N.C. Coastal Reserve & 
National Estuarine Research Reserve 
Tidal Flat 
Fall 2015

 
Scoping out Birds at the Rachel Carson Reserve
As you walk along Bird Shoal at the Rachel Carson  Reserv e it's easy to spot the boldly colored American oystercatcher using its  bladelike, orange bill to probe for clams, mussels, and - you guessed it - oysters. More common is the willet, a rather nondescript shorebird, apart from the revealing broad white wing-stripes that are on display when the bird is in flight. If you're lucky, you may even cross paths with the elusive piping plover foraging for food at low tide. These are just a few species known to feed, rest, and nest at Bird Shoal and other islands that make up the Reserve. To learn more about why these birds gravitate toward this site, I reached out to John Fussell , a p rominent east coast birder who's been surveying birds at the Rachel Carson Reserve for over 40 years. 
Masonboro Island Explorers 
F iddler crabs scatter as they approach, scurrying to hide under the protective cover of the marsh grass. The periwinkle snails, on the other hand, continue to graze, seemingly undisturbed by the enthusiastic group of fifth graders in bright red t-shirts making their way across the marsh. These students are participating in the Masonboro Island Explorers program, which provides fifth graders in New Hanover County with an opportunity to visit and learn about Masonboro Island Reserve, the largest undisturbed barrier island on the southern coast of North Carolina. 
Volunteer-led Field Trips Educate Hundreds of Visitors Every Year 
The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve had yet another successful year o f public field trips to the Bird Island and Rachel Carson Reserves. These free, educational trips are offered each summer and provide visitors of all ages the opportunity to experience the beauty of our coast and inspire a greater appreciation of North Carolina's valuable coastal and estuarine habitats.
What Can SWMP Do for You? 
Are you in the market for long-term monitoring data? If so, research staff at the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve (NCNERR) might have just what you need. For the past 21 years the NCNERR has been monitoring estuarine environmental trends as part of the National Estuarine Research Rese rve's System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) . SWMP is designed to measure short-term variability and long-term changes in water quality, biological systems, and land use/land cover characteristics of estuarine ecosystems. 
Legislative Updates Affecting the Reserve
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources officially became the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on Sept. 18, 2015 when Governor McCrory signed the 2015 Appropriations Act into law (Session Law 2015-241).

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve is impacted by two additional sections in the Act. One section involves studying the removal of a portion of the New Inlet Dam at the Zeke's Island Reserve and the other will look at moving the Reserve program from DEQ to the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.  Read here for more details.
Upcoming Events
December 18: 2016 Summer Internship Applications due TODAY!

February 3: Citizen Science Workshop in Beaufort
 
February 18:  SciREN Coast  Networking Event for Teachers and Scientists

March 9: Sustainable Tourism Workshop in Beaufort

Information about all of these events is available on our event calendar
In the News
Learn about the Reserve's Seeds to Shoreline program, in partnership with N.C. Sea Grant, in a story by NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.

The 2015 N.C. Coastal Reserve/N.C. Sea Grant Research Fellows blog about Phragmites  
and 
Sea Level Rise research at select Reserve sites. 

The Nature Conservancy encourages visitors to explore Buxton Woods and Rachel Carson Reserves.

Our State Magazine discusses the intrigue of the kindred spirits mailbox, a famous feature of Bird Island Reserve. 
New Species of Butterfly Discovered at the Crystal Coast
The rare crystal skipper butterfly, whose range is limited almost entirely to the Crystal Coast region of N.C., has been given an official scientific name -
Atrytonopsis quinteri. These small, brown butterflies only exist along a 30-mile stretch of the coast, including the Rachel Carson Reserve! Learn more about the crystal skipper and the efforts made by Reserve staff and research partners to protect this unique butterfly. 
Facebook Favorites 
Preschool students are entertained by a hermit crab during a summer science school program
Reserve staff enjoy the sunrise before heading to Masonboro Island Reserve for sea turtle monitoring
A black bear cub takes a stroll through Emily and Richardson Preyer Buckridge Reserve
Reserve Coastal Training Program Coordinator educates East Carolina University undergrads about S partina alterniflora