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Spring at the Coast 

Spring at any North Carolina beach or sound is amazing. My husband and I are lucky to be able to come down to the quieter sands, sea, and estuaries during Spring with our teenagers. We’ve been doing so for over a decade now, replicating what my parents were able to provide for my siblings and me. Each year, we stay with family and friends, fish together, and eat together — and then I crush everyone at putt-putt. 

Tourism is a significant economic driver for North Carolina. A Visit North Carolina report from Tourism Economics says that travelers to our state in 2024 added $37 billion to our economy, up 3.1% from the previous year. North Carolina welcomes over 40 million visitors annually, and many of these families come to enjoy our beautiful coast across the seasons. 

According to the report, visitors’ top activities include: enjoying the expansive beaches, spending time with friends and family, shopping, visiting historic sites, swimming, eating, and fishing. These activities line up for our family, too — minus the swimming for me in Spring. I love tip-toe-skipping across the hot Summer sand to the water considerably more than the “brisk” waters this time of year. 

Of course, access to the coast is not always possible for everyone. Dr. Erika Young, North Carolina Sea Grant’s coastal and marine education specialist, aims to broaden opportunities statewide for teachers and students to learn about and experience coastal and estuarine ecosystems in their classrooms, wherever they are. Erika developed a coastal and aquaculture-focused workshop providing the expertise and experiences for teachers to continue to help students explore and learn about North Carolina’s amazing coast from their locations across the state. 

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Office of Environmental Education recently recognized Erika’s commitment to teacher training. She completed her NC Environmental Education Certificate, a set of professional development courses and workshops that elevate her already impressive educational leadership across the state. 

You too can travel to the coast from the comfort of your home through the stories in this issue of Coastwatch, reading about our team and partners who work to understand, protect, and elevate the beauty and sustainability of our coastal communities. Or maybe you’ll plan a trip to explore the NC Oyster Trail in person — or any new or old favorite locales at the coast. When you travel in person, please note the Rip Currents Safety Poster, and share it with friends and family. 

Lastly, please save the date for this year’s NC Coastal Conference on November 17th and 18th at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill. North Carolina Sea Grant hosts this statewide event every two years, switching between coastal and inland locations in an effort to share and engage partners across the state on a range of coastal, estuarine, and watershed efforts. You can explore the breadth of topics at the last conference in New Bern and find information about this year’s conference here. 

I hope to see you at the coast and at this year’s conference. As always, please feel free to reach out to discuss coastal topics and opportunities to collaborate: snwhite3@ncsu.edu. 

— Susan White, Executive Director, North Carolina Sea Grant