Topics Related to Environmentally Speaking

The Marine Patrol Swift Water Rescue Team deployed for about a week to the western North Carolina to assist with Hurricane Helene safety efforts. This was the first deployment of the Swift Water Rescue Team, certified in 2021 after several years of training, that resulted in real-life safety missions and rescues.

DWR employees working on the Walnut Creek Watershed Action Team received a letter of recognition from U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, D-2nd, on May 15. This recognition was to congratulate the team on winning the 2024 Raleigh Environmental Stewardship Award on April 19 from the City of Raleigh’s Environmental Awards.

Interns in our Northern Sites and Southern Sites offices completed their internship in August. We asked them to reflect on this summer’s experiences. Keep reading to hear how their internship experiences shaped them, they've got some great stories to share!

Nine educators were the first cohort of a new virtual education program by NC Stream Watch, an outreach and education program of the Division of Water Resources (DWR). The program offers information on water resource management. In addition, at the completion of the program, participating educators get access to a North Carolina science standards-aligned curriculum for teaching about water quality, quantity and the importance of conservation.

The DWR Ambient Monitoring System and Random Ambient Monitoring System programs provide data that keep track of water quality measures across North Carolina’s river basins.

DWR’s Aquatic Weed Control Program received permits from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) to stock sterile grass carp in certain lakes this spring in central and western North Carolina to control hydrilla, an invasive aquatic plant.

This summer, the Rachel Carson Reserve had three outstanding interns. They contributed to our mission and learned a lot along the way. Below they each share a bit of advice or memories from their experience.

The N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), a program of the Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Coastal Management, hosted its third stop on the “Discover the N.C. Coastal Reserve” Tour on May 17 at the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort, NC. The tour began with brief remarks by staff, local and state officials at the chapel at the Beaufort Hotel, followed by a guided boat tour, with a stop at the Carrot Island boardwalk.