Tidal Flat

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article was written by a University of North Carolina Wilmington undergraduate student and reflects the author’s independent perspective and experience with the Terrapin Tally project. We are pleased to share this piece in support of the author’s experience with the project, student science communication, and coastal education. 

Today, we are celebrating the incredible impact of Lori Davis as she reaches an amazing milestone of 25 years of service with the state of North Carolina.

“Ms. Lori,” as she is called by most, strives to live by this quote from Rachel Carson: “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.”

Hugs, handshakes, and smiles filled the auditorium of the NOAA Beaufort Laboratory in early December as we welcomed Training and Engagement (TE) Coordinators – from across the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) – to the NC Reserve in Beaufort for their annual meeting. All 30 NERRs have a TE Coordinator, and this gathering was a chance to connect, learn, and strengthen their collective work.  

We're wrapping up an incredible year of research, education, training, and stewardship at our 10 North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve sites.<

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

The afternoon on the second day of our Teachers on the Estuary workshop involved games and candy money. Our Training Coordinator, Whitney Jenkins, brought out her favorite game to teach folks about watershed management.  

Read part 1 here.

Mina Surprenant is the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve’s 2024-2026 Margaret A. Davidson fellow. This two-year fellowship funds a graduate student's research that addresses a key reserve management need, helping scientists and communities understand coastal challenges. Mina, a PhD student in the University of North Carolina - Wilmington’s Wetland Ecology Lab, is studying the effects of sea-level rise on our tidal marshes using drones to visualize change.