Cape Fear’s Going Green • Fall 2021

Going Green

Letter from the Editor

I have always enjoyed bird walks and plant walks although I can identify very little of what I see. Then a friend invited me to a workshop on how to use an app that lets you take a picture of something in the wild, post it on the app, and get the app’s suggestions as to what it might be. You post something and say what you think it is, and after a couple of other people have confirmed or refined your identification, it’s labeled “Research Grade,” and becomes part of a global database. (You can keep your observations private if you wish.) Scientists can then access the data to learn where things are, when they’re blooming, follow migration patterns—all kinds of information.

The first week I used it, I posted a picture of the passionflower I’ve let take over my yard. I knew it was a passionflower, but what kind? I was startled to get the answer within days, from a man on the other side of the world, who was updating his book on all 426 species of passionflower. Who knew?

I can search my zip code, and see what wildlife people near me have found. I can “visit” areas where friends and family live, and see what’s blooming in Oregon, whether the fireweed is blooming in Alaska, or whether the fritillaries in Switzerland resemble the ones in my own yard.

As I write, I’m participating in the Native Plant Festival BioBlitz—a local challenge to see how many wild plants everyone can post through September 19. These challenges are fun, and I’m looking forward to the next annual City Nature Challenge, coming up in late April 2022. If you’ve not tried it, I recommend giving it a try: it’s easy, it’s free, and it’s something you can enjoy with the family. There are other apps, too—for people who love lizards, or frogs, or cacti.

I’m sure my family and friends are getting tired of hearing me talk about iNaturalist. But where else can you post a picture of a bug and have someone from halfway around the world tell you what it is? What fun!

— Valerie L. Robertson Editor

3 Ready to Become a Citizen Scientist?

6 Native Plant Festival September 18

7 Happy Accidents

10 The Longleaf Pine Forest—Fire Management and Biodiversity in a Natural Wonder of the Coastal Plain

13 Here Comes Fall Y’all

15 Cape Fear Audubon Fall Programs

16 Aesculus Pavia

17 2021 Pelican Awards

18 First Annual Veg-Out October 16

19 How to Swat-a-Litterbug

21 Recipes

22 Nature Activities

23 Your Ecological House™ Denial and the Price of Real Estate

24 Introducing Going Green’s Interns

25 Green Business

28 TACO—Connect a Child with Nature

29 Discover the Earth, Sun, Universe Exhibition at Cape Fear Museum

25 Crossword

25 Kids Korner

Our publisher’s drawing, created during Preston Montague’s illustration workshop at the Arboretum. “For the first time ever, a friend was able to look at this and recognize what kind of flower I’d attempted!” (It’s a dahlia.)

Cape Fear’s Going Green is a quarterly publication promoting eco-friendly resources and lifestyles in the Lower Cape Fear River Basin.

Publisher & Editor in Chief: Valerie Robertson

Sister City: Eugene, Oregon (Voted “Greenest City” 2006 by The Green Guide)

Eugene Contributing Editor: Mary Robertson

Advisors & Editorial Contributors: Carol Bales, David Bell, Lara Berkley, Emma Corbitt, Gabriella de Souza, Shelby Diehl, Audrey Dunn, Morgan Freese, Samantha Gallagher, Sally Smits Matsen, Casey Nelson, Cordelia Norris, Avery Owen, Jim Robbins, Jessica Scudella, Roger Shew, Jessica Stitt, Carolyn Thomas, Ben Ward, Philip S. Wenz, and Charley Winterbauer. Cape Fear’s Going Green Going Green Publications P. O. Box 3164 • Wilmington, NC 28406 (910) 547-4390

publisher@goinggreenpublications.com www.goinggreenpublications.com

Cape Fear’s Going Green is available by subscription or on our website.

Print copies are available at more than 140 area eco-friendly businesses and locations, including: Arboretum/New Hanover County Extension Service, Aunt Kerry’s Pet Stop, Lovey’s Market, Old Books on Front Street, Pomegranate Books, Tidal Creek Co-op, UNCW, Shelton Herb Farm, and many Food Lion and Harris Teeter locations.

Editorial: If you have story ideas or calendar items to suggest, email us at editor@goinggreenpublications.com, or call (910) 547-4390.

Advertising information: Email ads@goinggreenpublications.com.

Cape Fear’s Going Green is distributed free throughout Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover, Onslow, and Pender counties. If you have a business and would like to receive multiple copies for the public, please contact us.

The views and opinions expressed in articles in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of this publication.

Front Cover: Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). Learn more about this native species on our Kids Korner page, inside our back cover.

Ready to Become a Citizen Scientist?

by Jessica Scudella

Are you interested in participating in research to make a difference but don’t know where to get started? Professional scientists can benefit from data collected by citizen volunteers and there is always room for more volunteers willing to collect data. There are multitudes of projects you can participate in that don’t require any training. Projects range from taking pictures of nature to collecting rain samples. Some projects don’t even require extra supplies other than a computer, phone or tablet and a way to take pictures. As Dr. Caren Cooper said in her TEDx talk, Citizen Science: Everybody Counts, “our individual data may feel insignificant but collectively it has the power to make discoveries that change the world.”

Citizen science, also called community science and crowdsourced science, is the voluntary participation of citizens to gather scientific data usually for a project being completed by professional scientists. By participating, members of the public become more knowledgeable about their project as well as the concept of recording scientific data. All participation is voluntary, and participants choose how involved they want to become and how much time they have to give. Similar to citizen science,

crowdsourcing is the call for voluntary participants to contribute anything from technical skills to creative designs.

Where to Get Started

Citizenscience.gov is the official government website for citizen science. On this website, you can find the catalog for over 400 projects looking for volunteers. You are allowed to narrow down your search via the status of the project (if it is active and looking for volunteers), the agency it is through (within the federal government), and the field of science. Scistarter.org is another great resource. SciStarter has a directory of over 1500 projects you can look through to find the citizen science project best suited for you; over 800 of these projects can be done in North Carolina. Other citizen science platforms with similar search options are Anecdata.org, CitSci.org, Zooniverse.org, Experiment.com and iNaturalist.org. iNaturalist

If you are looking to “Connect with Nature,’’ a good place to start would be iNaturalist. Use your phone, computer or tablet to take a picture of your findings in nature and upload them to iNaturalist. On this app, you can find many projects nearby that just require a photo of your findings. There are four steps to iNaturalist:

source: ISeeChange app This screenshot from the ISeeChange app shows information on its “Rain and Flooding” topic area, where you can add a sighting from your own area.

observe, identify, discuss and contribute. To begin, go outside to observe the nature around you and take a clear photo of what you want to identify. Once you have uploaded the photo onto the mobile app or web page, iNaturalist will try to identify the picture and give you suggestions as to what is in your photo. After this, you can discuss with the iNaturalist community and confirm or refine your identification. Lastly, scientists have access to your photo if it is deemed Research Grade and can use it toward their research.

ISeeChange

There are many different ways to get involved in a citizen science project. Whether you feel more comfortable using

(continued on page 4)

source: iNaturalist app

This screenshot from the iNaturalist app being used on a laptop shows four observations made by a member of the public.

citizen science

Ready to Become a Citizen Scientist? (continued)

a mobile application or web page on a cell phone, tablet or computer, there are a range of different projects available. ISeeChange’s tagline when you enter the free app is “Share your experiences and collect data to investigate our environment and help our communities through change,” [according to the ISeeChange app]. ISeeChange is a program where you can keep track of your local weather and the change you see. By uploading photos and explaining what is happening in your area, you are helping to keep a record of the weather reports. This improves local research and knowledge of weather. Since the app is global, even when on vacation you can participate in this citizen science endeavor. You can find the ISeeChange app by going to your app store, available on both Android and IOS or by going to the website ISeeChange at https://www. iseechange.org/.

Storm Surge Protectors

More local to the Cape Fear area, there is a program called Storm Surge Protectors. This program focuses on the “collection of long-term data to help determine the ecological conditions of coastal wetlands.” The program was started and is led by UNCW Marine Quest and Resilience Corps NC, a branch of AmeriCorps. The new Resilience Corps service member who is taking the lead on this program is Ms. Riley Lewis.

There is a free workshop that can be attended and a certificate program that

must be completed to teach citizens how to complete a wetlands assessment properly. On the website, https://uncw.edu/ marinequest/ssp/, you can find a datasheet submission portal and a printable version in order to record your data.

Kate Sullivan, Storm Surge Protector and a previous AmeriCorps Member, commented, “I loved working with community members to study storm surge in North Carolina. SSP allowed scientists, residents, and students to contribute to a larger data set to help us protect our coast from storm systems.”

eBird

If you are interested in birds, eBird is the citizen science project for you.

You can participate through eBird.org or by downloading the eBird mobile app. There are people all around the world submitting their sightings of birds and no internet connection is required. Scientists

Bird-Watching Field Trips

Halyburton Park offers free monthly bird-watching field trips on the first Friday of every month. All are welcome to these walks and pre-registration is required through webreg.wilmingtonnc.gov or by calling (910) 341-0075. The dates until the end of 2021 are:

Friday, October 1 9:00–10:30 a.m. Friday, November 5 9:00–10:30 a.m. Friday, December 3 9:00–10:30 a.m.

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graphic by Audrey Dunn

Results of August’s Wilmington-based CreekWatcher volunteers. The numbers on the graphic indicate the number of bacteria in a 100mL water sample. The red sites exceed the EPA’s threshold for safe levels of bacteria in recreational waters. The green sites are within safe limits.

photo by Emma Corbitt Storm Surge Protector volunteers Shelby and Taylor complete their first field assessment.

citizen science

Ready to Become a Citizen Scientist? (continued)

and students alike can use the data collected to help better current conservation strategies. According to the eBird website, “Your sightings contribute to hundreds of conservation decisions and peer-reviewed papers, thousands of student projects and help inform bird research worldwide.” If you are looking for a bird identification application, Merlin can be downloaded to use with eBird. After using the Merlin app to help you identify the bird that you saw, you can log the species in eBird. You can even upload sounds!

Frogwatch USA

If you are more interested in frogs, Frogwatch USA is the match for you. This citizen science program is through the association of Zoos and Aquariums’ and it helps to teach the locals about the calls of frogs and toads in their area. As both prey and predator, frogs and toads serve an influential role as indicators of the environment’s health. From February through August, volunteers listen for these frogs and toads and submit their findings through a national database. Frogwatch USA has training sessions at Halyburton Park in Wilmington, North Carolina and at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher in Kure Beach, North Carolina where they will teach you to recognize frogs and toads by sound and season. These sessions will start again after the beginning of 2022. The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

is the local chapter host and the website to learn more is https://www.aza.org/ frogwatch?locale=en.

“Frogwatch USA is like all citizen science projects, a great example of how amateur volunteers can accomplish broader research than scientists alone.”

— Morgan Freese, Virtual Programs Coordinator at the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher

CreekWatchers Program

If you are interested in our waterways, the CreekWatchers Program through the Cape Fear River Watch is the citizen science project for you! Volunteers can adopt a section of a creek and about once a month monitor the area. They check for algae, turbidity, trash and other threats to the health of the watershed. While volunteers are out they also collect a 100-milliliter sample of the creek water to then be tested for E. coli and total coliforms at the Cape Fear River Watch’s office. If warranted, these results, will be passed along to the appropriate authorities and investigated further. Supplies such as monitoring observation forms, cleanup equipment, water sampling equipment and a CreekWatcher manual are all provided to volunteers. There are two goals for this program: to identify and address water quality issues in the Cape Fear area and to raise awareness of the status and quality of the water in the region. Rob Clark, rob@cfrw.us, is the Water Quality Programs Manager for Cape Fear River Watch.

Painted Bunting Observer Team

One citizen science project that has been a success in the Cape Fear region was led by Dr. Jamie Rotenberg, a now-retired professor from UNC–Wilmington. The project was called the Painted Bunting Observer Team (PBOT) and it was started because he feared the number of Painted Buntings was diminishing. In the end, the project showed that this was not the case. They are no longer accepting Painted Bunting observations, but are instead directing users to eBird to report their sightings. The website paintedbuntings. org is now being used as an informational site that teaches the public about Painted Buntings.

Jessica Scudella is a senior pursuing degrees in environmental science and political science at UNCW. She is a Going Green intern, the Vice President of 350 UNCW and the Environmental Legislation Committee Chair for UNCW Plastic Ocean Project.

Sat., May 22: Painted Bunting Workshop 9:15-10:30 a.m. Native Plant Sale 2:30–4:30 ild ird W B G & arden arden

Imagine the Possibilities in Your Backyard

Wild Bird & Garden Hanover Center 3501 Oleander Drive Wilmington NC 28403 910-343-6001

www.wildbirdgardeninc.com

Wild Bird Garden

Imagine the Possibilities in Your Backyard

Wild Bird & Garden Hanover Center 3501 Oleander Drive Wilmington NC 28403 910-343-6001

www.wildbirdgardeninc.com

Wild Bird Garden Sat., May 22: Painted Bunting Workshop 9:15-10:30 a.m. Native Plant Sale 2:30–4:30

contributed photo Bailey Wallace, one of the summer and fall interns for Cape Fear River Watch and a graduate of UNCW, takes a water sample for the Creekwatchers program.

Native Plant Festival September 18, 2021

The Native Plant Alliance will host its 6th Annual Native Plant Festival on Saturday, September 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the New Hanover County Arboretum. This free, family-friendly festival celebrates Cape Fear area native plants and helps attendees learn how to incorporate them into their own garden plans. There will be activities for adults and children, native plant vendors, and displays and presentations by local horticultural experts. Due to the pandemic, activities will take place at locations throughout the community.

At the Arboretum: gardening presentations and exhibitor tables.

In the community: plants can be purchased at various growers around the region.

At the Pine Valley Library: stories for the children read outside at 10 a.m.

Anywhere in Pender, Brunswick or New Hanover Counties: BioBlitz challenge to photograph as many wild plants as you can from September 11 to 19.

At the Arboretum, twenty education exhibitors and vendors will offer information on native and invasive plants, soil, water, trees, bees, and birds, and many will have activities to engage children. Extension Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer gardening questions.

Hourly gardening presentations by horticultural experts will be held in the Arboretum’s Education Center. Some speakers will be live and others remote; all presentations will be available via Zoom for those who prefer to watch from home. The speaker schedule appears on page 26. To attend the presentations via Zoom: Zoom link for all speakers: Go to zoom.us and enter: Meeting ID: 953 784 2189

Passcode: Natives

Native plants will be available for sale at multiple locations, with an online (and print) map guiding people to visit growers of native plants throughout the area. The link to the online map is https://bit. ly/3hcHnYe. Vendor contact information appears below.

Ask for Native Plants at Local Retailers

Your local nursery wants your business. If you’d like to buy more native plants from a particular store, let them know of your interest in using North Carolina native plants.

Here is a blank coupon you can use: photocopy or photograph with your phone and print it. Fill it out and leave it with the store if you don’t find the plant you’re looking for. The more people express an interest in purchasing natives, the more readily available they will become.

I use North Carolina native plants in my garden. Today I was looking for:

If you stock this in the future, please contact me:

Thank you!

New this year: iNaturalist expert Morgan Freese has organized a Native Plant BioBlitz plant scavenger hunt event for the week leading up to the festival. To participate, folks take pictures of native plants (preferably in the wild) and post the photos on the iNaturalist app, which can be used on a phone or a computer. Photos taken from September 11–19 will qualify, and there will be prizes for most observations and most species photographed.

The link to the BioBlitz is tinyurl.com/ nativebioblitz. You may also contact Morgan Freese directly with questions at morgan.freese@ncaquariums.com.

Admission is free; donations are welcome. Free parking is available on site.

The Native Plant Festival is organized by the Native Plant Alliance and sponsored by: New Hanover County Arboretum, NC Cooperative Extension, Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, Southeast Coastal Chapter of NC Native Plant Society, and Cape Fear’s Going Green. This year’s Festival co-chairs are Carol Bales and Lloyd Singleton.

Thanks to all our vendors of native plants!

Here’s how to contact them after the Festival:

Ability Garden (at the Arboretum)

Heather Kelejian • hkelejian@nhcgov.com • (910) 798-7660

Above the Briery

Karen Mulcahy • Karen@abovethebriery.com • (252) 258-0916

Five Oaks Nursery & Tree Farm

Wil Massengill • wiltmass@gmail.com • (910) 762-8637

Going Native Gardens (at Wild Bird & Garden)

Joyce Huguelet • huguelet@bellsouth.net • (910) 395-4236

Grizz’s Nursery

Michael Gore • grizznursery15@gmail.com • (910) 547-4934

Flytrap Jones

Richard Jones • venusflytrapjones@gmail.com • (910) 269-3943

Lloyd’s Nursery

Lisa Brinkley • lloydsnursery@ec.rr.com • (910) 686-4984

Lumber River Nursery

Jep Whitlock • facebook.com/lumberrivernursery/ • (336) 601-8787

Shelton Herb Farm

Margaret Shelton • sheltonhf1986@atmc.net • (910) 253-5964

Sorrell’s Lawn Care & Nursery

Christina Sorrell • facebook.com/sorrellsnursery • (252) 286-5358

Wild Meadow Farm

Chris Dean & Maria Ortado • WildMeadowFarmNC@gmail.com

nature illustration

Happy Accidents

by Cordelia Norris

It’s been hot, and I’ve been busy, with a coloring book to get out the door, so I’ve let my yard go. Since my book, Backyard Pollinators—A Partnership with Plants, features a cross-section of pollinators across North America, I’ve rationalized letting the yard go as a type of fieldwork, an exercise in seeing what plants make their home here on their own, and what pollinators they attract.

Since we live at the end of the street in an older neighborhood without an HOA, I’ve only had to endure the puzzlement of my neighbors and their increasingly pointed mowing right up to the very edge of our property. If you have an HOA, you can try the same approach with container pots or a raised bed.

Now I have occasionally mowed parts of our yard just so that we don’t have a five-foot tall thicket, but I wait as long as possible between mowings, set the mower as high as possible, and leave a lot of areas and any interesting plants alone.

The results of been fascinating: different wild flowers have bloomed at different times, along with ferns and a couple of really nice saplings. This relaxed approach also attracts more pollinators. If I’d been mowing regularly, as a good

suburbanite is supposed to do according to some doctrine inherited from the 1950s, I would never have known that our front yard could be carpeted variously with Daisy fleabane, flowering vines, creeping Jenny, and black-eyed Susans.

Along the way, I’ve sought out advice from a few plant lovers who know a lot about native plants to ensure that this laissez-faire approach to landscaping wasn’t accidentally spreading invasive plants. So when privet reared its ugly head, an aggressive invasive, I knew to pull it up. I’ve also pulled up some thorny vines that don’t seem to do anyone any good. But for the most part, I’ve just enjoyed seeing

what comes up. I found that this is a great way to get saplings that you can then relocate to a more favorable position or give to a friend.

Tiffany Miller Russell, one of the two co-authors of Backyard Pollinators, is based outside of Boulder, Colorado and has experienced similar “ah-ha” moments.

“I’ve learned a lot while researching this book! I’ve really been noticing and appreciating more pollinators and plants in my garden and while hiking. There are a couple plants in my own garden that I’ve been wondering about for years and have finally identified.

“One is a ‘weed’ that springs up everywhere in the yard—cracks in the sidewalk, the lawn, and especially in pots. I’ve tended to pull this volunteer out, but always somewhat reluctantly because I enjoy its delicate red and green foliage.

While researching Euphorbias for an entry, I was surprised to learn this plant also belonged to that large and diverse genus. I identified it as Euphorbia maculata, spotted sandmat spurge. Even better, this little plant is a native! I’ll now happily leave this attractive volunteer growing wherever it decides to be.

“The other ah-ha discovery was a garden flower that grows and blooms prolifically. Neither of us knew what it was, so we’ve just been calling it ‘the pink stuff.’ Thanks to one of the illustrations in the book, I finally learned this flower is red valerian! It’s originally from the Mediterranean, grows worldwide in many conditions, and is a great attractor of pollinators. I think it’s contributed to the swallowtails that glide continuously outside my studio window in the early summer!”

photo by Cordelia Norris Bees and other pollinators are frequent visitors to those who let their vegetation grow.

illustration by Samantha Gallagher Illustration of miner bees on willow, by one of the contributors to the most recent coloring book in the Coloring Nature series.

nature illustration

Happy Accidents (continued)

Trudy Robins Smoke, the other co-author of Backyard Pollinators, had a similar experience with thistle growing in front of her house in Bethel, New York. “I usually cut it back or even pull it out. But this year I let it grow after doing researching and writing up entry accompanying the cover illustration. I had such a happy surprise when just last week I saw a pair of goldfinches pulling at the down on the thistle and unbelievably there was also a butterfly that looked like a painted lady in the cover illustration, but it flew off before I could identify if for sure.

“Just like Tiffany, I’ve learned so much and am much more aware of things like that the little holes in leaves may indicate that beetles have visited or that holes in the ground may be homes for bee larvae. When buying seeds, I now make sure to buy ones with pollen, something I had not thought about before. This book is a treasure of learning about nature and gaining a new respect for it in all its forms.”

So while we’ve been neglecting yard work, we’ve been hard at work on Backyard Pollinators, coming out early fall of this year. I hope everyone reading the book and coloring its pages discovers the same happy accidents that we did—the

New Publication in the Coloring Nature series

If you’re nature-curious and want to see your backyard in a whole new way, you’ll

contributed photo

Backyard Pollinators is the newest title in the “Coloring Nature” series.

discoveries and links that you make when you really start to look at what’s happening in your own backyard.

love Backyard Pollinators. This innovative coloring book explores a crosssection of the range of species that serve as pollinators in North America, from the well-known to some delightful surprises. The book also illuminates unique pollinator/plant relationships and strategies.

Leading natural science illustrators from across the country contributed work for this book and the text for each entry provides context and fascinating background. You’ll gain a new lens to understand the activity happening at your feet and in your background.

This book is the third in the “Coloring Nature” series, by local author and creative, Cordelia Norris and co-authored by Tiffany Miller Russell and Trudy Robins Smoke. Backyard Pollinators is coming out in the fall of 2021 and you can pre-order it at localloveboutique.etsy.com.

Cordelia Norris is a graphic designer, illustrator, and owner of Luna Creative, a multidisciplinary communications firm based in Wilmington. Learn more at lunacreates.com.

Seed Savers Exchange Conference Recordings Available

Collective Cultivations—A Celebration of Community and Seed. 41st Annual Conference, Seed Savers Exchange

The Seed Savers Exchange held its 41st annual conference virtually in July. Recordings of the entire conference, “Collective Cultivation: A Celebration of Community and Seed,” are available for viewing. This year they welcomed a lineup of inspirational seed stewards, leaders of seed organizations and community initiatives, and individual seed savers with memorable stories to share. You can watch the full slate of sessions at seedsavers.org/ conference.

nature illustration

Quilting Workshop: Thread Painting with Joyce Hughes

Fran’s Sewing Circle invites you join them October 1 and 2 for a thread painting workshop with fiber artist Joyce Hughes.

In this two-day workshop, you will learn how to transform a fabric panel into a work of art using thread painting and embellishing techniques taught by Joyce Hughes, author and “sewlebrity.” All you need is a sewing machine capable of doing a straight stitch and zig zag. The workshop is from 9–4 both days.

In the class, eight varied sewing techniques will be covered and applied to a beautiful panel. You will learn eight different sewing techniques and see how they can create added interest of texture and dimension to a piece of art. Workshop price is $189, plus $20 for a thread kit to be purchased from the instructor the day of the event. Lunch will be included.

Proof of vaccination will be required for this event in lieu of mask wearing. The workshop will be held at Masonboro Forest Clubhouse to provide adequate space. The Clubhouse is at 4900 Nicholas Creek Circle, Wilmington NC 28409. Learn more at franssewingcircle.com or call (910) 397-9399.

Cooperative Extension Hosts Preston Montague Workshop

Noted botanical illustrator, landscape architect, teacher and artist Preston Montague gave a workshop on botanical illustration at the New Hanover County Arboretum in July. During the workshop, students practiced turning loose of fear of failure and trusting their instincts to note and record on paper what they could see before them.

Known for his intricately layered botanical illustrations, he also is the designer of a proposed North Carolina Venus flytrap license plate. Once passed through legisation and available, proceeds from plate purchases will support the North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation and Friends of Plant Conservation

in their work to conserve native plants and promote restoration of healthy landscapes across North Carolina.

Learn what you can do to help make this available to the public at venusflytrapchampions. org/license-plate.html.

photo by Shelby Diehl Class sample for Joyce Hughes’ thread painting workshop.

photo by Valerie Robertson Preston Montague demonstrates a drawing technique at his July workshop.

License plate designed by Preston Montague.

The Longleaf Pine Forest—

Fire Management and Biodiversity in a Natural Wonder of the Coastal Plain

by Roger Shew

Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) forests are special to the history and economy of the southeast, especially to southeastern North Carolina, with lumber and naval stores products. Some have even said it is the tree that built the South. Longleaf was once one of the most extensive ecosystems in the U.S., covering over 90 million acres in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain from Virginia to Texas. It was greatly reduced in acreage and area through the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. William Bartram in 1791 wrote:

“We find ourselves on the entrance of a vast plain which extends west sixty or seventy miles. This plain is mostly a forest of ‘longleaved pine,’ the earth covered with grass, interspersed with an infinite variety of herbaceous plants, and embellished with extensive savannas, always green, sparkling with ponds of water.”

In less than 150 years, NC State’s B.W. Wells (1932) noted that “Not a part of this great natural wonder ... remains intact within the state’s borders.” Much of the reduction in longleaf forests was attributable to three factors:

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Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is the state carnivorous plant of North Carolina.

Early morning in Bean Patch Savanna. Longleaf Pine canopy and biodiverse herbaceous layer with grasses, forbs, and wildflowers. The small white flowers are Venus flytraps in bloom. The dense forested area in the background is the pocosin that surrounds the savanna.

Longleaf Pine (continued)

1) Overexploitation (lumber and naval stores uses), 2) Agricultural Activity including conversion to pine plantations, and 3) Habitat Loss from development.

Today, organizations such as The Nature Conservancy, Longleaf Alliance, Forest Service, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, among others, are working to reverse the loss and restore longleaf pine acreage. The low of ~3.4 million acres in the late 1990s into the first decade of this century, has been increased to 4.7 million acres with both public and private efforts; there is a goal of 8 million acres by 2025. The restoration efforts/goals were summarized in 2009 with the publication of the Range-Wide Conservation Plan for Longleaf Pine (https://americaslongleaf. org/media/fqipycuc/conservation_plan. pdf). It should be stated that the longleaf pine forest ecosystem is an important part of what was designated as the 36th Biodiversity Hotspot in 2016. This included the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain. I consider the Longleaf Pine Forest to be like an “Umbrella Species” as the conservation of longleaf results in many other species being conserved in the landscape. It has been said that these forests host ~900 plant and over 300 animal species. In addition, U.S. Fish and Wildlife has listed 29 species that occur in the longleaf pine forest as either threatened or endangered.

(continued on page 12)

Big Island Savanna. Photo 1/14/21. Note very thick grass. Shrubs and thick grass will eventually lead to reduction of the health of the herbaceous ground cover. Fire is required periodically to manage the growth. Note the post-burn look and recovery of the savanna below.

Photo 2/21/21. The controlled burn occurred on 2/9/21.

Orchids are abundant in the Green Swamp, particularly following controlled burns. On the left is Grass Pink (Calopogan tuberosus) and on the right is the Rosebud Orchid (Cleistesiopsis divaricata).

Photo 5/21/21. Recovery and diversity of grasses and wildflowers and more.

Longleaf Pine (continued)

Rough-leaved loosestrife (Lysimachia asperulifolia) grows in the ecotone between the higher savanna and pocosin. Fire is essential to the survival of this endangered species.

Pine

Abundant wildflowers, like the White-bracted sedge in the background, are present in Shoestring Savanna; the photo is six months post-burn. The Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava) in the foreground is abundant in the Green Swamp as are many more carnivorous species (up to 14 species). Shown below are two more including Sundews (on the left) and the Purple Pitcher (Sarracenia purpurea) on the right.

The restoration of the longleaf pine forests/ecosystem is dependent on fire management. Longleaf pine forests are fire-dependent or pyro-climax communities. In fact, the absence of fire in the longleaf landscape today would have to be considered as the leading cause of biodiversity loss and negative health impacts in the forest. Fire is critical for longleaf pine as well as for the rich diversity within the herbaceous groundcover layer. Without fire, seed germination would be difficult as the seed of the pine need to reach bare soil to germinate. In addition, woody vegetation and overly thick grass cover would quickly shade out much of the herbaceous vegetation, including species such as the Venus flytrap. The Nature Conservancy has documented the importance of fire in the landscape. Their restoration efforts and management using controlled burns have increased the health and biodiversity of the forests, which leads to a more resilient ecosystem. And the reward for good management is healthy forests that have green savannas, many wildflower species, and a variety of animals. There is a reason the NC Toast includes the line “Here’s to the Land of the Long-Leaf Pine.” So, get outside and enjoy our longleaf pine ecosystems, one of southeastern NC’s natural wonders. And whether you go to a drier Xeric Sandhill Longleaf Pine Community like that on the UNCW campus, or the magnificent Wet Pine Savannas of the Green Swamp in Brunswick County, remember, the “sound of the wind in the trees can physically change our mind and bodily systems, helping us to relax.”

Roger Shew is in the Earth and Ocean Sciences and Environmental Sciences Departments at UNC–Wilmington.

The

lily (Lilium catesbaei) blooms in late summer to early fall. A Praying Mantis enjoys my favorite flower, too.

native plants

Here Comes Fall Y’all

by Carol Bales

This is the ninth of a series of Cape Fear area native plant articles to appear in Going Green. The articles will include stories about common native plants that would enhance any coastal North Carolina garden or landscape.

Anticipation of cooler weather, less humidity, and fewer mosquitos is a welcome change to our summer’s blistering heat. I was looking on Facebook this morning and found a post about early fall from my sister, Alice, who lives in Albuquerque. Here it is:

“There’s a late summer feel to the garden. The summer cross-quarter day has passed, and the days are getting shorter. Store displays feature pumpkin spice and sweaters. School has started. I’m expecting Christmas decorations any day now…”

Alice explained what the summer cross-quarter day is. The calendar is divided (by the folks who invented it) into

quarters, or seasons, and we mark the four days when seasons change as solstices (Sun standing still) and equinoxes (day and night of equal length). Those dates are around March 21, June 21, September 21, and December 21, but the exact date of each quarter day depends on where the Earth is in its orbit around the Sun.

The cross-quarter days are halfway between these dates—so roughly February 2, May 1, August 2, and October 31. The ancient Celts recognized these dates as the end of one season and the start of the next and had traditional festivals to mark each of these dates. We still celebrate some of these: February 2 is our Ground Hog Day, May 1 is our May Day, and October 31 is... well, you know! There is no longer a celebration of the summer cross-quarter day around the beginning of August, but to the ancient Celts it was known as Lammas, or Loaf Day, and marked the beginning of the wheat harvest.

Here in New Hanover County, we celebrate the arrival of fall with public events such as the Native Plant Festival that is

in the fall, bringing a sharp contrast to our ever-

Wikimedia commons photo Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica f. purpurea) is a slow growing, tall (120 ft) specimen tree with gorgeous golden fall foliage.

scheduled for September 18. The festival consists of Arboretum exhibits by organizations involved in the promotion of native plants, guided tours of the Arboretum gardens, and children’s activities such as the Koi Pond feeding station and the Junior explorer’s backpack program. In addition, there will be a self-guided tour of local native plant nurseries and presentations by local experts about native plants and their value to our environment.

All of this is complemented by colorful fall foliage that graces our parks, gardens and public landscapes. A dozen coastal native trees that provide vibrant color are listed below along with their scientific names:

• Red maple (Acer rubrum “October Glory”) – red

• Downey Service Berry (Amelanchier arborea) – red, orange, and yellow

• Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) – true yellow

• River birch (Betula nigra) – gold and yellowish

• Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) –orange, red, and deep burgundy

• Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) – yellow

• Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) – yellow

• Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) –rich red

• Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboretum) –reddish wine with white flowers

(continued on page 14)

Wikimedia commons photo

Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) turns fiery red

green pine foliage.

native plants

Here Comes Fall (continued)

• White oak (Quercus alba) – faded red

• Red oak (Quercus rubra) – faded orange to red

• Sassafras (Sassafras albidum} – bright orange tinted with yellow

If you want to plant any of these trees you can find all of them planted in the Arboretum or one of our many public parks, just to see how they might fit into your landscape plans before you purchase and plant them.

Alternately, you may want to drive up to our Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains to see even more vibrant fall foliage. You might want to read about this area using their fabulous website: romanticasheville.com/fall.htm.

Optimum fall foliage viewing dates and sites are listed in that website.

However you choose to celebrate the coming of fall, whether it be at home in New Hanover County, along the Blue Ridge

Parkway, or even up in Virginia or New England, be sure to take snapshots of what you see and send them to iNaturalist.org or to Morgan Freese at Morgan.Freese@ ncaquariums.com. She can help you with use of the website.

Reference

Mellichamp, Larry. 2014. Native Plants of the Southeast. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, Inc.

Alice Monet (Carol Bales’s younger sister) is a professional astronomer who spent 35 years on the staff of the U.S. Naval Observatory, and a Master Gardener certified in Coconino County, Arizona. She and her husband now live in Albuquerque, where they enjoy growing native plants and observing the heavens.

Carol Bales is an avid gardener and seed saver and grows several kinds of milkweed in her yard (to attract Monarch butterflies).

native plants

Plant Walk on Lea-Hutaff Island

Paul Hosier will lead a plant walk on Lea-Hutaff Island sometime late in September. The group asks that all participants be fully vaccinated. Contact Charley Winterbauer at cewinterbauer39@gmail.com for details and to sign up for the walk.

We’re Back! (to doing walks)

After over a year of staying isolated we are happy to get back to doing plant walks. We look forward to going to new places and are open to your suggestions.

If you would like to be informed on the walk schedule and other plant-related activities, go to www.ncwildflower.org and join the state-wide NC Native Plant Society. Based on your address, you will automatically be assigned to a local chapter. For the SE portion of the state, that is the SE coastal area chapter.

Cape Fear Audubon Fall Programs

Cape Fear Audubon hosts monthly programs of interest to birders. Links to their autumn 2021 programs, which will be held via Zoom, will be emailed to members and posted on the Cape Fear Audubon Facebook page. All programs begin at 7:00 p.m.

September 15

Meteorologist Tim Armstrong of Wilmington’s office of the National Weather Service has a really cool program on bird migration and radar. We’re calling it “Feathered Forecasting.” Tim will discuss BirdCast, a program of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, that has been coordinating data and images from more than 120 radar stations across the country. It tracks migrating birds and helps create data for phenomena when birds and weather collide—such as when seafaring birds become trapped within a hurricane’s eye, sometimes depositing them miles away.

October 6

Dr. Christopher Tonra, Associate Professor of Avian Wildlife Ecology at Ohio State will introduce us to MOTUS, an international collaborative research network that uses coordinated automated radio telemetry to facilitate research and education on the ecology and conservation of migratory animals. Motus is a program of Birds Canada in partnership with collaborating researchers and organizations. Cape Fear Audubon is funding the placement of a MOTUS tower at Lea-Hutaff Island.

“I will be discussing the basics of how Motus works, and what types of research and monitoring questions it can be used for, and the limitations in its use. Throughout, I will provide examples of projects I have been involved with applying Motus. This will include work my lab has done on Rusty Blackbird, White-throated Sparrow, and Black-crowned Night-Heron.” (See photo of a MOTUS tower, below.)

November 10

Marae Lindquist West is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Biology and Marine Biology Department at UNCW. A member of Dr. Ray Danner’s lab she studies the winter population biology and impacts of sea level rise on Saltmarsh and Seaside Sparrows in tidal marshes in Southeastern North Carolina. This program is being co-presented with Island Wildlife–Cape Fear Region.

Learn more about Cape Fear Audubon at their website: https://capefearaudubon.org/.

Photo by wildlife biologist David Bell MOTUS receiver station similar to that planned for Lea-Hutaff Island.

Photo by Lara Berkley

Paul Hosier will lead a NC Native Plant Society walk to Lea-Hutaff Island.

native plants

Aesculus Pavia

by Carolyn Thomas

Every spring, for the past 20 years, when I drive down the street in my neighborhood, I see a glorious display of red flowers with hints of orange borne above the foliage of a lovely single-stem small tree. The first time I saw this Aesculus pavia or the native Buckeye, I was blown away by its striking beauty. I had never seen a buckeye so large, nor had I seen it in tree form before.

Typically, Aesculus grows in shrub form along the edge of woods or streams where it catches dappled sunlight. The foliage is palmate, with thick bulky stems that create beauty in the winter landscape since buckeye is deciduous. The dark reddish-orange tubular flowers are held above the foliage in clusters. One great attribute is that the native buckeye is one of the earliest blooming plants that attracts hummingbirds. Make sure to clean up the seed pods in the fall since they are poisonous.

If you would like to purchase a buckeye, it can be purchased online through the BeFriend a Tree Sale with the Friends of the New Hanover Arboretum at friends-nhcarboretum. org/tree-sale. Sale continues through October 10.

Information on Aesculus pavia is available at the NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox site complements of NC State University. (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ aesculus-pavia/).

Carolyn Thomas is president of the fundraising group Friends of the New Hanover County Arboretum. Funds from the Tree Sale go to garden maintenance and enhancements at the Arboretum on Oleander Drive. She loves Coastal North Carolina and is thankful to live and work here. Carolyn can be reached at gardengirlilm@ gmail.com.

friends-nhcarboretum.org

Going Green welcomes editorial contributions from the community. If you have an environmental story you’d like to tell, contact us and we’ll email you our “Contributor Guidelines.” Email Publisher@GoingGreenPublications. com or call (910)547-4390.

photo by Jim Robbins, NCSU Extension Native red buckeye (Aesculus pavia).

2021 Pelican Awards

Two coastwide Pelican Awards and several regional awards were presented on on August 7, 2021 at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City.

Brandon Puckett, Research Coordinator with the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve and Camilla Herlevich, former director and founder of the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, received Pelican Awards from the North Carolina Coastal Federation.

The federation’s annual awards event is held to recognize the exceptional people, community associations, businesses and government agencies that have made standout contributions to protecting and restoring the North Carolina coastal environment over the past year.

“The Pelican Awards were created to celebrate very special people and organizations who work to protect and restore our coast,” said Todd Miller, Federation Executive Director. “The recipients this year come from different walks of life, but still work tirelessly to keep our coast healthy and beautiful.”

Brandon Puckett received an award “For Leadership and Expert Scientific Research Advancing Coastal Restoration.” Brandon’s research has helped to advance habitat restoration efforts in North Carolina. He is a leader in habitat modeling and protected reserve design. His doctoral research at North Carolina State University and subsequent work at the N.C. National Estuarine Research Reserve, part of the N.C. Division of Coastal Management, has laid the foundation for hundreds of acres of new oyster sanctuary in Pamlico Sound, a better understanding of marsh resiliency and has helped to advance water quality protection efforts in the state. Brandon has been an instrumental partner with the federation by bringing national perspectives and understanding to crafting and refining the strategies and actions outlined in the statewide Oyster Steering Committee’s North Carolina Oyster Restoration and Protection Strategy: A Blueprint for Action.

and Habitats.” Back in 1992, Camilla put forth vision and drive and took it upon herself to ensure that special coastal places along our beautiful North Carolina Coast were protected in perpetuity instead of being altered or developed. With that vision, the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust was founded by Camilla, and it has become the state’s sole accredited regional land trust focused on our state’s coastal lands. Under Camilla’s leadership, the Land Trust has saved beaches that became state parks and preserves, streams that provide clean water, forests that are havens for wildlife, working farms and nature parks for all to enjoy.

Camilla Herlevich received an award “For Exemplary Lifetime Dedication to Saving Critically Important Coastal Lands

O C T O B E R 9 T H & 1 0 T H 2 0 2 1

The North Carolina Coastal Federation is a nonprofit membership organization that works to keep the coast of North Carolina a great place to live, work and play. Through its programs and partnerships, the federation provides for clean coastal waters and habitats, advocates to protect the coast and teaches and informs people about the coast and what they can do to protect it. Learn more at nccoast.org or call (252) 393-8185.

J o i n u s f o r o u r 2 0 2 1 F i r e i n t h e

P i n e s F e s t i v a l t o c e l e b r a t e

c o n t r o l l e d f i r e a n d i t s i m p o r t a n c e

t o o u r s o u t h e a s t l o n g l e a f f o r e s t s !

Fire, flytraps, family fun!

Fire, flytraps, family fun!

T h i s y e a r w e a r e s h i f t i n g f r o m a n

a l l v i r t u a l e v e n t t o o f f e r i n g b o t h

v i r t u a l c o n t e n t a n d o p t i o n a l i n -

p e r s o n e v e n t s f o r t h o s e t h a t a r e

l o c a l t o t h e W i l m i n g t o n , N C a r e a .

S p a n n i n g a c r o s s l o c a l p a r k s , w e h a v e s e l f - l e d t o u r s t h r o u g h

s

Veg-Out Festival Kicks Off October 16 with Vendors, Speakers, and Tri-Mindfulness Triathlon

The Veg-Out Festival held from 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on October 16, 2021, at Riverfront Park in Wilmington, North Carolina is a oneof-a-kind festival promoting healthy living and healthy lifestyle options, vegan and vegetarian food, the environment and more, all in one place.

Admission to The Veg-Out Wilmington Festival is free.

Visitors to Veg-Out can discover the best local providers of reusable home goods, organic lawn care, natural soaps and skin care, teas, CBD, soy-based drinks and food products, salt therapy, message, yoga and more.

Begin your day at 10 a.m. before Veg-Out with TriMindfulness, a relaxing inclusive community triathlon that’s not timed, and consists of a perfect synergy including:

• 5K Run/Walk,

• Yoga

• Guided Meditation

Held at the beautiful new Riverfront Park during The Veg-Out Health And Wellness Festival.

The 5K walk/run begins at 10 a.m., one hour before Veg-Out, followed by a Yoga session at 11 a.m. and Meditation session at 11:45 a.m. The first 200 people who sign up will receive a beach/

yoga towel specially designed for the 2021 Tri-Mindfulness event. You are welcome to bring your own yoga mat to this event if you wish. Sign-up details are available at: www.veg-out.org.

Veg-Out is also pleased to be putting together a great lineup of guest speakers including:

Chef Keith Michael Gissubel, speaking on how to eat a healthy plant-based diet without it incurring any additional expense to your budget and the fallacy of plant-based diets costing more than a traditional one.

Linda Royal, a noted filmmaker and producer, speaks about her award-winning film, Bringing It Home. “A brilliantly executed documentary that weaves a touching narrative extolling the many benefits of industrial hemp for the environment and human health.”

Evan Folds, The “Soil Doctor,” speaks on how to prepare and maintain a perfect soil to grow happy, healthy plants. Folds has brought his many years of experience into focus with the goal of creating a regional regenerative agriculture system.

Holly Konrady, from NHRMC Lifestyle Reset program. Konrady is the Stress Management Specialist for NHRMC’s Dr. Dean Ornish Lifestyle Medicine Program, Cardio-Oncology Rehab, and founder of the Lifestyle Reset Healthcare Team. She will speak about stress management and sustainability elements of the Lifestyle Reset program along with her colleagues Callan Wall (registered dietitian, owner of Foods For Thought Nutrition Counseling) and Hannah Frick (Clinical Exercise Physiologist for several of NHRMC’s Cardiopulmonary Rehab programs).

Visit the website and social media pages for latest updates as more speakers will be added to the event. Links: www.veg-out.org

Facebook: @VegoutWilmington

Instagram: vegout_wilmington

environmental education

How to Swat-A-Litterbug

by Gabriella de Souza

I was leaving Greenfield Grind Skate Park after a rewarding and sweaty skateboarding session, when a car sped into the parking lot. I watched as they stopped, and two doors opened. Plastic cups and bottles began falling from the open car doors—intentionally. I approached the car, but the occupants slammed the doors and went on their way, leaving all of their trash. Before they sped off, I noted their license plate number, pulled out my cell phone and opened the “Swat-A-Litterbug” app shortcut. The North Carolina Department of Transportation has a nifty program where you can report littering offenses— small or large! I typed in the vehicle’s plate number, the date, time, and location of the incident, and described what I had witnessed. The form takes less than one minute to fill out and the NCDOT will mail a formal letter to the registered vehicle owner explaining the penalties of littering in North Carolina. Littering is illegal and can have extremely adverse effects on wildlife and ultimately our community.

Why are we still littering? Laziness? Maybe. Lack of trash cans or recycle bins? Sometimes. If there is trash already on the ground in the area, I could understand why someone would be tempted to litter. Although, just maybe, if that person received a written letter in the mail calling them out for environmental degradation, they might think twice before doing it again. We have to start holding each other accountable for our waste or we will face some extreme environmental consequences in the near future.

What can you do to help divert litter in our community?

The NCDOT “Swat-A-Litterbug” program is one simple and discreet way for you to help keep litter offenders in check.

Did you know?

Cigarette butts are the #1 littered item in the world.

You can access the anonymous form by logging onto https://www.ncdot.gov/ litter/.

In the Wilmington community, there are frequent clean-ups led by local organizations and individuals. I recently hosted the first “Skate & Sweep” event at the Greenfield Grind Skate Park in hopes of keeping the place I love so much clean and maintained. Volunteers were given trash bags and gloves and encouraged to pick up trash all over the Greenfield Lake area. Once they finished, they returned to the skate park and had their bounty of trash weighed. Their name and bag weight would be placed on the leaderboard for everyone to see. This turned picking up trash into a friendly and exciting competition. We then celebrated picking up almost 23 pounds of trash by skating in the now spotless park.

In the future, I would like to reward the volunteer who picks up the most trash with a gift card to a local business or facility. Although it is just the right thing to do, I feel that some sort of incentive would help bring the community together. If you have a business and would like to support Greenfield Lake clean-up efforts, please contact me at Gad7959@gmail.com.

There is an exciting new twist for the next Greenfield Skate & Sweeps! The Plastic Ocean Project and Island Wildlife (a North Carolina Wildlife Federation Chapter) will be sponsoring future Skate & Sweeps with their “Trees4Trash’’ program. For

every 25 pounds of trash collected, the organizations will fund the planting of one native tree in the Wilmington area. The next Skate & Sweep is scheduled for Saturday, November 20th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Greenfield Grind Skate Park, 1739 Burnett Blvd, Wilmington,

NC 28401. To participate, simply show up ready to have fun and collect trash! Skateboard not required!

Gabriella de Souza is a local plant biologist and upper school biology and technology teacher at Cape Fear Academy. She serves on the NHC Cooperative Extension Advisory Council, the NHC Parks Conservancy Board of Directors, and the City of Wilmington Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. If you have interest in sponsoring a future Skate & Sweep, please reach out to Gabriella de Souza at Gad7959@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared in the September 11, 2021 edition of the Wilmington StarNews.

local seasonal food Recipes

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine—Sweet & Savory

Servings: 4 • Prep time: 90 minutes (40 minutes prep, 50 minutes cooking time)

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed (roughly 1/2-inch cubes)

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.)

• 1 small eggplant, peeled and cubed (roughly 1/2-inch cubes)

• 2 cups kale, chopped

• 1 small red bell pepper, cut in strips

• 3 Tbsp. avocado oil

• 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (Westbrae Natural)

• 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes (Pomi or Jovial)

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp. ground cumin

• 1 tsp. ground coriander

• 1/2 cup vegetable broth

• 1 cup raisins

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro

• Salt and pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 375oF.

Pre-bake the sweet potato in the oven on 375o for 12–15 minutes until it is partially baked but still firm. Let cool enough to handle. Peel and cube. While the sweet potato is baking, dice the onion, mince the garlic, peel and cube the eggplant, chop the kale and slice the pepper.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic with the sweet potato, red peppers, eggplant and chickpeas. Stir for a few minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin and coriander. Gently mix together while stirring in the vegetable broth. Set heat to low with the lid on the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the raisins and kale. Simmer for another 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit with the lid off for another 10 minutes to allow it to thicken.

Avocado Caprese Salad

Servings: 4 • Prep time: 17 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large cucumber, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

• 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

• 2 medium-sized ripe avocados, sliced into 1/4-inch slices

• 16 fresh whole basil leaves

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup balsamic glaze (room temperature)

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper

• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano

Serve over rice, quinoa or couscous with chopped cilantro on top.

Welcome to Going Green’s recipe page, where we bring you new ideas for how to enjoy local and seasonal foods. For the purpose of this page, “local” will include North and South Carolina. Original recipes courtesy of Casey Nelson. She is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach specializing in women’s health. Connect at caseynelsonwellness@gmail.com.

Editor’s note: Sometimes our chef suggests her favorite brands, but you may certainly substitute the brands of your choice.

Instructions

Place tomatoes and avocados in refrigerator to make slicing them easier while you slice the cucumber. With a sharp knife, slice the cucumber into equal 1/4-inch rounds and set aside. Remove the tomatoes from the refrigerator. Using a serrated knife, slice the tomatoes into 1/4-inch rounds and set aside. Remove the avocados from the refrigerator. Peel and slice with a sharp knife into 1/4-inch slices.

On a large round serving platter, arrange the cucumber, tomato, basil leaves and avocado in an alternating pattern. Starting at the edge of the platter, work towards the center in circular fashion, using the larger slices first and the smaller slices in the center.

Drizzle olive oil and balsamic glaze on top. Season with salt, pepper, and dried oregano.

Photo by Casey Nelson

Photo by Ben Ward

nature activities

Native Plant BioBlitz September 11–19

New for the 2021 Native Plant Festival this year is the iNaturalist BioBlitz! The iNaturalist app and website are fantastic tools for learning more about plants in your area. If you are new to iNaturalist, we will have two training sessions. In these webinars, learn how to use iNaturalist to identify plants and animals, as well as how to participate in the Native Plant Festival BioBlitz and help us find as many native plants as we can to celebrate the Festival! After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Join us for one of the two sessions:

Sunday, 9/12, 5:00-6:00pm Register in advance for this meeting: https://bit.ly/3zI61GC

Thursday, 9/16, 6:30-7:30pm Register in advance for this meeting: https://bit.ly/3EQX1m9

If you are already familiar with iNaturalist and would like to volunteer to help with the BioBlitz, we encourage you to join us for volunteer training. Learn how to put your plant knowledge to work and help BioBlitz participants identify their plant photos through the iNaturalist platform. Volunteers of any skill level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced) with either native or ornamental plants are welcome and can make helpful contributions!

Sunday, 9/12, 3:00-4:00pm Register in advance for this meeting: https://bit.ly/2XPFOIK

Tuesday, 9/14, 6:30-7:30pm Register in advance for this meeting: https://bit.ly/39Ln1Rr

For more information about these sessions, you can contact Morgan Freese at morgan.freese@ncaquariums.com

If you miss these webinars, they may be available for viewing online at a later date.

Wild Bird

& Garden Classes

Owl Prowl & Evening Birding

Fall is a great time to see owls on the move! These whimsical and majestic birds are usually very quiet and discreet, but with a little practice and luck, we will see them set out to hunt for the evening or hear contact calls! And, although there is never a guarantee that owls will reveal themselves to us, there are other fun birds and bird behaviors to see around dusk. We will get to see birds moving toward roosting sites and grabbing some snacks before they turn in for the night! So, meet us around sundown and be ready for something a little different!

This outing will be offered twice; each date requires a separate registration.

Option 1: Thursday Nov. 18 | 4:30 - 6:00 pm

Burnt Mill Creek

Option 2: Friday Nov. 19 | 4:30 - 6:00 pm

Burnt Mill Creek

The Owl Prowl is $45 per date per person. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Participants provide their own binoculars and transportation.

Classes are offered through Wild Bird & Garden. Visit either store or call (910) 343-6001 to register.

Wilmington Store: 3501 Oleander Drive, Wilmington.

Southport Store: 105 East Brown Street, Southport. Learn more at wildbirdgardeninc.com.

Got classes?

Send us your green news! E-mail us at editor@goinggreenpublications.com.

your ecological house™

Denial and the Price of Real Estate

“We were instructed…[not] to use the terms ‘global warming’ or ‘climate change’ or even ‘sea-level rise’.”

— Kristina Trotta, Florida Department of Environmental Protection employee, 2015

This column is part of an ongoing series on rebuilding America’s infrastructure. To read previous articles in the series, visit www. gazzettetimes.com, keyword “Wenz.”

Albert Einstein is credited with saying that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. Those words came to mind when I read that the Army Corps of Engineers has unveiled a preliminary proposal to build a 15- to 20-foothigh, six-mile-long sea wall right through the heart of Miami—at an estimated cost of $6 billion.

The purpose of said barrier? Mostly to protect Miami from increasingly frequent storm surges exacerbated by sea-level rise caused by global heating.

Alas and alas: the project will cost far more than it would have if built a decade ago, when sea-level rise had already manifested in the form of catastrophic storms and floods; and the project ultimately will fail to protect Miami which, like most of south Florida, ultimately will be overwhelmed by the rising Atlantic.

Both of these sad facts are directly connected to the past and current denial of the predictable effects of climate change. In 2015, when then-Florida Governor (now U.S. Senator) Rick Scott was in charge, the state’s semi-official policy was simply to pretend that climate change wasn’t happening. He was backed by the state’s legislature, which for decades refused to pass any climate-related adaptation measures.

The thinking, it seems, was that talk of sea-level rise, persistent and often dangerous flooding and so on would hurt real estate values. Whether those governing Florida really believed that climate change

wasn’t a problem, or just said so in order to attract certain types of supporters or campaign donors, remains unclear.

In a way, Florida’s policy of climatechange denial was successful. People kept moving into the state, especially its crowded metropolitan areas; investors backed more and more waterfront highrises; property values skyrocketed.

Meanwhile, the laws of physics continued to operate, and in 2017 Miami narrowly dodged a bullet in the form of category-five Hurricane Irma, which bypassed Miami but devastated the Florida Keys and caused considerable damage around the state. One result of that event was the mandate for the Army Corps of Engineers to propose solutions to Miami’s vulnerability to floods. They came up with their massive sea wall.

Interestingly, the Corps’ proposal has been criticized by both development boosters and environmentalists. The realestate industry sees the wall as an ugly intrusion into Miami’s waterfront that will devalue property.

Environmentalists view it as an expensive, “one-size-fits-all” solution for a series of complex, interrelated problems that need multi-faceted responses. While the wall might repel a massive storm surge in midtown Miami, partially protecting the

most expensive properties, it will do nothing to prevent flooding from warmingintensified rainstorms and rising tides. Exacerbating these growing threats is South Florida’s geology: the peninsula sits on a base of porous limestone which the expanding seas are flooding, repelling rain runoff while frequently lifting groundwater and sewage to the surface. Miami area septic systems are beginning to fail, and will cost billions replace. These conditions affect the whole of South Florida, which sits, at its highest point, just 10 feet above the current sea level.

But while the local environmentalists propose relatively inexpensive, more diversified, and likely more effective solutions such as replanting natural storm barriers and creating municipal water catchments, they, too, are engaging in a form of denial. Numerous science-based maps show most of Florida’s peninsula completely underwater in the coming decades.

Alas, we are likely throwing huge amounts of good money after bad unless we simply abandon certain regions of our ecological house.

© Philip S. Wenz, 2021

Philip S. (Skip) Wenz is the author of the E-book Your Ecological House, available at all major electronic book distributors.

green news

green walls

Green Wall – continued

Introducing Going Green’s Interns

by Jessica Scudella and Shelby Diehl

Cape Fear’s Going Green is proud to introduce their fall 2021 interns whom will be helping with the creation and distribution of the magazine, planning and running the monthly book club, and assisting in event planning and execution—including September’s Native Plant Festival—among other tasks. The interns, Jessica Scudella and Shelby Diehl, are both students from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Eventually, she plans to go to law school to get her J.D. in Environmental Law and a Masters in Environmental Policy. Beyond her studies, she is involved on-campus serving as the Vice President of 350 UNCW and as UNCW Plastic Ocean Project’s Environmental Legislation Committee Leader.

space. One of the tenants will be the Wilmington-based software company Untappd, creator of the popular beer app.

It’s Mott’s hope that, through the success of this green wall, they will grow in popularity in our area. And that way, more building occupants will enjoy the health and aesthetic benefits of systems like these in the near future.

Although Steve Mott has once again proclaimed himself to be retired, you may be able to reach him through his website, www. mottlandscaping.com.

Jessica Scudella is a senior from Durham, North Carolina majoring in Environmental Science with a Concentration in Conservation and Political Science with a minor in Leadership Studies. After she graduates, Jessica plans on focusing on environmental policy and activism while being able to figure out more sustainable practices that can be implemented throughout the world.

Each plant in the wall lives in its original pot, which is placed directly in its tray. The plants will grow towards the light, so maintenance of the wall will include a monthly task of removing each pot by hand, turning it 180 degrees, and putting it back in place.

from the City of Wilmington Tree Commission for Outstanding Function Design at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center Betty Cameron Women’s and Children’s Center (a rooftop garden that can be visited by patients and their families).

Shelby Diehl is a junior from Wilmington, North Carolina majoring in Environmental Science with a Concentration in Conservation and Creative Writing with a Certificate in Publishing. With her dual degree, Shelby plans on pursuing a career in environmental writing that will allow her to utilize her abilities as a writer to advocate for environmental causes worldwide. Beyond her studies, she is heavily involved on-campus serving as the President of 350 UNCW, a Contributing Writer for The Seahawk, a member of UNCW Plastic Ocean Project,

and as a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda.

pomegranate books

What was it about this project that pulled Mott out of retirement for what was obviously going to involve a lot of time and effort?

“A good little bookstore… is a laboratory for our coming together.”

Ross Gay

For one thing, the sheer complexity of the project was enticing. It was new and different and challenging. “I had to learn an awful lot. I mean I’d done this kind of work forever, but still this is a new system I haven’t used... Also just the logistics of it, you know. Building something inside here is like building a ship in a bottle. It was complex enough to be interesting.”

“I love walking into a bookstore. It's like all my friends are sitting on shelves, waving their pages at me.”

Tahereh Mafi

Even more important, though, this project was an opportunity for him to prove that such a complicated project could be very successful. And he was concerned that if a green wall were attempted but were not a success, that might be the end of using green wall technology in Wilmington. But he was confident he could make it work. “If it’s successful and it gets some of the notoriety I think it’s going to get, you’ll see a lot of them, maybe not this big. This is a major undertaking in anybody’s book.” He believes that the success of his green wall will encourage others.

a waterways and ocean

Mott plans to put together information on the newly completed green wall, enough so that people will have documentation on how it was created. What he’d really like is to put together a class to teach what he’s learned to people who are eager to learn.

Who will get to visit the wall every day? As floors of the building are finished, the building will be rented out as office

A scissor lift was used to allow placement of the plants. The lift only reached 22 feet, so Mott had to place a ladder on top of the platform shown at the top of this photo, in order to reach the last several feet of wall.

photo by Valerie Robertson

photo by Valerie Robertson

photo by Kaiti Sheehan

New Going Green interns Shelby Diehl (left) and Jessica Scudella work on writing letters at a 350 UNCW event.

green business

Cabin Girl Designs

Erin and Lara were living on their 33foot boat, ‘CabinGirl,’ when their neighbor, a sailor, opened a sail loft walking distance from the marina. They then began spending all their free time in the sail loft—a loft or room where sails are cut out and made. The two became intrigued by how the machines worked and the design process, and the owner, Rodney, and his assistant Reid let them ask away.

They started by picking remnants up off the floor and practicing what they saw in the shop. Then it became competitive to see who could make what from the scraps they found. It wasn’t until Lara had an idea one day for a bag that really changed things. They were interested in designing a bag that would be ideal for live-aboard life. The Throwback, their crossbody bag, was invented. That day, Lara wore the bag as she walked down their dock, and had two requests for their Throwback bags. From that day, they joined local farmers markets and opened an online store.

Now they make multiple styles of bags as well as taking custom appointments to design or build-your-own-bag. They still collect remnants from the local boat canvas shops and donated retired sails. This

means that all designs are one of a kind, weather-resistant and machine washable.

The main goal of CGD is to support local makers and help reduce the amount of waste produced by the boat canvas industry. They strive to be zero waste, support the community of local makers and produce a product of use and need. You can find their products on their website, www.CabinGirlDesigns.bigcartel.com, or social media, @CabinGirlDesigns.

Cape Fear Plant Pro

Susan Brown has started Cape Fear Plant Pro, a new consulting business in Wilmington, specializing in designing small native plant and pollinator friendly gardens. You can reach her for an initial consultation at capefearplantpro@gmail. com or (910) 746-2474. Learn more at capefearplantpro.com.

Sartor Designs

What does a costumer do when theaters close during a pandemic? This one started her own line of Earth-friendly home goods and more, handmade in Wilmington, North Carolina. Visit Jen at GREENER by Sartor Designs at the Riverfront Market downtown, or see www. sartordesigns.com or @sartordesigns.

Frankie’s Outdoor Market Celebrates Grand Opening

by Shelby Diehl

On Saturday, August 21, Northside Food Co-Op celebrated the grand opening of Frankie’s Outdoor Market. Frankie’s Outdoor Market provides local farmers and vendors a space to sell fresh produce, meats, eggs and seafood as well as crafts, accessories and bath and body products.

“The Frankie’s Outdoor Market is designed to attract attention to the pilot store which is ultimately the grocery store we are trying to establish here in the Northside. It’s all designed to fight food insecurity,” said Alexander Brown, an intern with Northside Food Co-Op.

The market is located in a USDArecognized food desert, an area where people have limited access to a variety of healthful foods.

“The objective of today and every week forward is to bring people and tell them we’re here to end this food desert. We want to eradicate the fact that people aren’t eating on a regular basis and that they can’t afford regular food or healthy food because there’s nowhere to get it, so we’re trying to put that to an end,” Brown concluded.

You can find Frankie’s Outdoor Market every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the grassy lot behind 1019 Princess Street in Wilmington. Shelby Diehl is a junior at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington studying Environmental Science with the Concentration in Conservation and Creative Wiriting with a Certificate in Publishing. She plans to pursue a career in environmental writing that will allow her to advocate for environmental causes worldwide.

Art in the Arboretum

Registration is now open for 26th Annual Art in the Arboretum, to be held November 5–7, 2021. This is the largest coastal outdoor art show and sale in North Carolina, held at the New Hanover County Arboretum, 6206 Oleander Drive in Wilmington. It is sponsored by the Friends of the New Hanover County Arboretum, the New Hanover County Coooperative Extension, and the Wilmington Art Association.

Contact Roben Jarrett at rjarrett@nhcgov.com or (910) 798-7671 for information on attending or participating in the show. Deadline to register your art is Sunday, September 26.

Answer Key for the Crossword on page 30.

Wild Bird & Garden Classes

Winter Birding Class: What birds need during winter and which species to expect

During the winter, some birds face very different conditions than they do during the summer. In this class we will discuss birds’ overwinter survival, different strategies birds employ for surviving winter, energy requirements, behavior, and which species we can expect to see locally. We will enjoy three great field trips to local birding spots to see great winter birds, observe their behavior and their adaptations.

SCHEDULE

Class 1: Tuesday Nov. 2 | 6:30–8 pm

Lecture: at the Wild Bird & Garden Wilmington store location. Winter Birds: Who is here, how they survive, and what they need.

Class 2: Tuesday Nov. 9 | 8:30–10:30 am

Field Trip: Fort Fisher

Here we will see a variety of bird species utilizing coastal resources such as mud flats and the tidal zone through the winter.

Class 3: Tuesday November 16 | 8:30–10:30 am

Field Trip: Burnt Mill Creek

During this field trip we will see a mix of local songbirds taking advantage of shrubs, berries, and human-influenced environments.

Classes are offered through Wild Bird & Garden, located at 3501 Oleander Drive in the Hanover Center shopping center. Visit wildbirdgardeninc.com or call (910) 343-6001 for details and price.

Whole Foods will no longer be carrying any print publications for customers. If that’s where you normally get your copy of Going Green, you can find them across the street at Wild Bird & Garden or at Harris Teeter, in Hanover Center.

environmental education

TACO—Connect a Child with Nature

by Jessica Scudella

Take A Child Outside week—TACO week—is an annual event that happens every September 24–30. It is a national movement that encourages children to spend more time outdoors. The week is meant to promote outside activity so that children can connect with nature. There are events happening all around North Carolina throughout the week. On the Take A Child Outside website (https:// takeachildoutside.org/), you can find the different locations hosting events for 2021. The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, an agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, has spearheaded this initiative since 2007. The Museum’s experience with, and commitment to, getting children outdoors led to the development of Take A Child Outside week.

The movement was inspired by the book Last Child in the Woods written by

Richard Louv. His book identifies the benefits of outdoor experiences for children and addresses some of the problems of what he terms “nature deficit disorder,” such as increased feelings of stress, trouble paying attention and feelings of being disconnected from the world.

This year on September 25 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science is hosting a free Take A Child Outside outdoor public event. The event activities will be open-ended and encourage people of all ages to explore the museum park. There will be a bubble station, loose parts play, a bug hunt and nature-inspired crafts. Facilitating the event will be the museum’s education team. It is recommended to wear clothing that can get a little dirty as you will be exploring outside. The purpose of the week is to embolden children to spend more time experiencing the natural world. If you want to learn more about the September 25th event visit the website, https:// www.capefearmuseum.com/programs/ take-a-child-outside/.

If you are unable to attend an event, the Take A Child Outside website suggests going to an outdoor space such as your backyard or a nearby park. On the website there are specific activities that children can participate in such as, “listen & feel” or, “shapes and colors and texture, oh my!”

“Listen & feel” is great for all ages and can be done in any natural area. All you have to do is find a comfortable area to sit and close your eyes for 30 seconds or one minute. Then listen to the sounds you hear: What are they? From which direction did they come? Who might have made them? Next focus on how you feel. What do you notice about the world around you through your sense of touch? Where is the sun? From what direction is the breeze blowing? Does the air feel warm and gentle or sharp and brisk? Discuss your observations and you can even record them in a journal.

“Shapes and colors and textures, oh my!” is suitable for all ages but is ideal for 3-year-olds to second graders and can be

done in any natural area. You will need paint chips, wallpaper samples or pieces of color paper cut in various shapes. Then use these paint chips to match with colors or texture in nature. The youngsters can then record their observations with words or pictures.

You can then share these experiences on social media using #takeachildoutside or uploading a picture to the Take A Child Outside website.

Cape Fear Museum is located at 814 Market Street, Wilmington, NC 28401 and the park is adjacent to the museum on the corner of 8th and Market Streets. You can reach them at https://www.capefearmuseum.com/event/ take-a-child-outside/ or call (910) 798-4370.

Jessica Scudella is a senior pursuing degrees in environmental science and political science at UNCW. She is a Going Green intern, the Vice President of 350 UNCW and the Environmental Legislation Committee Chair for UNCW Plastic Ocean Project.

Sign up for the Going Green newsletter!

We’ll send you updates to let you know when a new issue is published. Let us know by email if you’d also like to be on the email list for Environmental Book Club news. Email Publisher@ GoingGreenPublications.com or sign up directly on our website: GoingGreenPublications.com. Questions about Book Club? Call (910)547-4390.

Discover the Sun, Earth, Universe Exhibition at Cape Fear Museum! environmental education

Cape Fear Museum of History and Science announces the opening of Sun, Earth, Universe, an engaging and interactive museum exhibition about Earth and space science.

The Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition is an engaging and interactive museum exhibition about Earth and space science for family audiences. Visitors will engage in fun interactive Earth and space science experiences using skills essential to STEM learning in the 21st Century that are critical to the work of NASA in advancing new discoveries about our Earth, Sun, solar system, and universe.

How is Earth changing? What is it like on other planets? Does life exist beyond Earth? What’s happening on the Sun, and how does it affect us? Sun, Earth, Universe is a new exhibition about planet Earth, the solar system, and the universe, and the big questions NASA is trying to answer about each. Packed with engaging, hands-on interactive exhibits and dazzling imagery, this exhibition will connect visitors with current NASA science research and launch them on a journey to explore the universe!

Sun, Earth, Universe includes fun and compelling interactive activities for visitors of all ages. Visitors will:

• Follow the design-build-test cycle of engineering and build a model spacecraft for a mission to space.

• Spin a tumbler of 10,000 beads, representing all the stars seen from Earth to search for the unique one that represents the Sun.

• Reveal hidden images using the same tools NASA scientists employ to explore the otherwise invisible forces and energy of the universe.

• Take a break in the seating area and play the Your Mission to Space board game.

• Assist younger visitors pilot rovers across the Mars landscape play table. These fun experiences (and many more!) introduce visitors to ongoing NASA research in the fields of heliophysics,

planetary science, and astrophysics, and encourage discovery of what the future of Earth and space science might hold.

“We are excited to host this bilingual science exhibition at the Museum,” stated science content developer, Dr. Darcie Roten. “The fun interactive nature of the exhibit invites visitors to use creativity and problem-solving skills to understand more about the process of exploring Earth and space.”

The Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition will be on display at Cape Fear Museum as part of a nationwide effort designed to engage audiences in the awe-inspiring fields of Earth and space science through October 24, 2021.

The Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition was created in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition was developed by a team led by the Science Museum of Minnesota, and fiftytwo copies will be fabricated and distributed nationwide by the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network).

Acknowledgement

The Sun, Earth, Universe exhibition was developed in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Sun, Earth, Universe exhibitions are developed and distributed nationwide by the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network).

About the NISE Network

The National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network) is a national community of informal educators and scientists dedicated to fostering public awareness, engagement, and understanding of current science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). More about the exhibition can be found at http://www.nisenet. org/sunearthuniverse.

photo courtesy of NISE Network

The Sun, Earth, Universe exhibit offers compelling interactive activities for visitors of all ages.

All the words in the crossword can be found somewhere in the pages of this issue.

The answer key appears on page 27.

Crossword

Across

6. An observation-based data base that individuals can submit photos to for identification.

7. A festival about healthy lifestyle, vegan & vegetarian food, nutrition, and the environment.

11. A fire set intentionally for purposes of forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement.

16. A person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.

17. An animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower.

18. A place where young plants and trees are cultivated and grown.

19. A citizen science program where volunteers can adopt a section of a creek and monitor the area monthly.

20. A carnivorous plant native to Southeastern North Carolina.

Crossword by Shelby Diehl.

Down

1. The #1 littered item in the world.

2. A native tree that turns a true yellow.

3. The location of the Native Plant Festival.

4. The scientific study of birds.

5. Waste products that have been discarded incorrectly.

8. A day when the time of day and night are equal.

9. Short for Take A Child Outside.

10. The state of the atmosphere at a place and time.

12. An area where people have limited access to a variety of healthful foods.

13. The surname of the illustrator who created the venus flytrap license plate.

14. The abbreviation for a national community of informal educators and scientists.

15. An area of low-lying land which is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and typically remains waterlogged at all times.

Eastern Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina carolina

Eastern Box Turtles are part of the reptile family. They are terrestrial turtles, meaning they spend all of their time living on land. They can be found all over North Carolina except at the Outer Banks.

Eastern Box Turtles are very pretty. Just like with humans, each individual is unique. Some have red spots, some have orange streaks, some even have a yellow pattern on their shell. They all have four toes on each foot. This helps them move around on the forest floor and look for food.

These little turtles love to eat berries, native flowers, seeds, mushrooms, and any small animal they can catch like snails, slugs and even small birds and frogs.

For the most part, these turtles do not get very large. Males can grow up to about 8 inches long while females are normally a little bit smaller. Due to their small size and pretty color, sometimes people will remove them from the wild to be pets. This is very dangerous to the turtle and causes a lot of stress that can lead to them becoming sick or even dying. The best way to befriend an Eastern Box Turtle is to protect their habitat and look with your eyes, not your hands, so that they can remain safe and calm while you spend some time together.

Eastern Box Turtle. Observation © Richard Coldiron, https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/31307090. No changes made.

Eastern Box Turtle. Observation © jheiser, https:// www.inaturalist.org/observations/ 92477486. No changes made.

Circle the Answer

Which of these animals is in the same family as the Eastern Box Turtle?

Frog Lizard Salamander Did

You Know?

You can tell how old an Eastern Box Turtle is by counting the rings on their shell, just like how you would count the rings on a tree! By the time the turtle reaches 15 years old the rings get very close together so it becomes harder to know their exact age.

True or False?

Male Eastern Box Turtles normally have red or orange eyes while females normally have brown eyes.

What Can You Do for Eastern Box Turtles?

Eastern Box Turtles love yards with native plants! They need somewhere to hide, like in an old brush pile or around fallen trees or logs. They need somewhere they can get sunshine, but still be protected like in tall grass or tall native plants. Some of their favorite snacks are wild berries and grapes, so having those in your yard will help them want to stick around.

One of the main threats that face Eastern Box Turtles is humans. These little turtles do not move fast, and because of this they can easily get hit by cars, especially when traveling on back roads or driveways. If you come across a turtle that has been injured you should call your local Wildlife Agency. They will be able to assist you in helping to provide the turtle with the care it needs. You can also call the NC Wildlife Helpline at (866) 318-2401 to obtain the name and telephone number of a licensed rehabilitator in your area. It is never a good idea to take a wild animal out of its environment and take it home to be a pet. This stresses the animal and can cause it to become sick.

Eastern Box Turtles also face habitat loss. They need tall grass and native plants to live. They often times end up in fields while the crops grow, but when it is time for the crops to be harvested, they get hurt from the machines. Leaving part of your yard as a native space will help to provide a habitat for Eastern Box Turtles.

True or False?—True

Salamanders and frogs are amphibians, not reptiles.

Circle the Answer—Turtles and lizards are both in the reptile family.

Answer Key

Kid’s Korner is brought to you by Shannon Bradburn Pragosa.

photo by Jessica Stitt Jessica Stitt spotted this turtle in Wilmington, NC and took its picture during a rainstorm.

Native Plant BioBlitz

C e l e b r a t e n a t i v e p l a n t s b y h e l p i n g u s

f i n d a s m a n y s p e c i e s a s w e c a n !

J o i n u s o n i N a t u r a l i s t

1 2 3

D o w n l o a d t h e f r e e i N a t u r a l i s t a p p , c r e a t e

a n a c c o u n t , a n d " J o i n " o u r p r o j e c t .

S n a p p i c t u r e s

T a k e p i c t u r e s o f a n y p l a n t s y o u s e e i n N e w

H a n o v e r , B r u n s w i c k , o r P e n d e r c o u n t y a n d

s h a r e t h e m o n i N a t u r a l i s t

D i s c o v e r m o r e

V o l u n t e e r s w i l l h e l p i d e n t i f y t h e p l a n t s

y o u s h a r e E a r n r a f f l e e n t r i e s b y s h a r i n g

m o r e p i c t u r e s ! P r i z e s i n c l u d e p r i v a t e

g u i d e d h i k e s , n a t i v e p l a n t s , a n d m o r e

T I N Y U R L C O M / N A T I V E B I O B L I T Z • S E P T E M B E R 1 1 - 1 9