The campsites and ferry service at Hammocks Beach State Park’s Bear Island will be closed during a major water and septic system project through the summer.
parks-refuges
‘R’ you ready for April?
A mallard strikes a semaphore-like pose signaling the letter “R” as viewed over the weekend from the dike at the Roanoke Island Marshes Dedicated Nature Preserve. Covering almost 1,900 acres of marsh and wetlands, the preserve is possibly the least well-known of the protected natural areas on the Outer Banks. Although most of the preserve is impenetrable, a 1.3-mile trail along an impoundment is, at times, a birder’s delight. Photo: Kip Tabb
Photographer captures Buxton beach after storm damage
Don Bowers, who has been documenting storms in the northern Buxton beach area for decades, says the damage from this week’s low-pressure system “is as bad as I’ve ever seen it.”
Homecoming: Portsmouth Island descendants set to gather
The Friends of Portsmouth Island and Cape Lookout National Seashore are expecting hundreds for the event that happens every two years and this year includes a celebration of the 1894 U.S. Life-Saving Station here.
Health advisory issued for contaminated Buxton beach
Officials said the contaminated soils were likely exposed by beach erosion near the former site of Naval Facility Cape Hatteras and Coast Guard Group Cape Hatteras in Buxton, from near 46285 Old Lighthouse Road to and including the first jetty.
‘Discover the Night’ during the Crystal Coast Star Party
Cape Lookout National Seashore, the Crystal Coast Stargazers, Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center and Island Express Ferry Service to host the party with the theme “Discover the Night” Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4.
Funding resolution omits $14M for national wildlife refuges
The deal reached last week to avert a government shutdown further reduced funding for national wildlife refuges, including those already stretched thin along the North Carolina coast.
Earl Slick: Airline founder, Banks developer, outdoorsman
The president of Slick Airways and son of a successful Oklahoma oil wildcatter purchased a longstanding Outer Banks hunt club in 1972, a decision that would have lasting effects here.
Report: Shackleford herd totals 117 horses, mostly female
Of the oldest horses in the herd, those 17 and older, 23 are female and one is male.
Dare County wants Coast Guard to restore polluted beach
Dare County commissioners have approved a resolution requesting immediate action to remediate the Buxton beach access where debris and petroleum remain from previous military instillations.
April 1 deadline for NC Coastal Reserve research fellowship
North Carolina Sea Grant and the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve are accepting applications until 5 p.m. Friday, April 1, for the $10,000 2024 North Carolina Coastal Research Fellowship.
$19.2M Hatteras Lighthouse restoration gets underway
The Feb. 14 ceremonial groundbreaking kicked off the 18-month, comprehensive project to restore Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the first for the brick structure since its 1870 construction.
Fire-affected Brunswick Nature Park to reopen Friday
The Winnabow wildfire, which is no longer burning, scorched a total of 80 acres, officials say.
Land of the longleaf pine through a conservationist’s lens
Historian David Cecelski, using photos by his friend and conservationist Tom Earnhardt, illustrates the abundance and rich diversity of the photos of Green Swamp Preserve’s carnivorous plants and other wildlife.
Most coastal state parks report visitor growth in 2023
North Carolina State Parks recently announced that attendance grew by 4% statewide last year, with most of the nine sites on the coast contributing to that growth.
Explore Alligator River refuge during open-air tram tour
Reservations are required for the first open-air tram tour of the year at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge set for March 2.
