Archive
Witnessing Change: Building an Environmental Relationship with the Island
Witnessing Change: Building an Environmental Relationship with the Island With each visit I made to Bald Head this spring as a creative writing intern for the Conservancy, I could measure the passage of time by shifts in the seasons. In February, heavy rain fell. When I returned a few weeks later, a thick fog shrouded […]
BHIC
Reflections From the Field: Julia Serra, Sea Turtle Technician
Reflections From the Field: Julia Serra, Sea Turtle Technician While we eagerly await the return of sea turtle moms on BHI and the start of another great nesting season, I’ve been reflecting on my last summer with the Sea Turtle Protection Team as an intern. I’m looking forward to many more moments spent with these […]
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Mutualisms in the Salt Marsh
Mutualisms in the Salt Marsh When I first lay eyes on the salt marsh on Bald Head Island, the swaths of Spartina grass (Spartina alterniflora) that flank the tidal creek are quiet and tranquil. They undulate ever so slightly with the breeze, a sleepy stretch of sandy gray. Only a few moments into my conversation […]
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Shorebird Season Reminders
Shorebird Season Reminders Bald Head Island is a designated Global Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society, and we are lucky to share the island with over 200 species of birds. Species of special concern including Wilson’s Plovers, Least Terns, and American Oystercatchers use the beaches of BHI as important mating and nesting...
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Sea Turtle Research at the 44th International Sea Turtle Symposium in Hawai‘i
Sea Turtle Research at the 44th International Sea Turtle Symposium in Hawai‘i In late February, Sea Turtle Biologist Paul Hillbrand jetted off to Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi, to attend the 44th Annual International Sea Turtle Symposium (ISTS). He was in attendance presenting two recent research projects on behalf of the BHI Conservancy’s Sea Turtle...
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Ongoing Research and Conservation of the Bald Head Woods
Ongoing Research and Conservation of the Bald Head Woods Conservation Technician Lauren Collver The 191 acres of the Bald Head Woods Reserve and the patches of preserved forest throughout Bald Head Island make up the unique maritime forest ecosystem that anchors our barrier island. As part of our mission to discover and conserve the natural...
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New Living Shoreline on BHI
By Allison Polinski, Coastal Scientist We are excited to announce that our new living shoreline was installed at Marina Park on February 24, 2025! BHI Conservancy collaborated with Sandbar Oyster Company, the Village of BHI, the NC Coastal Federation, and the Johnston Center for Coastal Sustainability to make this happen. Staff and volunteers...
Morgan Greene
What’s That Sound in the Salt Marsh?
By Joel Davies, Conservation Technician If you have ever spent time wandering the salt marshes on Bald Head Island, you may have heard distinct sounds without a traceable origin (listen above!). Pops or snaps bounce around in seemingly every direction at sporadic intervals. If you were ever curious as to who or what makes […]
Morgan Greene
125th Audubon Christmas Bird Count on Bald Head Island
By Dr. Beth Darrow, Director of Science Bald Head Island Conservancy’s Director of Science Beth Darrow and Coastal Scientist Allison Polinski joined volunteers Jamie Adams and Bob Cowan to assist with the Audubon Society’s 125th Annual Christmas Bird Count on January 5, 2025. Sixty-six bird species were identified in Bald Head Island’s diverse...
Morgan Greene
Aquatic Macroinvertebrates on Bald Head Island
By Riley Westman, Fall Intern 2024 Aquatic macroinvertebrates are organisms that can be seen with the naked eye (“macro”), don’t have a backbone (“invertebrate”), and live in water for all or part of their life cycle. Despite being ubiquitous in freshwater ecosystems, they rarely get the love they deserve. Macroinvertebrates provide a number of...
Morgan Greene
