s Day, we thought we’d give a little love to the state’s vast labyrinth of coastal marshes. We’re part of a national campaign to stand up for estuaries.
Habitat Restoration
Living Shoreline Permitting Still a Hassle
Though research increasingly supports the value of living shorelines over bulkheads and other types of manmade erosion-control methods, state and federal officials still struggle with streamlining the permitting system for them.
Old Christmas Trees Can Keep On Giving
The pretty Christmas tree that was, just a couple of days ago, the center of the family celebration will soon be… well, trash. But it doesn’t have to be. Trees can be recycled to build sand dunes and replenish soil. Backyard birds will like them, too.
Fish Can Now Get Around Old Obstacle
For almost 100 years, spawning fish heading up the Cape Fear River ran into an unmovable obstacle called Lock and Dam No. 1. Now a passage that resembles natural rapids gives them a chance.
Pelican Award Winner: The Royal Order of Oysters
J. Taylor Ryan and his Royal Order of the Honorary St. James Oyster build oyster reefs, keep track of oyster spat and perform other, assorted deeds to improve the coastal environment.
Get Paid to Plant Juniper
The N.C. Coastal Federation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have a deal for you. They’ll pay 80 percent of the cost of planting rare Atlantic white cedar on your property.
Living Shorelines Require Careful Planning
Living shorelines offer many benefits over the wooden and rock walls that are customarily used to control erosion along estuarine shores. But researchers say they have to be carefully planned to maximize their natural elements.
Living Shorelines: The Natural Alternative
Techniques to control erosion that use oyster shells and marsh grasses are often better alternatives than the traditional wooden bulkhead or rock seawall.
From Lifeless Shells to a Vibrant Reef
Groups like the N.C. Coastal Federation spend a lot of time and effort building oyster reefs to create marine habitat and improve water quality. But do the reefs really work? Do the lifeless piles of shells actually become a sort of living organism?
A Healthy Forest Is a Burned One
“Fire dependent” may sound like an oxymoron, but a fire now burning in the Croatan National Forest will ensure that the longleaf pines will survive.
‘No Child Left Inside’
Every year, the federation’s educators take kids out of the classroom to plant marshes, create oyster reefs, build rain gardens and learn about the natural wonders of our coast.
Jones Island: Education and Restoration
Kids enjoy the days camps on this undeveloped island, and everyone pitches in to restore marshes and oyster reefs. Pay a visit this spring or summer.
Students Get Dirty for Oysters, Clean Water
Students at John T. Hoggard High School in Wilmington braved nasty weather last week to get their hands dirty and help create cleaner waters and a more stable shoreline at Oak Island.
North River Farms: Making the Land Work Again
The N.C. Coastal Federation and a dizzying array of partners are restoring wetlands on thousands of acres of ditched and drained farm land in eastern Carteret County.
Restoration Is Good for Business
A landmark report on conserving our coastal habitats gives those who preserve coasts and estuaries a new argument: It’s good for the economy.
Major Restoration Project Takes Shape in Hyde
Farmers in Hyde County are joining environmentalists to in a massive effort to improve water quality and hydrology, protect wetlands and create shorebird habitat.
