Each month we feature one of the 95 IBA’s (Important Bird Area) in North Carolina. This month our team from Wilmington is showcasing the Bald Head-Smith Island IBA‘s rich coastal habitat and wildlife. This post is written by Audubon North Carolina’s Brianna Elliott.
The Bald Head Island Conservancy (BHIC) is a non-profit organization that works to protect and study all wildlife on Bald Head Island and throughout the Smith Island Complex. It is located at the Southeast Corner of Bald Head near the Shoals, and sits at the base of the historic Captain Charlie’s Station. BHIC’s mission is threefold: conservation, preservation, and education.
Founded in 1983 by Thad Webster, an island resident that wanted to halt development on BHI, the Conservancy has expanded tremendously since its founding. Today, BHIC’s campus includes the Fleming Environmental Center, the Barrier Island Study Center, Turtle Central gift shop, and a dormitory for interns and visiting researchers. The campus is concentrated in a small area to promote maximum interaction among visitors and staff members but is large enough to support multiple educational programs and research simultaneously. During the summer months, 15 interns live on the campus and work as BHIC’s Sea Turtle Interns, Education Interns, Kayak Interns, and Wildlife Management Interns.
The Barrier Island Study Center was recently completed in early April. The Executive Director of BHIC, Dr. Suzanne Dorsey, states that the Study Center “brings together researchers, students, and the community to engage in research that is innovative and relevant.” Its mission is to promote research for visiting and resident scientists to use the natural resources of Bald Head to study climate change, beach migration, and coastal ecology topics. The Barrier Island Study Center will ease the task of conducting research on remote Bald Head by allowing scientists to have tools for continuous research on the island. Currently, scientists are studying topics in sea turtle biology, dune and vegetation movement, coastal erosion, and coastal ecology. Additionally, wildlife populations are monitored year-around, including deer, fox, raccoon, alligator and sea turtle populations.
The Conservancy offers an array of educational programs that help fulfill its mission and encourage visitors to be environmental stewards. During the summer months, several marine science-based camps are offered for preschoolers, elementary school children, and young teens. Nature programs are offered seasonally, including Island Birding, Kayaking the Creeks, Crabbing and Cast Netting, Beachcombing Biology, Bald Head After Dark and Sea Turtle Walks. The Conservancy also offers overnight and multi-day educational programs for visiting school groups.
Perhaps what BHIC is best known for, however, is their extensive sea turtle monitoring program. Bald Head is a significant nesting ground for loggerhead sea turtles in North Carolina, where loggerheads lay their nests from May through August and hatch from July through the fall. The Conservancy employs a fleet of summer sea turtle interns who patrol the beaches nightly from 9 PM to 6 AM looking for nesting turtles. They also involve the public as much as possible in sea turtle conservation, offering a Sea Turtle Nest Monitor Program where island residents can “adopt” a turtle nest, where they check on it daily and help with predator control and crowd control at nest excavations. In addition, Ride Alongs are a new program where families can ride on the back of UTVs and get a feel for the first hours of sea turtle patrol.
BHIC works with other environmental conservation and research groups in the area, including Audubon North Carolina, North Carolina Coastal Reserve and UNCW. They play a large role in coastal research in southeastern North Carolina and their efforts are critical to the conservation of these coastal environments.
On a personal note, as a previous intern during the summer of 2009, my experience with BHIC is invaluable and one that I reflect on with nothing but positive memories. The enthusiasm of the staff towards environmental conservation and education was contagious and deeply instilled a passion for the environment within me. My favorite experience with them is hard to pinpoint, but any late evening kayaking trip paddling through the calm creek waters watching White Ibis and egrets feed on the silty marsh shores stand out, as well as observing the first baby sea turtle hatchlings of the season. I encourage anyone in the area to check out their facilities and attend a program!
To learn more information about BHIC, visit bhic.org or call their office at 910-457-0089.
