It requires a lot of training, but when they are finished, the N.C. Marine Patrol will have a certified swift water rescue team, yet another way they can help save lives during emergencies. “In the past, the Marine Patrol has participated in water rescues in flooded areas, most notably in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence,” said Marine Patrol Col. Carter Witten. “Once we have completed our training the N.C. Department of Emergency Management will be able to deploy our team for rescues in whitewater conditions."
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Greetings Water Educators! This winter update is intended to keep you afloat with the latest developments from DWR’s Office of Water Education. As we launch into the new year, we are trying new approaches to offering programs and resources with our ever-changing world. If you’d like to get involved with any of our programs, please reach out to me (Lauren.Daniel@ncdenr.gov)!
Continue ReadingWaste Reduction Partners (WRP) worked with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) last fall to save more than $30,000 per year in energy costs. Following the 2017 construction of J.M. Alexander Middle School in Huntersville, CMS officials found that the energy usage of the building was higher than that of other similar school buildings in the system. In 2019, CMS reached out to WRP to conduct an energy assessment of the school.
Continue ReadingThe N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Environmental Stewardship Initiative (ESI) is celebrating national Pollution Prevention (P2) Week and the 30th anniversary of the Pollution Prevention Act by hosting a four-day virtual conference to share pollution prevention and sustainability best practices. This week’s virtual conference gives ESI members and other business representatives an opportunity to learn about energy efficiency best practices, water reduction techniques, recycling markets and regulatory topics.
Continue ReadingNCGS staff were able to use drone technology to identify the surface expression of fault movement, the dark line in the grass, from the August 9 earthquake in Sparta, NC. North Carolina Geological Survey (NCGS) staff members visited the site of the August 9 5.1 magnitude earthquake that hit about 2 miles from Sparta, North Carolina. The purpose of the visit was to document the damage, collect data about the movement at the fault, and add information for inclusion in the NCGS database for the future preparation of landslide hazard maps.
Continue ReadingFall 2020 Water Education Resources and Programs Teach about the hydrosphere and the water cycle with these unique resources only available from NC DEQ! NC Stream Watch
Continue ReadingClark Purvis could not have known just how remarkable that striped bass he recently caught would turn out to be. Sure, it was a big fish – 40 inches long – given that it was caught in the Roanoke River. Most striped bass caught in North Carolina’s sounds and rivers range between 16 and 24 inches. But that’s not what made the fish so special. It was the information researchers with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries’ Tagging Program got from the tag on the fish that showed how extraordinary it was.
Continue ReadingThe state’s Brownfields Program has helped to turn a formerly contaminated and abandoned warehouse space into a safe and healthy property, enabling a Raleigh-based non-profit to continue and expand its mission of providing low-cost cars for qualifying people who otherwise may not be able to afford one.
Continue ReadingA state program helped make a historic building in Fayetteville, North Carolina safer for years to come with the removal of two underground storage tanks (USTs) in November of 2019. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Waste Management worked with the Orange Street School Restoration and Historical Association to have two USTs removed from the property of the Orange Street School. Orange Street School is the oldest public education structure remaining in Fayetteville, and it serves as a reminder of the history of black education in the area.
Continue ReadingThe NC Air Awareness team has developed resources for teachers and students to complete from their homes and offices. Most years, the NC Air Awareness staff are busy working directly with students and the public at environmental field days, classroom visits, and public events and Earth Day Celebrations. As these events and invitations to participate evaporated with the COVID-19 crisis, the NC Air Awareness team turned our efforts into creating resources which can be done from home. NEW – Introduction to Air Quality for Educators
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