Cape Fear River Watch

1st Saturday Seminar - Magnificent Rescue: Protecting Biodiversity at Ecosystem Scale
2023-01-07 08:00 - 10:30 (America/New_York) | Cape Fear River Watch Headquarters, 617 Surry Street, Wilmington, NC, 28405, United States
Speaker: Andy Wood
Topic: Magnificent Rescue: Protecting Biodiversity at Ecosystem Scale
Cape Fear River swamps and other wetland habitats are imperiled by river dredging, the wood pellet industry, and an expanding ocean. This engaging program explores the environmental challenges our species must meet head-on for the sake of future generations—ecologically, economically, and politically—with attention to protecting the living nuts and bolts holding-together our Starship life-support system.
About the speaker:Andy Wood is a biologist and conservation educator. His career includes 12 years as Education Curator with the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher and 11 years as State Education Director with the National Audubon Society. As director of Coastal Plain Conservation Group, Andy is focused on preventing unfettered habitat loss and extinction of southeast North Carolina plants and wildlife. Andy is otherwise an environmental consultant with his wife Sandy’s company, Habitats Gardens, LLC.
Note: Pre-registration not required. In-person only. Coffee and pancakes at 8am, presentation begins at 9am. The recording will be available online within the next couple of weeks.

1st Saturday Seminar - Bird Atlasing in NC
2023-02-04 08:00 - 10:30
Speaker: John Carpenter
Topic: Bird Atlasing in NC
The NC Bird Atlas, now in its third year, is a project that maps bird distribution and abundance through bird observations. Come out to learn about the NC Bird Atlas, its function, and how you can get involved. Learn about priority blocks and where you can find additional resources on atlasing. Great if you are new to birding, or an experienced birder who wants to contribute to the Atlas.
About the speaker: John Carpenter has worked as a Wildlife Biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission for the past 13 years. He received a M.S. in Plant and Soil Science from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Note: Pre-registration not required. In-person only. Coffee and pancakes at 8am, presentation begins at 9am. The recording will be available online the following week.

1st Saturday Seminar - Oysters
2023-03-04 08:00 - 10:00
Speaker: James Hargrove, Owner of Middle Sound Mariculture
Topic: Oysters
8:00 am – Doors open for coffee and pancakes
9:00 am – Seminar begins
Note: Pre-registration not required. In-person only. Coffee and pancakes at 8am, presentation begins at 9am. The recording will be available online the following week.

1st Saturday Seminar - Cooking the GOOS: Salinity, sea level rise and the oceans
2023-04-01 08:00 - 10:00
Speaker: Dr. Frederick Bingham, professor in the Department of Physics & Physical Oceanography and Center for Marine Science at UNCW
Topic: Salinity, sea level rise and the oceans. Join us as Dr. Frederick Bingham will be talking about some of the ways that the ocean is observed, including in situ (wet) instruments, tide gauges and satellites relating them to how we observe and understand sea level rise. He will also talk about salinity, how it is defined and measured, how it is changing globally and how it is being monitored (or really not) in the Cape Fear River.
Bio: Dr. Frederick Bingham has been a professor in the Department of Physics & Physical Oceanography and Center for Marine Science at UNCW for almost 30 years (29). He has a PhD in Oceanography from the University of California San Diego, and a Masters degree in Computer Science and Information Systems from UNCW. He has held previous positions at Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Fred has spent his career studying the circulation of the oceans at large scales, their interaction with the atmosphere, their role in the climate, and the importance of ocean salinity in all of that. He has over 50 published papers in the field and his research has been funded by NASA as a member of their Ocean Salinity Science Team since 2009.
8:00 am – Doors open for coffee and pancakes
9:00 am – Seminar begins
Note: Pre-registration not required. In-person only. Coffee and pancakes at 8am, presentation begins at 9am. The recording will be available online the following week.

February First Saturday Seminar
2026-02-07 08:00 - 10:30
We will hear from New Hanover County’s first Sustainability Manager, Madelyn Wampler. Madelyn will provide an overview of the county’s recently completed sustainability assessment (click here to read). She will highlight key findings, ongoing initiatives, and opportunities to strengthen environmental stewardship and resilience across New Hanover County.
Be sure to arrive early to warm up with complimentary pancakes and coffee, plus the chance to meet our spring interns!

March 2026 Seminar - What's Happening with the GenX Exposure Study
2026-03-07 09:00 - 10:30
For our next installment in our seminar series, we will hear a much-anticipated update on the GenX Exposure Study from Dr. Jane Hoppin. Dr. Hoppin is a professor at N.C. State University and the principal investigator of the study. She will provide a summary of the study’s findings to-date and discuss future plans for the project. The GenX Exposure Study first began in 2017 to measure the blood levels of PFAS in Wilmington residents. Since that time, it has grown into a long-term health study with more than 1,000 participants throughout the Cape Fear River Basin.
Be sure to arrive early to secure a seat and warm up with complimentary pancakes and coffee, courtesy of our spring interns!

April First Saturday Seminar
2026-04-04 08:00 - 10:30
The state’s oldest history museum, founded in 1898, the Cape Fear Museum focuses on the history, science, and culture of the Lower Cape Fear region. Museum Director Kate Baillon will give us an exclusive preview of the state-of-the-art exhibits and experiences coming to the museum’s new Grace St. campus this summer, including a planetarium, education space, and much more.

Be sure to join us before the seminar at 8 a.m. to warm up with free coffee and pancakes!

Please note: our front door is currently out of use due to renovations, please follow the signs and use our side door for seminar entry!
