Welcome to the Spring 2008 edition of Tidecast, written exclusively for the members of the Tidewater Society and members of the William Bartram Leadership Circle.
Tidewater Society members are a hardy lot—I know this because so many of you thoroughly enjoyed yourselves at Coastal Land Trust events in January in both New Bern and Rocky Point. Other less intrepid souls might have been scared off by the cold, wet, wintry, weather. But oh no, not you! No, you all actually reveled in the good company, the beautiful settings, and the great food and drinks to be had!
So I’m delighted to extend to each of you an invitation to one of my favorite warm weather events—which I hope you’ll enjoy. And with gas prices creeping up, who couldn’t use a little bit of local adventure-seeking? If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the place! And if all you want to do is shop, shop, shop, we’ve got you covered there, too!
Upcoming Events:
The annual Wildflower Walk at our own B.W. Wells Savannah Preserve, near Burgaw, is Saturday morning June 7th. Enjoy a lovely spring palette of floral display, including pitcher plants, led by naturalist Richard LeBlond. The Coastal Land Trust continues to restore this wildflower garden to its former glories, with active management including controlled burning. Transportation from Wilmington and a snack will be provided. Please contact Jesica Blake, Director of Stewardship at Jesica@coastallandtrust.org. The cost is waived for Tidewater/Bartram members—that’s you!—so relax and enjoy the ride.
Land Trust Day on June 7th
Shop until you drop, and it’s all for a good cause! On Saturday, June 7th, the good merchants at Great Outdoor Provision Company in both Wilmington and Greenville lead the pack with Land Trust Day. You can help the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust save the places you love at the coast by shopping at Great Outdoor Provision Company in either location, or at the following Wilmington area businesses, each of which is donating a percentage of sales to the Coastal Land Trust:
- Blue Moon Gift Shops
- Climb On!
- Courthouse Cafe
- McAllister and Solomon Books
- The Sterling House
- Wild Bird and Garden
- Transplanted Garden
- Tidal Creek Cooperative Food Market
- Sambuca
There will also be bluegrass music with Masonboro Sound at Hanover Center from 12-2pm, so join us for a day of shopping and music! Tickets for a raffle to benefit the Coastal Land Trust will also be available at Great Outdoor Provision Co. in Wilmington from May 30th- June 7th, 2008. Tickets are $5 a piece or $20 for five.
Raffle Items Include:
- Gold Leader Fishing Guide Service Gift Certificate for one half day (5 hours) trip for two anglers
- Wrightsville Men's Cruiser from Bike Cycles
- One hour Signature Massage from Blue Ginger Spa
- Gift Basket from Learning Express
- Three visit membership with equipment from Climb On! Rock Climbing Facility
- Gift Basket and gift certificate from Great Harvest Bread Company
- Gift Basket from Out of Eden Soaps
- Gift Certificate from Sweet and Savory Bake Shop and Café
- Certificate for a free surf lesson from Carolina Surf Adventures
- Tillvaro Designs beach tote made from recycled materials
For more information please visit www.coastallandtrust.org or call Corie at (910) 790-4524.
Places to Visit
If your "dance card" for June 7th is already full, there are lots of places you can visit on your own—places that wouldn’t have been saved without you and the Coastal Land Trust!
Do you enjoy wide stretches of sandy beach, with no houses in sight? You can walk to Bird Island in southern Brunswick County from Sunset Beach www.ncnerr.org/pubsiteinfo/siteinfo/Bird_Island/bird_island.html . There will be guided walks every Wednesday from June 11th through August 20th at 9am. It is free and open to the public. Please meet at the beach side of the last access at Sunset Beach. Bring water and sunscreen. NCCLT staff and/or interns will be leading the walks on the following days: June 25th, July 30th, August 6th. But if you want to reach Masonboro Island just south of Wrightsville Beach or Lea Island, just north of Figure 8 Island, you’ll have to use a boat! If cultural events or historic places are more to your liking, enjoy one of the summer concerts at Airlie Gardens near Wilmington (www.airliegardens.org ), or take the ferry to Ocracoke and follow the footsteps of Blackbeard at Springer’s Point Nature Preserve www.coastallandtrust.org/pges/springers_point.html.
If you’re part of a group that wants to learn about reptiles, birds, or any other critters that make their home in our coastal forests, contact the staff at Cool Springs Environmental Education Center near New Bern (phone: 252-514-3533 or 252-633-7017; www.weyerhaeuser.com/Sustainability/CoolSprings.
All these special places have been permanently protected through the efforts of the Coastal Land Trust (or, in the case of Masonboro Island, by the Society for the Protection of Masonboro Island, which merged with the Land Trust a few years ago). Most of these incredible properties are now managed by others, so that we can continue what we do best—putting together the complex real estate deals that make conservation strategies as attractive an option as selling off for development!
And here’s the best news yet. Every year, thanks to you, we are adding more and more beautiful places to the “portfolio” of conservation lands in coastal Carolina! This time next year, there will be more places for me to tell you about, and more projects “in the queue” for the years after that.
So don’t jump the ship! Please continue to support the Coastal Land Trust as a member of The Tidewater Society or The William Bartram Leadership Circle. You’ll be glad you did.
