COASTAL 



TIDINGS 



New Center Highlights Diverse River life 



If you wander through the Roanoke/ 

 Cashie watershed, you can glimpse a 

 variety of wildlife — from wild turkeys to 

 gray foxes. 



These animals and others are on 

 display in a 25-fbot diorama at the 

 Roanoke/Cashie River Center in Windsor, 

 which opened last fall. 



'There are more than 25 different 

 species of animals on display," says Gary 

 Gardner, the center's administrator. "We 

 have a particularly large population of wild 



turkey in the Roanoke/Cashie river bottom." 



Operated by the Partnership for the 

 Sounds, the center also features a quarter- 

 mile boardwalk that stretches from the 

 center to the Cashie River bridge. 



In addition, you can view recreated 

 pottery and earthware from a 1 7th-century 

 home in northern Bertie County on the 

 Chowan River. 



The center is located at 1 1 2 West 

 Water St. For more information, call 252/ 

 794-2001. -A.G. 



New Duties for Thigpen and Sumner 



Two North 

 Carolina Sea Grant staff 

 members have new titles 

 and duties on the 

 management team. 

 Tammy Sumner is now 

 assistant director for 

 finance and information 

 systems. Jack Thigpen is 

 now extension director. 



"Both have shown 

 leadership and individual 

 talents that are critical to 

 North Carolina Sea 

 Grant," says Sea Grant 

 Director Ronald Hodson. 

 "They know the program 

 well. Each will help us 

 build upon our strengths 

 and develop strategies 

 for improvement." 



Thigpen joined Sea 

 Grant in January 1998 as 

 a coastal recreation and 

 tourism specialist based 

 in Manteo. He was 

 named acting extension 

 leader in March 2000. As 

 extension director, 



Thigpen supervises specialists based in 

 three coastal offices and the Raleigh 

 office. He will continue to conduct 

 research and outreach programs to serve 



Tammy Sumner 



Jack Thigpen 



coastal communities, 

 including work with the 

 Natural Resources 

 Leadership Council. 



A native of 

 Randolph County, 

 Thigpen holds a 

 doctorate in sociology 

 from the University of 

 Kentucky. He previously 

 served as a faculty 

 member and extension 

 specialist at Texas A&M 

 University. 



Sumner, who joined 

 Sea Grant in 1994, has 

 served as the program's 

 accountant and 

 Webmaster. Last year, 

 she was named computer 

 systems manager. In her 

 new role, she will be 

 responsible for all 

 financial and computer 

 operations. She will 

 continue her role as 

 Webmaster. 



A native of Onslow 

 County, Sumner is a 

 graduate of Mount Olive College. She 

 previously served in the NC State 

 University office of contracts and grants. 



-K.M. 



Celebrate National 

 Wetlands Month 



A freshwater wetland calls 

 attention to itself in many ways. 



It might be the low, bass croak 

 of a bullfrog, a thatch of cattails or a 

 red-spotted newt darting over soggy 

 plants. 



In North Carolina, there are 

 many types of wetlands besides 

 freshwater marshes — from pocosins 

 with dense thickets of evergreen 

 shrubs to savannas inhabited by the 

 red-cockaded woodpecker. 



All types of wetlands contribute 

 to the diversity and beauty of nature 

 and have water quality and habitat 

 functions. Taken as a whole, 

 wetlands are home to one in three of 

 the nation's endangered plants and 

 animals. 



Celebrate National Wetland 

 Month in May with programs by the 

 North Carolina National Estuarine 

 Research Reserve. For more informa- 

 tion, contact Gregoryjanicke, 252/ 

 728-21 70, gregory Janicke@ncnerr.org; 

 or visit the Web: www.ncnerr.org. 



-A.G. 



COASTWATCH 3 



