The North Carolina Coastal Federation and the Fisherman's Post have partnered for their summer fishing tournament trail.

The first ten registrants for each tournament will become automatic members of the Federation. Staff and volunteers from the SE region will also be at each tournament talking about the NCCF and requesting folks get involved in protecting our coastal habitats and fisheries. After all, no wetlands, no seafood.

For more information about the fishing tournament registration and volunteer information select the event date below.






Ocean Isle In-Shore Fishing Tournament, May 31
Ocean Isle In-Shore Fishing Tournament, June 1
Southport In-Shore Fishing Tournament, June 21
Southport In-Shore Fishing Tournament, June 22
Wrightsville Beach In-Shore Fishing Tournament, July 19
Wrightsville Beach In-Shore Fishing Tournament, July 20
Topsail In-Shore Fishing Tournament, August 23
Topsail In-Shore Fishing Tournament, August 24
Carolina Beach In-Shore Fishing Tournament, Sept. 13
Carolina Beach In-Shore Fishing Tournament, Sept. 14

If you have any questions about volunteering with the federation during these tournaments, contact Sarah Gilliam at sarahg@nccoast.org or 910.777.9834.

Recently, second-grade students from Carolina Beach Elementary trekked down a bank to the edge of a pond at Wade Park in Wilmington. In their cupped-hands, they carefully ferried tiny Southern toads to release. A chorus of “goodbye” and “be careful” accompanied the animals as they hopped from small palms into muddy reeds and water. In addition to the release, the students explored pond habitats, learned to identify different amphibian vocalizations and played a few amphibian-inspired games.

The toad release activities were part of the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher’s “Amphibians in the Classroom” program. This year, six local schools participated in outreach learning in second-grade classrooms with the assistance of the Southern toad. Schools included: Anderson Elementary School, Cape Fear Center for Inquiry, Carolina Beach Elementary, Holly Tree Elementary, Mary C. Williams Elementary and Sunset Park Elementary.

For six years, the Aquarium has partnered with local teachers and students to raise Southern toad eggs to toadlets during the six- to eight-week program. Aquarium staff collects eggs, installs the classroom tanks, collaborates with teachers, offers amphibian-themed lesson plans and guides a toad-release fieldtrip to a local wetland.

“The goal of this project is to work with teachers to foster a generation of students who feel a personal connection to the aquatic environments around them, and who are armed with knowledge about how to better care for these environments,” said Aquarium Outreach Coordinator Andy Gould. “By using amphibians as ambassadors, and fostering a connection to local ecosystems we demonstrate that it is up to us to maintain and care for our wetlands.”

Funding for the program was received through a grant from The Walmart Foundation and the Walmart Supercenter on Carolina Beach Road.

The Oceans Gallery at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher houses many intriguing animals from ethereal floating jellyfish to a green moray eel. Yet one inhabitant, the common octopus, tends to enthrall visitors with its unusual body, movements and behavior.

Native to the Atlantic Ocean, the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) thrives in the waters off the North Carolina coast. In the Aquarium's exhibit, the octopus may unfurl its eight arms and display a bulbous head, known as the mantle. At other times, it can be seen hiding in plain sight, easily contracting its flexible body into a small space.

The common octopus’s intelligence separates it from other marine invertebrates. Research shows octopuses, members of the class Cephalopoda, are curious and able to learn. Enrichment activities created by Aquarium staff for these animals have employed screw-top jars filled with food and Mr. Potato Head toys.

The average life span in the wild of a common octopus is 12 to 24 months. The species may reach one to three feet in length.

The NC Coastal Federation relies on volunteers to protect and restore our coast. Thousands of people have helped to restore coastal habitat, push for stronger environmental rules and promote stewardship of our coastal resources. As environmental pressures increase, so does the need for protection of coastal resources and thus the need for continued volunteer support.

As a volunteer for the Coastal Federation, you will have the opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills and contribute to the community. Working with others to help protect the coast is an incredibly rewarding experience.

You can bag oysters for restoration projects, pass out brochures and sign up volunteers at a local festival event, or join others in planting a rain garden to protect the wetlands.  Fun, camaraderie and meaningful work for an important local organization.

Membership info

Upcoming activities and events

Do you love wood working? Do you enjoy working with teenagers? If you answered yes to both these questions, consider volunteering at Kids Making It woodworking program. They are located at 15 S. Water Street and provide woodworking instruction to teens between the ages of 13-18.

They need volunteers from 4-6pm weekdays. You can volunteer one day a week or more, it's up to you. KMI is a unique, national award winning entrepreneurial and vocational skills program where youth design and create products in our woodworking shop & sell them to the public, honing their social skills in our retail shop and earning 100% of the income from all their sales. Stop by for a tour, or visit their website.