Archive
From Sanctuary to Overlook: Unraveling the Mystery of Bald Head Island’s Roosting Birds
by Katie Barton, Conservation Intern (Summer 2023) Hello, readers! My name’s Katie Barton, and I’m a former Conservation Intern at the Bald Head Island Conservancy. This December I will be graduating from The University of North Carolina Wilmington, where I’m double-majoring in Biology and Environmental Science, with a concentration in...
Bald Head Island Conservancy
Notes From the Field: To Turtles and Teammates
Before our Sea Turtle Protection interns said goodbye to the beaches of Bald Head Island, Sea Turtle Biologist Paul Hillbrand asked each intern to summarize their summer, and the memories and sea turtles that they will remember most fondly. Here’s what Abby, Bo, Kelsey and Kayla had to share: Abby Parker I have fallen on […]
Bald Head Island Conservancy
Notes From the Field: Water Quality Conservation Work
by Elena Kelly, Conservation Intern Bald Head Island is overflowing with water, from the beaches and brackish creeks to the aquifer underneath the island that provides our fresh drinking water. Our conservation team regularly tests the water quality and other metrics concerning the various bodies of water on the island. This work is a...
Bald Head Island Conservancy
Share the Shore: Nesting Shorebird Season Begins on Bald Head Island
by Katie Knotek, Conservation Technician It’s bird nesting season! You may have noticed more signs than usual out on the beach. These are designating shorebird nesting areas. You might see nesting birds sitting in the sand or acting territorial if you get too close. Bald Head Island Conservancy assists state management agencies with protection...
Bald Head Island Conservancy
Notes From the Field: 2023 Colonial Waterbird Census
by Allison Polinksi, Coastal Scientist If you have ever taken the ferry to Bald Head Island, you may have noticed a small island in the Cape Fear River that is filled with large colonies of waterbirds, especially White Ibis, flying back and forth. This is Battery Island, which hosts the largest colony of wading birds […]
Bald Head Island Conservancy
Notes From the Field: The Conservancy Attends Southeast Regional Sea Turtle Meeting
by Paul Hillbrand, Sea Turtle Biologist Imagine stepping through the double doors of the Grand Ballroom of the Perdido Beach Resort and immediately being struck by the excited chatter and laughter of 200+ sea turtle biologists, students, and volunteers who have gathered together in person for the first time in three years. The air, thick […]
Bald Head Island Conservancy
Notes From the Field: 2022 Christmas Bird Count
by Dr. Beth Darrow, Chief Scientist The Bald Head Island Conservancy and volunteers assisted with the Audubon Society’s 2022 Christmas Bird Count on January 1, 2023. Sixty-five bird species were identified in Bald Head Island’s diverse habitats. Our first species of 2023 was an American Woodcock, strutting along Federal Road through the fog in...
Dr. Beth Darrow | Chief Scientist Bald Head Island
Notes From the Field: Microplastics Found in Bald Head Island Sand
by Katie Knotek, Fall 2022 Intern Every Thursday, I make the reverse commute of many BHIC staff members and leave the island for Wilmington, NC. My destination is the Plastic Ocean Project (POP), where I am working on my intern research project on microplastics. Microplastics are abundant in marine environments and can be found worldwide,...
Bald Head Island Conservancy
Notes From the Field: Assessing Restored Oyster Reefs in Bald Head Creek
Oysters are a keystone species in many saltwater coastal communities. Although many think of them as a menu item, oysters serve as water purifiers, with a single oyster filtering around 50 gallons of a water in a single day! Oyster reefs provide a habitat for many smaller animals such as crabs and worms. They also provide a...
Bald Head Island Conservancy
