Conservation Team Releases 2023 Environmental Services Report

By Dr. Beth Darrow, Director of Science

Bald Head Creek

Each year, the Bald Head Island Conservancy conducts an Environmental Services Contract on behalf of the Village of Bald Head Island to understand and protect the habitats and species that make the island a special place for all residents and visitors. In 2023, the Conservancy continued valuable environmental monitoring projects in the maritime forest, tidal creeks, aquifer, and dunes, with the focus being long-term sustainability of island ecosystems and wildlife habitats. Read below for some highlights of our 2023 environmental monitoring projects, and download our full 2023 report here.

Conservation Technician Katie Knotek analyzes creek water quality samples for E. coli in the BHI Conservancy lab.

Along with sampling for physical characteristics, nutrients, and chlorophyll, we began using a new EPA-approved method for in-house bacteria monitoring this year. Bald Head Creek bacteriological water quality was generally not of concern in 2023, except for September when E. coli levels were higher than shellfishing advisory levels, but lower than recreational advisory levels, which meant that creek water quality was still considered safe for boating and swimming throughout the year. Salinity was higher than usual in 2023, indicating decreased freshwater input from precipitation and runoff. 

There has been a large focus on identifying and eradicating the non-native invasive plant Beach Vitex, including the conclusion of a controlled experiment on treatment methods. We have been successful at eradicating many smaller plants; however, many larger sites requiring multiple treatment applications still exist. This year we will use one of the new treatment methods to hopefully eradicate this plant, which is damaging to native dune-building plants and wildlife. 

Beach vitex plants are primarily found in the dunes, with most facing South Beach.

Fall 2023 interns setting up trail cameras for the fall deer population study.

The white-tailed deer population size was estimated at 173 individuals in fall 2023. The population is still below the current target but is growing. If the population grows above the target level, we will recommend reinstating herd management, such as immunocontraception, which has been on pause since 2020. 

Our Education Team rescued this large adult female diamondback terrapin from a crab pot during a kayaking tour.

The diamondback terrapin conservation project was successful, providing more than 100 crab pot terrapin excluder devices and conducting a population survey with 28 terrapin sightings. We are still working to report terrapin mortalities to the state to help understand the causes of mortality, and educating the public on ways to conserve this species of concern.

Predator population surveys indicate larger populations of alligators and coyotes than in past years. A population genetics study estimated 8-18 individual coyotes on BHI with connectivity to Fort Fisher populations.

In 2023, Least terns (NC Species of Concern) returned to nest on BHI for the first time since 2017. 

Coyote presence and population size are being analyzed through DNA analysis of scat samples.