LEFT: Helen Thomas, Kelly Flora and Emily Flora display a prize specimen — a lettered olive — before returnii 

 just to take part in the field study. 



RIGHT: This porcelain crab, with its speckled white shell, makes an animated show for the field study group. 



Vandenburgh and Powers plan to 

 continue studying and challenging their own 

 research findings. But the research fellows 

 see the reserve as more than a place to collect 

 data. They love its aesthetic and recreational 

 attributes. 



They also sing the praises of the 

 educational outreach programs that bring the 

 public into the state's reserves. Such visits, 

 they say, help the public understand the value 

 of protecting these environmentally important 

 areas. 



New advocates 



As research coordinator, Ross also sees 

 the value of reserve tours for the public, 

 especially youngsters. "An appreciation for 

 estuaries then becomes part of their culture," 

 he says. 



"Susan Lovelace, our reserve education 

 coordinator, delivers important information in 

 a number of ways to a broad audience, 

 including students, teachers, the general 

 public, resource managers and policy 

 makers," he says. 



One way Lovelace repackages reserve 

 research findings is through Decision Maker 

 Workshops on research topics such as 

 riparian buffers. Future workshops will cover 



stormwater runoff in coastal communities. 



Lovelace also takes K-12 workshops 

 across the state. "Thanks to satellite 

 technology and the Web, we can even take 

 the estuary with us. For those on the other 

 side of 1-95, 'Estuary Live' is the next best 

 thing to being here." 



Estuary Live 2002 connected eight 

 estuarine sites in eight states to the nation 

 with support from NOAA and the National 

 Estuarine Program. 



The same satellite technology was 

 adapted for "Coast Live," an interactive 

 workshop that convened academia, state 

 health professionals and coastal managers to 

 share important information on the transport 

 of fecal contaminants. 



"We are committed to doing as much 

 educational outreach as possible," Lovelace 

 says. "With rapid changes in the coastal area, 

 we really can't begin to predict the impacts 

 of human populations on our estuarine 

 resources. We need to find ways to minimize 

 our effects so that we can continue to enjoy 

 seeing them, eating from them and being in 

 them." 



Meanwhile visitors to the Rachel 

 Carson reserve are exchanging the day's 

 highlights. Judging from the excited chatter 



near the boat landing, they already have 

 become staunch NCNERR advocates. 



As they discuss their most memorable 

 discoveries, a fox appears in a clearing. He 

 pauses, then darts into the cover of the nearby 

 thicket, invoking an excited murmur from the 

 group. 



Then, as though his curiosity could not 

 be contained, a wild horse steps out from 

 behind a veil of trees to see what the 

 excitement is about. He watches for a moment 

 and disappears again behind the tree line. 



"Now I have two new highlights of the 

 day. Seeing the horse and the fox," Kyle says. 

 A chorus of agreement follows from the group. 



As for Christie Stevens, she's sticking 

 with her first — and most memorable — 

 experience of the day: "Herding fiddler 

 crabs!" □ 



For information about the North 

 Carolina Estuarine Research Reserve 

 Program, contact John Taggart at 910/395- 

 3905; or Susan Lovelace at 919/252-2170. 

 Go online to www.ncnerr.org to find out 

 about programs and to tune into "Estuary 

 Live, " winner of the Governor's Award for 

 educational technology. 



COASTWATCH 21 



