Wildlife advocates are hailing the recently approved state budget for including $10 million of a $31 million project to build 11 protected road crossings for wildlife with corresponding fencing along 2.5 miles of U.S. 64 from the east end of East Lake on the Dare County mainland to west of Robertson Landing Road by 2031.
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Drought creates feeding trough
The state’s ongoing drought is affecting water levels in the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s North River Wetland Preserve near Otway, where wading birds take advantage of conditions recently to feed on the fish, tadpoles, frogs and aquatic insects left with nowhere to go. Nearly the entire state was facing drought conditions at the time this was published, with most of the coast in moderate drought with increasing severity toward New Hanover and Brunswick counties and the western portions of most other coastal counties.
Officials urge responsible behavior when visiting Masonboro
State Division of Coastal Management and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office officials are urging visitors to Masonboro Island Reserve this holiday weekend to act responsibly on the island and surrounding waters.
Volunteers clean up Buxton beach within hours of collapse
National Park Service employees, local residents, visitors, fishermen, and members of the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association joined forces Wednesday to clear the shoreline of debris from the house that collapsed Tuesday.
Apply now to serve on a coastal reserve advisory committee
The N.C. Division of Coastal Management’s Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve is accepting applications through June 30 for local advisory committees of the state’s 10 coastal reserves.
Recalling George Barnes, first Jockeys Ridge superintendent
Sam Bland pays tribute to his recently deceased friend, George Grantham Barnes, who, as Jockeys Ridge State Park’s first superintendent, leaves indelible footprints in the park’s constantly shifting sands.
Boardwalk removal start of Jacksonville park improvements
The removal of the storm-battered waterfront boardwalk at Jacksonville’s Northeast Creek Park is the first step in an improvement and expansion project at the site.
Coastal Reserve local advisory committees meetings set
Potential applicants for local advisory committees that provide N.C. Division of Coastal Management’s Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve staff guidance and feedback about program activities and management of the state’s 10 reserve sites are encouraged to attend the upcoming spring meeting of their interest.
Group kayak trip to explore Moores Creek, cypress swamps
Cape Fear River Watch and Moores Creek National Battlefield in Currie invite participants to join in a roughly 2.5-mile, out-and-back paddle on May 16 in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
Registration opens for Rachel Carson Reserve summer trips
Register to grab a spot on the boat to take part in one of the free-of-charge public field trips being offered at the Rachel Carson Reserve June-August.
Pit viper stare-down
Two cottonmouths, aka water moccasins and known scientifically as Agkistrodon piscivorus, came face to face while foraging Sunday at the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s 6,000-acre North River Wetlands Preserve, with one rising up and the other backing down. One of six venomous snakes in North Carolina, the cottonmouth is the most aquatic, preferring wetter habitats. It’s a pit viper, having a pit on its face that senses heat. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission offers tips on how to coexist with snakes. Photo: Doug Waters
Wilmington officials request ideas for new public park
The city of Wilmington is hosting a public engagement on May 2 to gather ideas on the design, amenities, and overall vision for its next public park.
Mr. Blue has eyes for you
A brightly hued eastern bluebird peeks out from a knothole in a tree at the Dare County Arboretum and Teaching Garden in Kill Devil Hills. Male bluebirds tend to draw attention to themselves at their nest cavities in this way to lure potential mates, according to Cornell Lab. Dare County Extension Master Gardener volunteers maintain the arboretum garden at 300 Mustian St. Photo: Kip Tabb
Dare’s A250 Faire to honor ‘Liberty, Legacy and Lift-Off’
Dare County’s A250 Committee has planned two celebrations for Saturday in Manteo as part of its commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Nice alligator; see you later
An American alligator sunning at North River Wetlands Preserve in Carteret County slides in for a dip recently as March temperatures rose. The 6,000-acre preserve is the North Carolina Coastal Federation’s project to return farmland back to its original state and to use the wetlands to naturally treat polluted runoff. The Coastal Federation publishes Coastal Review. Photo: Doug Waters
Rogers to serve as Jockey’s Ridge State Park superintendent
N.C. Parks and Recreation has selected Steve Rogers as the next superintendent for the Dare County destination featuring the tallest living sand dune system on the Atlantic coast.
