Our First $1M Endowment Gift - Winter 2019

In the first gift of its kind, John and Nancy Bray of Pitt County have pledged $1 million to the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust. Their gift will create an endowment that will permanently support the Coastal Land Trust’s position of Stewardship Director.

The Brays have been involved with the Land Trust since 2014, when they began working with the organization to place conservation easements on lands near them, along Little Contentnea Creek, to keep them from development. As John Bray put it, “a very productive partnership and a friendship ensued.”

A native of Terre Haute, Indiana, John Bray holds a Ph.D. in geochemistry from The Johns Hopkins University and is retired from the Brody Medical School at East Carolina University. Among many other enterprises, he helped found one of the nation’s first full-service environmental consulting services. He co-founded the pharmaceutical research and development company Metrics Inc.

Nancy Bray said her kinship to nature developed while growing up near the Pacific Coast in Southern California. She taught science and math for more than

ff O r TS

In recognition of her passion and commitment to saving environmentally threatened land in the coastal plain, Camilla Herlevich, Executive Director of the Coastal Land Trust, was honored with the 2019 StarNews Media Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is presented annually to honor outstanding individuals who have given substantially of themselves for the improvement of the communities of Wilmington and Southeastern North Carolina, particularly in the areas of economic

development, education, charity, health, preservation, arts and the environment.

Camilla started her environmental career as an attorney for the Nature Conservancy before she and her family returned to Wilmington. As Executive Director of the Coastal Land Trust, she’s continued to combine her passions for

and nature.

With her growing staff, she has helped save nearly 80,000 acres of environmentally and culturally

continued on page 4

law

StarNews photo by Matt Born Camilla with fellow 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Tony Rivenbark and former New Hanover County Sheriff Joe McQueen.

hErLEVIch,

BrayS continued on page 4

Donors Nancy and John Bray with Coastal Land Trust Executive Director Camilla Herlevich

You can teach all the environmental science that you want. But if kids aren’t out in it, they may know stuff, but they won’t love it. And to really get involved in environmental preservation, you have to love it.”

—Nancy Bray

NEw fACES AT COASTAL LANd TruST

Dave Phillips

Dave joined us September 1st as our new, part-time Chief financial Officer (CfO). He is a mission oriented, senior financial and operational executive with more than 35 years of progressive experience with large non-profit organizations in the Washington DC Metro area. This included 18 years as the EVP/ CfO of The Conservation fund and prior to that 15 years as the CfO of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).

Dave earned a bachelor of science degree in finance from Virginia Tech in 1980 and did advanced studies in Accounting at George Mason University. He has been a speaker at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), was awarded an Industry Award of Excellence from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and Chaired the Natural Capital Investment fund (a Community Development financial Institution).

Dave and his wife Mary have been married 35 years and have two sons: Ryan (a financial planner) and Stephen (an auditor working on his CPA) and daughter-in-law kelly (financial manager at Oracle). In his spare time Dave enjoys everything outdoors, all sports, the beach, his VT Hokies and Washington Redskins, and the latest addition to the family, a one-year

Laura Wilson

Laura Wilson has a deep connection to coastal lands and life. Having spent her childhood along the beaches of Delaware, she grew up appreciating and admiring the ocean. She then moved to South Carolina where she earned a bachelor of science degree in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University.

The love for marine mammals and coastal exploring took Laura to the central coast of California where she lived for nine years before returning to the east coast in 2019.

Before joining the Coastal Land Trust, Laura worked in development for the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County in California. She is excited to continue the great work of land conservation. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, surfing with her husband, hiking with their dog, and swimming in the ocean.

AmeriCorps Service Member

Kelsey Kirwan

kelsey kirwan is this year’s AmeriCorps service member at the Coastal Land Trust. Her work here will be as the Environmental Education and Volunteer Coordinator. The Coastal Land Trust is delighted to once again be selected as an AmeriCorps host site by The Conservation Trust for North Carolina, which oversees this important program. kelsey is a native of Durham, attended Appalachian State University and graduated with a degree in Sustainable Development and Outdoor Experiential Education. Throughout college, she worked at Mountain Alliance (a non-profit based in Boone, NC) which sparked her passion for working with nonprofits and in the outdoor and environmental education field. kelsey comes to us most recently from the National Park Service at Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona where she provided environmental education and visitor support.

During her service with the Coastal Land Trust, kelsey will be taking our environmental education programs both into the classroom and out in the field at our protected lands. She will also be leading the volunteer opportunities in the upcoming year.

Board members serve three, three-year staggered terms and are elected each year by the membership during the annual meeting.

Hawk, NC George Wood kill Devil Hills, NC

President Melanie Allen Durham, NC

Vice President

Robert Perry Raleigh, NC

Secretary and Vice President

Hannah Holt Wilmington, NC

Treasurer Maggie Ashburn Wilmington, NC

old Golden Retriever named Sunshine (Sunny).

NEwLy ELECTEd BOArd MEMBErS

Miles Coxe

Edenton

Miles is a co-owner and one of the founders of BCH Trading Co., a leading exporter of Southern yellow Pine lumber, located in Edenton, North Carolina and Plano, Texas. He is actively involved in historic preservation efforts. He has served in leadership positions on the Edenton Historic Commission, a state-chartered nonprofit, and the boards of community nonprofits including the Elizabeth Vann Moore fund, and “SWAT” (Saving Worn-out Architectural Treasures) to save and restore historic buildings and homes. He and his wife Reagan, President of the Chowan Arts Council, have served as hosts for Coastal Land Trust events at Site X in Bertie County.

Henry L. (Hal) Kitchin, Jr.

Wilmington

Hal is an attorney with McGuire Woods. He specializes in business, commercial and real estate litigation and regulatory matters. He is active in bar and community affairs, and has served as chair of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. He has also served as chair of the Cape fear futures foundation and the Greater Wilmington Chamber foundation. He is currently the Chair of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Board of Trustees. Hal has represented the Coastal Land Trust in a litigation matter on a pro bono basis.

Tommy Hughes New Bern

Tommy has recently retired from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission after more than 30 years of experience in wildlife biology, wildlife land management, and land acquisition, primarily in coastal North Carolina. Most recently, he was responsible for leading a team of 40 professionals in implementing wildlife and forest management on approximately one million acres of land. Tommy has been a valued partner of the Coastal Land Trust on a host of conservation projects over the years, from Salters Creek to Duck Creek Wetlands, to Whitehall Plantation Game Lands on the Cape fear River.

Laurie McComas King Wilmington

Laurie is Vice President of MCO Transport, Inc., a company headquartered in Wilmington with terminals in Savannah, Charleston, and Norfolk. MCO specializes in warehousing and transportation services. Laurie’s responsibilities include managing the company’s human resources and personnel, with an emphasis on safety, controlled growth, adaptability, long-term relationships, and environmental stewardship and sustainability. Laurie has served as a key volunteer leader with the Coastal Land Trust’s most popular outreach event, the flytrap frolic, for several years.

COASTAL LANd TruST pEOpLE IN ThE NEwS

Vann Pearsall Completes Leadership Management Program

Vann Pearsall, the Coastal Land Trust’s Development Director, has received an Executive Nonprofit Leadership Management Certificate from Duke University. His participation was made possible by a scholarship from the Community foundation of North Carolina East.

The Duke University Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership Program is one of only two of its kind in the United States. It provides a full week of intense, expert instruction by top leaders in industry, as well as bring together nonprofit leaders from across the United States and globally.

Elaine Jordan Appointed Affiliate at NC Wildlife Commission

Elaine Jordan was recently appointed as an At-Large Affiliate on the North Carolina Wildlife Commission’s Nongame Wildlife Advisory Committee.

Elaine, who is General Counsel for The Coastal Companies, leads the “Host of the Coast” partnership between The Coastal Companies and the Coastal Land Trust. This program has generated thousands of dollars for the Coastal Land Trust from a small voluntary fee ($1/night), which is added onto dozens of vacation rental

Beach and Oak Island.

Linda Murchison of Wilmington, and Lovay WallaceSingleton of New Bern were re-elected to the Board.

agreements in Holden

Miles Cox and daughter Eliza

Tommy Hughes collecting soil samples to sieve for lead shot

than 20 years in public and private schools in the Greenville/Pitt County area.

Some years ago, the Brays were walking the lands outside Ayden, near Greenville. “As we walked the area,” John said, “we kind of observed, wouldn’t it be great if this were preserved for other people to enjoy?”

The Brays began to dream of using the land as a setting for environmental education. That dream grew into A Time for Science Nature and Science Learning facility, offering exhibits and activities for elementary, middle and high school students as well as teachers. Its facilities include a planetarium, an astronomical observatory and kayak rentals for exploring nearby waterways.

John Bray, who describes himself and his wife as “tree huggin’, wildlife lovin’ dirt worshippers,” said the objective of the facility is to reconnect society and youth with the beauty, wonders and importance of the natural environment.

“A Time for Science seeks to provide educational and recreational programs in pursuit of its mission of environmental awareness,” he added. With its secondary goal of land preservation, “continued stewardship by the Coastal Land Trust is essential to the success of both these endeavors,” he said.

Among Nancy Bray’s current projects is working with schoolchildren to propagate milkweed, the primary food of monarch butterflies on their 3,000-mile migration to Mexico. Scientists say monarch numbers are declining, in large part because of the loss of milkweed habitat.

for the Brays, knowing nature first-hand is vital and they share that belief beyond the coastal plain. They have protected five acres of land near Blowing Rock where Nancy has a new project, Reconnect 2 Nature. “People have got to have somewhere to go where they can disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature,” Nancy Bray said. “If you’re not out in it, you won’t care about saving it.”

With every acre the Coastal Land Trust saves, our stewardship responsibility increases. Thanks to their generosity, the Nancy and John Bray Directorship will ensure that the organization can fulfill our obligation to protect and preserve these lands – in perpetuity.

significant lands.

The Coastal Land Trust has worked on such diverse projects as Springer’s Point Preserve at Ocracoke, Bird Island Reserve in Brunswick County, the historic Reaves Chapel A.M.E. Church in Navassa, Jubilee farm near Edenton, the Waccamaw River Project,

SAvING ThE LANdS yOu LOvE AT ThE COAST

AvENuE Of ThE ANCIENTS

By Janice Allen, director of Land protection, Coastal Land Trust

This summer, I felt fortunate to hike through the “Grove of the Patriarchs,” a 1,000-year old forest of Douglas fir and western red cedar located in the shadow of Mount Rainier in Washington State. To say I was humbled by these ancient, moss covered trees, some standing 300 feet tall and 40 feet around, is an understatement. And I was inspired by the fact that not only was this grove of giants permanently conserved, but that the Coastal Land Trust just did something similar with the recent purchase of the Island Creek Tract in Jones County. We protected a very special forest of tall, old trees for future generations to enjoy.

The Coastal Land Trust bought 247 acres along 2.4 miles of Island Creek from Bear Land & Timber, LLC, in August 2019. The property, which will be managed as a nature preserve, can be seen just across from the forest Walk Trail in the Croatan National forest. While not of the age, height or girth of the trees in the “Grove of the Patriarchs,” this forest does have some whoppers: loblolly pines, tulip poplars and oaks over 100 feet tall and 36 inches in diameter.

What makes the Island Creek forest stand out from the famous grove out west is its overall diversity of plant life. An inventory, done in the late 1960s by a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,

tallied over 600 different plant species in the forest along Island Creek, an area of approximately 150 acres.

“Many of the plants at Island Creek are more typical of the Piedmont or even the Mountains, and are not commonly found elsewhere on the Coastal Plain,” said Andy Walker, a botanist with the U.S. forest Service. “It is remarkable when you have a few of these atypical species at a site, but to have such a rich and diverse flora of oddball plants is just wacky.”

This wackiness can be partially explained by the site’s geology. This little area in Jones County has the greatest exposure of marl anywhere in the state. Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock composed of clay and limestone (fossilized seashells). And the weathering of the marl makes the soil more basic (i.e., higher pH) and rich, quite different from the usual acidic sandy soils of the coast. It’s these richer soils that support the unusual, and sometimes rare, flora.

Walking the forest Walk Trail at Island Creek, you can observe rarities such as Tennessee bladder fern and Carolina spleenwort hugging the marl; oddities like umbrella trees dotting the mid-story, and beauties like silky camellia flecking the forest with color. Most people walk the trail and simply marvel at the big trees.

Now, when I walk the forest Walk Trail, I no longer worry that the forest on the other side of the creek will be cleared and/or developed, thanks to the Coastal Land Trust. It will remain as it is, a forest of old trees, with the trail as a future Avenue of the Ancients.

HAVELOCk ByPASS SETTLEMENT fUNDS USED TO SAVE ANOTHER TOP 40 SITE

In April 2018, the Coastal Land Trust received $7.3 million from a settlement between N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and Sierra Club over the NCDOT’s proposed U.S. 70 Havelock Bypass that goes through the Croatan National forest. The Coastal Land Trust used a portion of these settlement funds, along with a generous grant from private philanthropists fred and Alice Stanback, to purchase the 247-acre Island Creek Tract.

“We would not have been able to purchase this exceptional natural area, one of our Top 40 sites, without having funds in hand from the Havelock Bypass settlement and grant funds from Mr. and Mrs. Stanback,” said Janice Allen, Director of Land Protection for the Coastal Land Trust. “We were able to go from contract to closing in less than two months, which was a key factor in securing this property for conservation. We hope to replenish some of the Havelock settlement funds with other grants, which we will be applying for in the months to come.”

Island Creek photos courtesy of Michael Schafale

This photo shows Coastal Plain Marl Outcrop (CMPO) communities with rock outcrop in them. This area in Jones County has the greatest exposure of marl, an unconsolidated sedimentary rock composed of clay and limestone (fossilized seashells), of anywhere in the state. The marl supports unusual flora such as the columbine shown below.

the Murchison group of Wells Fargo advisors

and Jo allison sMitH FaMily Foundation, inC.

ConstruCtion

The North Carolina Land Trust has stories to tell, executive director Camilla Herlevich told the annual meeting in September at the Stern-Anderson House, which overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway. Those stories give plenty of cause for celebration.

Hurricanes florence in 2018 and Dorian this year posed problems. “Make no mistake, those storms set us back,” Herlevich said. yet volunteers descended on the preserves to remove hazardous trees and limbs, and foundations provided grants for hurricane recovery.

“We are ever so grateful,” Herlevich said. “you demonstrated your conviction that land preservation has a significant role to play in making a more resilient coast.”

The director ticked off a list of accomplishments. The Coastal Land Trust paid off the $4.5 million loan to save Site X from development. It saved 113 acres of longleaf pine to add to its Gale Creek Preserve near Bogue Sound. It bought 247 acres of the Island Creek Natural Area.

The Coastal Land Trust saved 700 acres of Duck Creek wetlands along the Neuse River, and 5,400 acres of pristine Down East habitat. Both of these are destined to be added to state game lands.

All told this year, Herlevich said, the Coastal Land Trust saved more than 6,700 new acres for conservation, at a price of

$8.3 million, or about $1,200 per acre.

Looking forward, Herlevich offered a sneak peek at “Campaign for the Coast,” the single largest conservation effort ever launched to protect the Tar Heel coast.

A steering committee has been quietly at work, and 75 percent of the campaign’s goal has been reached. Now the Coastal Land Trust is going public with its drive

• To raise $30 million for land acquisition,

•

To establish a $3 million Opportunity fund, to act quickly when land becomes available,

• To raise $3 million for a Promise fund, to grow the Coastal Land Trust’s endowments and build its organizational capacity for the future. Individuals, foundations and businesses have already committed more than $2 million toward the Promise fund, Herlevich noted.

Erin and Paul Blalock team up for a game of cornhole. Paul’s company, Wells fargo, was the title sponsor for the celebration.

STrATEGIES fOr wEAThErING A STOrM

By will Mcdow director, resilient Landscapes Environmental defense fund

Many North Carolinians are still reeling from the devastation that Hurricanes florence and Dorian inflicted. That’s to say nothing of the misery that Hurricane Matthew wrought upon residents two years before that – or the smaller flooding events that are now challenging folks with more regularity.

As we work toward recovery, we need to think about how we adjust to this new normal and build resilience in the face of increasingly intense storms and sea level rise.

As Gov. Roy Cooper said when testifying before the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee in february, “When storms are becoming more destructive, it’s not enough to pick up the pieces. We must take action to prevent this kind of devastation in the future.”

We can no longer look to the past for solutions. But we can build a future in which people and nature thrive, even as the planet changes. Here are four approaches to secure a resilient future for North Carolina’s communities, farms and ecosystems:

1. Let science and modeling lead:

Substantial federal funding is flowing to North Carolina from hurricane disaster appropriations. Some of these funds should be dedicated to expanding hydrologic models and data collection to implement flood reduction projects and to coordinate local stakeholders in developing locally driven solutions.

N.C. State University researchers, working with the Environmental Defense fund, the state Department of Transportation and others, are developing new models to evaluate the potential flood reduction benefit to downstream communities from installing nature-based features on farmland. These models will be critical for ongoing community conversations as town leaders engage with farm owners to find shared, local solutions.

2. Engage locals to design shared solutions:

Over the past year, local communities, farmers and government officials have begun exploring new strategies to meet the current challenges. This includes holding more water where it falls and storing it away from homes, businesses and critical infrastructure.

pArTNErS IN rEAvES

ChApEL

Al Beatty, George

3. d edicate funding to natural infrastructure:

Natural infrastructure can be built quickly and across the landscape to help limit the impacts of flooding. This infrastructure includes farm ponds to hold excess waters, new wetlands, stream restoration to reconnect flood plains, tree planting along riparian corridors to slow water and other features to make landscapes spongier.

4. Ensure coordination at all levels of government:

Over the past year, North Carolina has taken important steps toward a more resilient future. Republican leaders in the legislature created a new agency, the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resilience, to coordinate recovery and resilience efforts across state government. As part of this effort, North Carolina became the first state to hire a chief resilience officer with the task of planning beyond the current recovery to consider how to reduce impacts from future events.

Now – before the next storm — is the time to redouble our efforts and investments in making North Carolina stronger and more resilient as we adapt to a new normal of weather.

This article was originally published in the Environmental Defense fund’s Growing Returns blog and reposted on Coastal Review Online. To read the complete article by Will McDow go to: http://blogs.edf.org/ growingreturns/2019/09/12/north-carolina-4-strategies-next-storm/

Jesica

and Camilla Herlevich meet to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) making the partnership between Cedar Hill/ West Bank foundation and Coastal Land Trust “official”. Both organizations are working diligently to save Reaves Chapel.

Beatty,

Blake,

u.S. Customs and Border protection photo by Jaime rodriguez Sr.

SCrApBOOk

Coastal Land Trust events, field trips, and educational outings in our community showcase the joy of nature.

far right: It’s a bird, it’s a plane...it’s a fun board to be a part of! from left are Hannah Holt, Ann Simpson, and Melanie Allen.

right: The board prepares to paddle. above: The board wraps up after a kayak paddle.

from page 4

Answer: B. Carolina spleenwort (Asplenium xheteroresiliens), also commonly known as marl spleenwort occurs on limestone or marl cliffs and rocks in Alabama, florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The largest known population of this species in North Carolina occurs at Island Creek.

Board Meeting and Field Trip | Beaufort, Carteret County | September 19, 2019

photo courtesy North Carolina Natural heritage program

BOARD MEMBERS HEAD OUTDOORS

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Coastal Land Trust events, field trips, and educational outings showcase the joy of nature.

BEANS IN kITT y HAWk above: Banjo Earth Band pickin’ and grinnin’.

Left: from left: Brandon and Jessica fearns, Brian Rubino, Troy Murphy and Megan Rubino enjoy tunes and fun times with friends.

right: Volunteer Cathy Supple organizes crafts during Show Me Day.

THANk yOU, VOLUNTEERS

from left: Dave Ellegood, Dee Vuncannon, Henderson Caison, Wynn Wagensei, Lan Nichols, kristal McHugh, Liling Warren, Pam Watkins, AmeriCorps Service Member kelsey kirwan, Coastal Land Trust Associate Director Jesica Blake and Doug Warren

Volunteer Appreciation Day | Brunswick Nature Park | Winnabow

Left:

MOON OVER BEAUfORT

above: Coastal Land Trust members and friends celebrate at Moonrakers in Beaufort. Board members, old and new, let loose the night before the Board meeting. from left, Ann Simpson, outgoing president; Dave Phillips, new staff; Jesica Blake, very seasoned staff member; and Melanie Allen, incoming president.

right: Bland and Ann Simpson

A Coastal Celebration | Moonrakers | Beaufort, NC | September 18, 2019

Volunteer Day | Everett Creek Preserve | Onslow County | October 5, 2019

CLEANUP AT E VERETT CREEk

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make the Everett Creek cleanup a success!

your year-end gift list!

Wilmington, North Carolina 28412 to the top of

Trust

p hotos courtesy of Michael Schafale

community. Read more about this diverse land on page 5.

Below, a rock outcrop shows a Coastal Plain Marl Outcrop

BM f in North Carolina, it is the first or second best example.

Subtype, at Island Creek. Of some 20 good occurrences of

At left is an example of Basic Mesic f orest (BM f ), Coastal Plain

D IVERSE

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photos by Alan Cradick

Fire in the Pines Festival Halyburton Park | Wilmington October 12, 2019

SMOkE y ADMIRER right: This face-painted firefighter sports Smokey Bear on shirt and cheek.

fIRE fOREST

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Left: North Carolina State Senator Harper Peterson helps start the controlled burn at the fire in the Pines festival.

The Coastal Land Trust bought 247 acres along 2.4 miles of