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Get to Know Diamondback Terrapins
By Heather Bariso, Coastal Educator The Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is a species of Special Concern in North Carolina. They get their name from the diamond shaped swirls on their shells. Each scute, or shell scale, has a unique pattern of whorls that makes each turtle different. Skin color and pattern varies between turtles as...
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Save the Date for the Fifth Annual Johnston Symposium
Since 2022, the Bald Head Island Conservancy has hosted the Johnston Coastal Sustainability Symposium each spring, inviting experts and community leaders to explore the environmental, social, and economic issues shaping the future of barrier island sustainability. We hope you will join us for the Fifth Annual Johnston Coastal Sustainability...
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Bluff Island Botanical Research Revisited After 50 Years
Bluff Island Botanical Research Revisited After 50 Years I began my Master’s in Botany at UNC Chapel Hill in 1971. That year, my advisor, Dr. J. Frank McCormick, took his students on a field trip to Bald Head Island, where he and some of the students were studying the vegetation. We traveled to Bald Head […]
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Sponsor Spotlight: Bald Head Island Limited
2023 marks the 40th anniversary of the Mitchell Family’s purchase of the Island in 1983, and the formation of its development company, Bald Head Island Limited. From the beginning, Bald Head Island Limited made a commitment to developing the island responsibly and sustainably. They abandoned the previous developer’s plans to build a second golf...
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2025 Executive Director’s Annual Report
2025 Executive Director's Annual Report
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126th Audubon Christmas Bird Count on Bald Head Island
126th Audubon Christmas Bird Count on Bald Head Island Bald Head Island Conservancy’s Director of Science Beth Darrow joined a record-sized group of eight volunteer birders this year to conduct the Audubon Society’s 126th Annual Christmas Bird Count on January 4, 2026. Eighty-three bird species were identified in Bald Head Island’s diverse...
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Barrier Island Botanists Bring Hands-On Learning to Sixth Graders
Barrier Island Botanists Bring Hands-On Learning to Sixth Graders During the fall of each year, the Bald Head Island Conservancy holds its annual Barrier Island Botanists (BIB) program in coordination with Brunswick County Public Schools.This field trip brings every sixth grader in Brunswick County to learn about the ecosystems of the island....
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Celebrating Our Fall 2025 Interns and Their Conservation Contributions
Celebrating Our Fall 2025 Interns and Their Conservation Contributions On December 5, 2025, we gathered for our Fall 2025 Intern Symposium, a day to celebrate the incredible work of our interns and hear firsthand about the projects that are helping advance conservation on Bald Head Island. These talented young professionals brought energy,...
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2025 Nesting Season Executive Summary
2025 Nesting Season Executive Summary *All data subject to change. For the second season in a row, Bald Head Island saw below-average sea turtle nesting numbers – the lowest since the 2017 and 2018 seasons, when the island recorded 40 and 52 nests. Encouragingly, the turtles that did return for the 2025 season were thriving […]
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Invasive Plants on Bald Head Island
Invasive Plants on Bald Head Island What are invasive plants?Non-native species are plants living in areas in which they do not naturally exist. Non-native plants become invasive plants when they spread outside their area of origin and aggressively dominate or cause harm in a new area. Invasive species can outcompete and lead to the extinction...
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