Tidal Flat

Under the increasing threat of hurricanes, coastal storms, and flooding, coastal North Carolina communities are striving to adapt to the changing climate. While it is impossible to eliminate natural hazards, there are tools to build resilience, or the ability for a community to “bounce back” after a hazard event. More frequently, communities are proactively turning to nature to find ways to reduce the risk of coastal hazards.

The Reserve has partnered with the North Carolina Coastal Federation to offer two summer internships. The interns will participate in the federation’s Coastal Policy and Restoration Internship program and work on one of two projects assigned by the Coastal Reserve.

Every summer, the Reserve staff doubles in size as interns and seasonal employees join offices in Beaufort, Kitty Hawk, and Wilmington.

In July, the North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve hosted NOAA’s Social Science Basics training for local professionals. The social sciences are a valuable but often overlooked element of coastal zone management. Issues from marsh restoration to flood mitigation all involve critical human elements – knowledge, values, and attitudes – of the people that live, work, and play in these areas.