OAK ISLAND — The North Carolina Coastal Federation is asking for volunteers to help with a living shoreline maintenance event.
The event will celebrate National Estuaries Week (Sept. 16-23) and highlight the Town’s Environmental Advisory Committee’s commitment to adopt and maintain the local living shoreline that was built 10 years ago. It takes place 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14 at Veterans Park (1408 E Yacht Dr.) in Oak Island.
In 2013, the Coastal Federation installed a 200-foot living shoreline using oyster shell bags to control further erosion and provide critical estuarine habitat.
The living shoreline — built with 5,000 oyster shell bags to create a reef in front of the eroded area — is located in the Lockwood Folly watershed in Brunswick County. It is 150 square miles and includes the island communities of Oak Island and St. James, Varnamtown, and areas of Bolivia, Supply, and parts of Boiling Spring Lakes.
No special skills or knowledge is required to take part in this event, as basic training will be provided.
Interested parties can take part in an informational presentation and light luncheon at the Oak Island Recreation Center from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14. Participants at the Veterans Park event are advised to bring a reusable water bottle, hat, and sunglasses, and dress in comfortable clothing. Gloves, boots, trash pickers, and trash bags are provided.
“We’ve done two clean-up events since the Town Council gave us the green light, and we’ve already removed about 500 lbs of trash and placed 40 additional oyster bags on the site to help stabilize the shoreline,” Elise Snavely, a Coastal Ambassador for the Coastal Federation and member of the Oak Island Environmental Advisory Committee, explained in a press release. “It can be messy work, but we’re making a difference.”
Those interested in volunteering can register for the event here.
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