Sea Turtle Hospital News Nesting season officially ended on Aug. 31 with a big green mama turtle getting in just under the wire. With a typical incubation period of around 60 days, that means our beach volunteers will be sitting at her nest waiting for her babies around Halloween, or later. Even though your chances of seeing a mama nesting are pretty much gone there is another component of the circle of life that’s...
Sea Turtle Hospital News Our patients continue to make amazing recoveries and a few weeks ago we were able to send three of them home. And if you were lucky enough to be in town you got to see them as they made their final “walk” down the runway and into Mother Ocean. Maverick, a much-loved Kemp’s ridley finally completed his four-year rehab. Originally admitted as a cold stun he suffered one setback...
TURTLE HOSPITAL TOUR SCHEDULE CHANGING Beginning September 8th through October will we be open four days a week, Wednesdays through Saturdays from Noon – 4 PM. The admission process remains the same; you must schedule and purchase your tickets in advance for a specific day and time through our website, www.seaturtlehospital.org. And we still require masks to be worn inside the building for everyone five years...
Pender County is the backdrop of many productions Raleigh, N.C. – Filmmakers producing projects in North Carolina are on track to invest a record amount of money in the state in 2021, Governor Roy Cooper announced earlier today during a press conference at EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington. The spending amount of $409 million is the largest tally seen in the state since the creation of the North Carolina...
Sea Turtle Hospital News We’ve had a very busy summer welcoming visitors to our hospital, and we’ll continue to have public tours through the next several months. But Covid caused us to totally rethink the process: what’s the best way to make sure you have a chance to see our turtles while keeping you and our staff safe? For those of you who have visited us in pre-Covid years, or if you’re coming...
Turtle Moms and turtle babies share the beach Although our turtle mamas are still technically “on the clock” with the official nesting season continuing through August it’s their babies that are moving into the spotlight. We’re hoping that our nest count keeps climbing to that hundred mark, but now with the impending pitter patter of tiny flippers on Topsail it’s time for a quick review...
Sea Turtle Hospital News Our nesting mamas continue to come ashore under the cover of darkness. But when our patients are ready to head in the opposite direction it’s in the daylight, on an outgoing tide. Last week two Kemp’s, “Njord” and “Shamrock” along with one of the few “spice girls” still in rehab, little green “Cumin” went home. Both Kemp’s had...
Acclaimed author of Topsail Island, Mayberry by the Sea, coming to Missiles and More Museum July 22, 1-3 p.m. TOPSAIL BEACH – The Historical Society of Topsail Island and the Missiles and More Museum will welcome Ray McAllister, author of Topsail Island, Mayberry by the Sea, in an event sponsored by Pender County Tourism. Accompanying McAllister on the book signing adventure is his daughter, Lindsay Zarse, a...
PENDER COUNTY – Tropical Storm Elsa will impact the Pender County region tomorrow and into Thursday evening, according to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service. “On its current track Tropical Storm Elsa has the potential to produce heavy rainfall, flooding, isolated tornadoes, and dangerous rip currents as early as Wednesday night through Thursday evening,” said Tommy Batson, Pender...
Sea Turtle Hospital News Unless you’ve literally retreated into your shell you know by now that our founder, Jean Beasley has officially retired after decades of devotion to our precious sea turtles. On June 12 several hundred hospital volunteers, beach program directors, family, friends and various dignitaries assembled under a huge tent on our hospital lawn to celebrate her “release.” Maybe it wasn’t...
African American Heritage Trail launched on Juneteenth Day BURGAW – A driving tour of the Pender County African American Heritage Trail was launched today. The trail encompasses all of Pender County and includes highlights such as Canetuck Community Center, a restored Rosenwald school, the community of Edgecombe’s Manhollow Missionary Baptist Church and Sloop Point School, Poplar Grove Plantation, which...
Sea Turtle Hospital News It was the better of times and the best of times. Last week seventeen totally rehabilitated turtles went home, a mix of loggerheads, greens and Kemp’s. Some of them spent years with us and some of them were short-timers. Xena, our Warrior Princess was transported to us by sobbing volunteers who were begging Jean to save her. She had quit breathing and was literally on death’s...
Word is out that our magnificent beaches are open and ready for visitors. The people who spent last year “going to Carolina in my mind” are now here in person, along with the most celebrated visitors to Topsail, our sea turtle mamas. Nesting season officially began on May 1 and will continue though the end of August. The people you see out bounding along the sand early in the mornings are our Topsail Turtle...
Burgaw – Pender County Tourism and Pender County Parks & Recreation announce the winners of the 2021 Pender County Nature Photography Contest. “The competition in the 2020 Nature Photography Contest was outstanding,” said Zachary White, Pender County Parks and Recreation supervisor. “Once again the 2021 contest had a large number of entries submitted with photos in each of the categories...
Sea Turtle Hospital News Back in 2006 when we were at our previous location in Topsail Beach one of our very favorite patients, a Kemp’s named “Dare” spent years working toward recovery, but unfortunately lost the fight. We tell every one of turtles when they are admitted that we promise to do our absolute best to make sure they get better and get to go home. Although we couldn’t walk Dare...
Sea Turtle Hospital News We really are back. We’ve completed our first month of Covid-restricted public tours and our guests have had nothing but compliments for our new process: on-line, prepaid ticketing with scheduled times. And to make your visit even more special it’s docent-led throughout the facility with groups of only twelve. Through May we will be open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 1-4 PM....
We’re back! When our Governor began to relax the Covid restrictions on occupancy we put our carefully crafted plan into action and our hospital is again open to the public. But there are a few things you’ll need to know before you come. If you’ve been to see us before, whether in our current location or our original hospital in Topsail Beach you know that our turtles attract multitudes of fans from...
Pender County Nature Photography Contest 2021 Pender County Nature Photography Contest Rules Eligibility The contest is open to the public with the following categories: Adult Amateur; Adult Professional; 15 and Under Amateur Youth Category. All photos must be taken in Pender County between June 2020 and April 2021. Photos can be of animals, plants, landscapes, scenery, and historic structures all within Pender...
Pender County Tourism and Pender County Parks & Recreation announce the 2021 Pender County Nature Photography Contest. The contest remains open to the public. Photos will be used in published materials giving credit to the photographers and locations along with prizes awarded for winners in each category. Photos can be of plants, animals, landscapes, scenery, and historic structures all within Pender County. Entries...
Currie, NC- - In honor of National Park Week, Moores Creek National Battlefield will be holding a Junior Ranger Day at the park from 10 am until 3 pm on Saturday, April 24. The event will feature both in-person events and virtual events on the park’s website ( www.nps.gov/mocr ). The event will begin with a ceremony conducted by the Stamp Defiance Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) at...
Sea Turtle Hospital News We’ve had a busy month. In addition to taking care of the forty-plus patients overwintering with us we’ve participated in a fund-raising art show in collaboration with Going Local in Mayfaire. And we’ve spent a lot of time, a lot of time planning on just how we can reopen for tours under Covid restrictions. “For the Love of Turtles” art show was a great success....
Sea Turtle Hospital News On March 17 everybody is Irish, at least Irish enough to wear something green, eat corned beef and cabbage and drink a brew that turns your tongue an odd color for the day. And we’re celebrating the month of March at the hospital by featuring three of our exceptional greens for adoption. Long-time patient “Canal” heads the list. Canal has been with us since 2015 after admission...
These Pender County CountOnMeNC businesses have taken additional training and implemented new procedures in light of COVID-19. These businesses have pledged to: Ensure staff wear cloth face coverings if they cannot keep six feet apart. Ensure safe sanitation practices are followed. Administer health checks to all staff prior to shift start. Make sure indoor and outdoor seating meets all physical distancing guidelines....
The Governor of North Carolina announced on February 24, 2021, that he is lifting the modified stay-at-home order, which included a curfew from 10 PM to 5 AM. Executive Order 195 signals the easing of restrictions in NC. Within the parameters of this order, our tourism businesses are open to visitors and community members with restrictions in place and recommendations on operating. This means that our food &...
Sea Turtle Hospital News Well, it was nice while it lasted. We should have known better than to think that those above-average temperatures would continue until spring. And if we thought for even one minute that this was maybe, just maybe the year we wouldn’t be seeing an influx of NC cold-stuns in late January and early February our hopes were just that - hopes. We recently admitted seven little greens, all...
