February / March 2021 Book Club
2021-03-27 10:30 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC, 28403, United States
Join us for our February/March CFRW Book Club Meeting! We are fortunate to be reading, A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness, another environmental book by David Gessner, a local author and Creative Writing Professor at UNCW.

Pomegranate Books will have copies of A Journey Through Theodore Roosevelt’s American Wilderness available for purchase, and CFRW Book Club members receive a 15% discount. This next meeting will be in-person and socially distanced with chairs 6ft apart outside of Pomegranate Books! (Please bring your own outdoor chair.) Book club was created and is facilitated by CFRW Board Member Chantay Allen.

April First Saturday Seminar
2021-04-03 09:00 - 11:00 | NC
Save the Date for our April First Saturday Seminar featuring Warren Darrell, who will talk about Climate Change Impacts in the Cape Fear Region

Warren Darrell lives in the Wilmington area, is an avid sea kayaker, monitors high-tide flooding with the North Carolina King Tide Project, volunteers with the North Carolina Coastal Reserve, and volunteers in Central America with the Ecologic Development Fund. He is a registered professional engineer with an M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Alabama, and an M.S. in Environmental Science from Montana State University.

Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kcO-rqDwvEtEpmMaakri7TKhOvQA2urph

April 2nd Saturday Cleanup - Medical Center Dr.
2021-04-10 09:00 - 11:00 | Medical Center Dr., 2300 Silver Stream Ln, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Our 2nd Saturday Cleanup series is back this Saturday April 10th from 9-11am! We will be cleaning up in the Greenfield Lake Watershed at Medical Center Dr. We will be cleaning up behind Bojangles and the Speedway gas station in small ditches and retention ponds. As always, we will provide pickers, bags, gloves, and buckets. Please remember to dress appropriately, wear sunscreen, wear your mask, and bring plenty of water! Parking is available along Silver Stream Ln (navigate to 2300 Silver Stream Ln). See you out there! Please register beforehand to increase social distancing efforts!

May First Saturday Seminar
2021-05-01 09:00 - 11:00 | Zoom and FB Live, NC, United States
Join Cape Fear River Watch and Special Guests to talk about PFAS (like GenX) from many perspectives including health, policy and community impact. Our esteemed guests will be: Toxicologist Dr. Jamie DeWitt, Clean Cape Fear’s Emily Donovan, Haw Riverkeeper Emily Sutton, NC Black Alliance’s La’Meshia Whittington, and filmmaker Elijah Yetter-Bowman.
May 1 from 9-11 AM via Zoom and FB Live. Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kcO-rqDwvEtEpmMaakri7TKhOvQA2urph?fbclid=IwAR2-eIVqUtqf3I3xMRmCrJXOl61P9iq9LjSCEAjWEXayRXntYxFYqBo0xBs
Special Guests:
La’Meshia Whittington- La’Meshia Whittingtonis a Professor in the Division of Sociology at Meredith College. She is also the Deputy Director for Advance Carolina and the Campaigns Director for the North Carolina Black Alliance. She is the co-convener of the NC Black & Brown Policy Network, former National Democracy Campaigner for Friends of the Earth, former Chairwoman of the FRENC Fund Administration, Founding member of Democracy Green, member of the Burke Women’s Fund in Western NC and the former NC spokesperson on fair courts for The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Professor Whittington leads the work on intersectional democracy and environmental justice, she was a co-author of NC Senate Bill 673, prioritizing environmentally contaminated communities-of-color in voting rights, and a co-author in several Pro-Democracy North Star legislation bills. Professor Whittington is a member of the NC PFAS Team anchoring AFFF legislation, and a convener of the Black Firefighters Fighting PFAS Collective. Professor Whittington has created and co-convened national, regional, and statewide tours and workshops on environmental justice, namely chemical contaminants, and dirty corporations. Professor Whittington continually works with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, DHHS and government agencies to ground community needs and strategies in alleviating health disparities in Black and Brown communities. Professor Whittington led the development of a statewide map to highlight the intersection of environmental justice contamination zones and the frequency in which they are located within gerrymandered Black majority voting districts. Professor Whittington is a community liaison for the National Academies of Science, Engineering & Medicine for the Guidance on PFAS Testing and Health Outcomes national study. She is a petitioner in two active petitions to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for more information: PFAS and 1,4 Dioxane. Professor Whittington is an Afro-Indigenous woman from North Carolina, hailing from a former environmental justice settlement: The Kingdom of the Happy Land. She received her education at Western Piedmont Community College and Meredith College.
Jamie Dewitt PhD, DABT- Jamie DeWitt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Her laboratory’s research program focuses on functional effects of environmental chemicals on the immune system and its interactions with the nervous system during development and adulthood. With respect to PFAS, Dr. DeWitt has published numerous primary research articles and review articles, two book chapters, and edited a book on their toxicity. Her laboratory is currently assessing the immunotoxicity of emerging PFAS that are of concern in NC.
Elijah Yetter-Bowman- Elijah is a documentary filmmaker and UNC graduate raised in Wilmington, NC with a passion for problem solving. For nearly four years he has been following the PFAS crisis, first inspired by the 2017 Star News article. His focus is fusing STEM and the arts to share complex ideas in simple ways.

Emily Sutton- Emily Sutton joined the staff of Haw River Assembly in 2016, managing citizen science projects to watchdog against sediment pollution and monitor the tributaries and main stem of the Haw River. As Riverkeeper, she is now leading the fight against pollution in the Haw River on many fronts, including emerging contaminants, Jordan Lake nutrients, and sediment pollution. Emily grew up paddling rivers in the Midwest, and moved to North Carolina to received her B.A at Appalachian State University in Sustainable Development, where she studied Agroecology, Watershed Ecology, and Outdoor Education. Emily lives in Chatham County, NC.
Emily Donovan- Emily is co-founder of Clean Cape Fear–a grassroots community group formed in 2017 in response to discovering DuPont/Chemours contaminating North Carolina’s air, soil, water, and food supply with toxic PFAS for over 40 years. Her work has helped elevate NC’s PFAS contamination crisis to the national stage. She has testified before Congress twice regarding PFAS contamination. She created a lobby day effort in Washington, DC for local community members and participated in a Washington Post Live panel discussion with actor Mark Ruffalo and lawyer Rob Bilott. She helped organize and co-host two screenings of the movie, Dark Waters, in Wilmington and Raleigh featuring special guest, Mark Ruffalo–both events resulted in NC’s Attorney General suing DuPont/Chemours for natural resource damages and NC’s General Assembly filing a historic amount of PFAS bills during the 2021-2022 legislative session. Locally, she helped secure reverse osmosis filling stations for 49 public schools impacted by PFAS contamination in Brunswick and New Hanover counties. She is a member of the leadership team for the National PFAS Contamination Coalition and sits on various community advisory boards and coalitions working to address PFAS contamination. She frequents Washington, DC and Raleigh, NC pressuring lawmakers and regulators for quicker responses to our growing PFAS public health crisis. Emily lives in Brunswick County with her husband, David, and boy/girl twins. She’s been a resident of Brunswick County since 2009.

May 2nd Saturday Cleanup - Burnt Mill Creek
2021-05-08 09:00 - 11:00 | Shirley Rd., 2000 Shirley Rd, Wilmington, NC, 28405, United States
Our 2nd Saturday Cleanup series with Keep New Hanover Beautiful is back on Saturday May 8th from 9-11am! We will be cleaning up Burnt Mill Creek based out of Shirley Rd. To arrive, navigate towards 2003 Shirley Rd and park along either Shirley or Klein. Volunteers will have the options of walking along the greenway that runs from Shirley Rd to Princess Place Dr. or paddling out for a water-based cleanup in Burnt Mill Creek or McCumber’s Ditch. We will provide boats, life vests, paddles, gloves, bags, pickers, and a good time. As always, remember to dress appropriately, wear your mask, and bring plenty of water. See you out there!
Please register beforehand!

May Community Cleanup
2021-05-22 09:00 - 11:00 | Leland – S. Navassa Rd, 158 S Navassa Rd, Leland, NC, 28451, United States
We’re partnering with the Town of Leland to host an additional cleanup this month! On the morning of Saturday, May 22nd from 9-11am we’ll be cleaning up an old junkyard near Sturgeon Creek. Remember to dress appropriately, wear your mask and sunscreen, and bring plenty of water. As always, we’ll provide pickers, bags, buckets, and gloves. Parking is available on-site on the grass along S. Navassa Rd. Navigate to 158 S Navassa Rd. See you out there!

April/May Book Club
2021-05-22 10:30 - 11:30 | Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC, 28403, United States
Join us for our April/May CFRW Book Club Meeting! This month we will be reading Susquehanna, River of Dreams by Susan Q. Stranahan. The Susquehanna River, which is one of the oldest rivers in the United States. It is also the 16th largest in the United States and- at 444 miles long- the longest river on the East Coast! Rich in natural history with that flows over rocks and feeds into Chesapeake Bay, this is sure to be an intriguing book to read!

Pomegranate Books will have copies of Susquehanna, River of Dreams by Susan Q. Stranahan available for purchase, and CFRW Book Club members receive a 15% discount. This next meeting will be in-person and socially distanced with chairs 6ft apart outside of Pomegranate Books! (Please bring your own outdoor chair.) Book club was created and is facilitated by CFRW Board Member Chantay Allen.

June First Saturday Seminar
2021-06-05 09:00 - 11:00 | Zoom and FB Live, NC, United States
Join Cape Fear River Watch and Bonnie Monteleone for her presentation, “Save Our Seas Save Ourselves”.
Bonnie Monteleone is the Executive Director and Director of Science, Research and Academic Partnerships for the Plastic Ocean Project based in Wilmington, NC. Her research engages citizen science with school-age children to university graduate students and to date has assisted over 100 UNCW students in Directed Independent Studies (DIS) on plastic related research projects. She co-created the course “Plastic Marine Debris Field Studies” at UNCW and has received several conservation awards for her innovative research and outreach on marine plastic pollution. She is a co-investigator on the NOAA funded research project “Microplastic ingestion in the Black Sea Bass, Centropristis striata.” She established the analytical feasibility study working with a US company that is turning plastics into fuel. Ms. Monteleone is also an accomplished artist who integrates the plastic she has collected from the world’s oceans (near 10,000 nm) into modern artistic masterpieces. In 2017 she received the Governors Award for Environmental Communication, received the 2019 YWCA Women of Achievement for her environmental work, and a NC Coastal Federation Pelican Award in 2019.
June 5 from 9-11 AM via Zoom and FB Live. Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kcO-rqDwvEtEpmMaakri7TKhOvQA2urph

Cape Fear River Watch Summer Celebration
2021-06-05 16:00 - 21:00 | Waterline Brewing Co, 721 Surry St, Wilmington, 28401, United States
Join us for a community gathering to celebrate Summer on Saturday, June 5th from 4-9pm at Waterline Brewing Co! We’re looking to have a fun gathering with local vendors, food trucks, community organizations, a raffle and more! Stay tuned for more information on vendors and raffle prizes. All are welcome! We hope to see you there!

Music: The Smoky Dunes
Food: Pepe’s Tacos
Vendors: Amalia Rose Ceramics, Plants for Progress, Bones Soap Co., MaggieB’s Home-Baked Treats & more!
Community: Northside Food Co-op, Plastic Ocean Project, Keep New Hanover Beautiful, New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District & more!
Raffle:Dinner for two at Chef Dean Neff’s new restaurant Seabird, an RO filtration system & installation from Whole Water Solutions, a paddling trip for six through the Three Sisters Swamp with Cape Fear River Adventures, & more!

June 2nd Saturday Cleanup - Great American Cleanup with KNHB
2021-06-12 09:00 - 11:00 | Kerr Ave Wetland, 4502 Fountain Dr, Wilmington
We’re changing it up a little bit for our cleanup coming up on Saturday, June 12th from 9-11am. While we always partner with Keep New Hanover Beautiful, next month’s partnership will look a little different, as June 12th is KNHB’s Great American Cleanup. As part of the Great American Cleanup, we have the opportunity for volunteers to register to receive a free cleanup kit, including a trash picker, a safety vest, a pair of gloves, a couple of trash bags and a scale. CFRW will be cleaning up the Kerr Ave Wetland located at 4502 Fountain Dr. You can read more about the cleanup and register for it here!
Feel welcome to join us following the cleanup at Wrightsville Beach Brewery to enjoy a celebratory beer! We are WBB’s 11% partner for the month of June, so 11% of proceeds from their beer of the month will be donated to CFRW!

Cargo District Cleanup
2021-07-11 17:00 - 18:00 | Crafted Outpost, 615 S 16th St Unit 120, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Cape Fear River Watch is excited to be partnering with Crafted Outpost to host a cleanup after their Consciously Curated Crafted Market. The market will take place from 12pm-4pm. The cleanup is scheduled to take place afterwards from 5pm-6pm. We will focus the cleanup on Castle Street. To arrive, head towards the intersection of Queen Street and 17th Street. Parking will be available in the gravel lot next to Crafted Outpost. Additional parking can be found in streetside spots along either Queen Street or Castle Street. Volunteers will be walking westbound on either side of Castle Street. We will provide gloves, bags, pickers, and safety vests. Please remember to dress appropriately and bring some water. We hope to see you there!
Please register beforehand using this form, thanks!

June/July Book Club
2021-07-24 10:30 - 11:30 | Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC, 28403, United States
Join us for our June/July CFRW Book Club Meeting! This month we will be reading Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner. This book, which tells the story of a major Western drought, water rights, and a rivalry between the Bureau of Reclamation and the US Army Corps of Engineers, was recommended by one of our book club members! Cadillac Desert is considered advocacy journalism and was a finalist for a National Book Critic’s Circle Award that inspired an award-winning documentary.

Pomegranate Books will have copies of Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner available for purchase, and CFRW Book Club members receive a 15% discount. This next meeting will be in-person and socially distanced with chairs 6ft apart outside of Pomegranate Books! (Please bring your own outdoor chair.) Book club was created and is facilitated by CFRW Board Member Chantay Allen.

Riverfront Amphitheater Cleanup
2021-08-01 08:45 - 11:00 | Riverfront Park, 10 Cowan St, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Cape Fear River Watch and Island Wildlife – Cape Fear Region are excited to partner together for this cleanup at the Riverfront Park and surrounding downtown area on Sunday! Thanks to this partnership, the cleanup will also be a Trees4Trash event. That means that as a volunteer, your impact is doubled: for every 25 pounds of trash that you pick up, Trees4Trash will plant a tree to promote healthy wildlife habitat, mitigate climate change, and buffer storm water runoff and sediment load in waterways.

The cleanup will also be supported by Keep New Hanover Beautiful and Plastic Ocean Project! Thank you!

For the cleanup, here’s what you need to know:

Meeting time: 8:45am. Please sign in with CFRW and with Island Wildlife!
Start time: 9am
Duration: We’re anticipating a maximum of two hours
Address: 10 Cowan St.
Parking: Street parking
Look for: CFRW & Island Wildlife tent & sign-in table, cleanup signs & feather flag. We’ll be staging the cleanup from the amphitheater itself.
What we’re cleaning up: Amphitheater, surrounding city blocks, storm drains, river walk, overflowing trash cans, and potentially in the marsh grasses under the boardwalk (if safe and feasible). We will have some maps available of different areas of downtown to hit.
We provide: Pickers, gloves, safety vests, bags, and water (please bring a reusable bottle). We hope to have enough supplies for everyone present, but if you have any cleanup supplies of your own, please bring them!
Please bring: Sunscreen, hat, & water bottle

If you have any questions feel free to email Rob at rob@cfrw.us
Please register beforehand using this form: https://cfrw.app.neoncrm.com/eventReg.jsp?event=6271&

August First Saturday Seminar
2021-08-07 09:00 - 11:00 | Online, NC, United States
Join us for our final ZOOM First Saturday Seminar featuring Dr. Peter Schumann for his talk “Anglers’ Willingness to Pay for Recreational Catch Improvements in the Cape Fear River”.
This seminar will take place on August 7th from 9am to 11am. Dr. Peter Schumann is a Professor of Economics at UNCW and earned his PhD in economics from NC State with field concentrations in environmental economics and statistics. His primary area of research is the non-market valuation of environmental goods and services, largely focused on coastal and marine resources and tourism in NC and the Caribbean. Dr. Schumann’s work includes consultancies with various national and international organizations and he has authored/coauthored more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and technical reports.
Register beforehand here!

August 2nd Saturday Cleanup
2021-08-14 09:00 - 11:00 | Railroad Tracks 3rd-17th, 811 Martin St, Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
After a month off, it’s time to get back at it! CFRW will be partnering with Keep New Hanover Beautiful, hosting our monthly second Saturday cleanup on August 14th from 9-11am.

We are going to focus our efforts on the Greenfield Lake Watershed by cleaning up the railroad tracks that run from 3rd to 17th St. The railroad tracks, the roadway, and the storm drains will all need to be cleaned.

There is potential for some of our houseless community members to be in the area of our cleanup. Please be respectful of their space and belongings. If you see something that may be someone’s personal belongings, please leave it be.

The address will lead you to the Good Shepherd Center. Please don’t park in their parking lot – rather, park on either 8th St or Martin St. Look for the CFRW cleanup signs!

We will provide pickers, bags, safety vests, gloves, and a good time. We will need some volunteers to clean up the interior of the ditch. So if you have your waders or tall rubber boots, bring them! As always remember to dress appropriately, bring sunscreen, and water. We hope to see you out there!

Please register in advance!

International Coastal Cleanup
2021-09-11 09:00 - 11:00 | Greenfield Lake Boathouse, 302 Willard St., Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Save the date for this year’s International Coastal Cleanup, a project of the Ocean Conservancy that engages people to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways. Cape Fear River Watch and Keep New Hanover Beautiful are teaming up with other local nonprofits and businesses to host cleanup sites all throughout New Hanover County. Partners include our local chapter of Surfrider, the Wilmington Yoga Center, and more!

Cape Fear River Watch will be based out of the Greenfield Lake Boathouse, and volunteers will be able to clean up either on land or by boat. As always, we’ll supply all the supplies you need except water and sunscreen! Check out our FB event for updated information.

Please register beforehand.

September Third Saturday Paddle: Rice Creek
2021-09-18 08:00 - 14:00 | NC
Rice Creek paddle will be relatively easy – approximately 5 miles, quiet shaded, and should take about 3 hours to complete. We will put in and take out at the WRC ramp on Rice Creek in Brunswick County. A map from CFRW to the put-in can be found HERE. You can put your address in box A and get directions from your house if you prefer to meet us at the put in.
This paddle is BYOB (Bring Your Own Boat!).
Paddlers can meet at the Cape Fear River Watch headquarters where we will meet to caravan, or meet up with the caravan at the put in location. We will meet at CFRW headquarters at 7:30 am for an 8:00am departure. Those meeting us at the put in should be there by 8:15. All paddlers should wear a PFD. Other items to remember include sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, water, snack and water shoes if you would like to explore the beaches where oyster shells are present.
To help River Watch continue to bring you great programs like our Paddle Series and Educational Seminars, we ask you make a $10 donation either online with your registration or by bringing cash or check to the paddle on Saturday. If you need help the day of the paddle please call Kemp at 910-264-8036. Conditions may change in the period leading up to the paddle. Please check your email the night before and the morning of the paddle to ensure that the paddle has not been cancelled.
Please register beforehand here: https://cfrw.app.neoncrm.com/eventReg.jsp?event=6582&

Aug/Sept Book Club
2021-09-25 10:30 - 12:00 | Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC, 28403, United States
Join us at 10:30am on Saturday, September 25, to discuss our August/September pick at Pomegranate Books!
Our August/September 2021 book is Moving To Higher Ground: Rising Sea Level and the Path Forward written by John Englander, a renowned oceanographer and expert on climate change and sea level rise. Climate change is a controversial topic among those who doubt it and those who refuse to deny it. Moving To Higher Ground discusses the facts about the rising sea level and how excess heat in our oceans contributes to the ongoing problem that is affecting coastal communities around the globe. Copies will be available to CFRW Book Club Members for 15% OFF at Pomegranate Books!
Our next meeting is weather permitting. Due to COVID-19 social gathering restrictions, we will be meeting outside, and chairs will need to be spaced at least 6ft apart.

November 1st Saturday Seminar
2021-11-06 08:30 - 10:30 | NC
Presented by Brayton Willis, Chairman of the North Carolina Gullah Geechee Greenway/Blueway Heritage Trail Project for the Brunswick County Branch of the NAACP.

Stretching nearly 500 miles along the coast of Florida to North Carolina, the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor footprint was established in 2006 by Congress as a National Historic Area so that members of the public would be encouraged to explore its culturally historic sites and celebrate the story of the Gullah Geechee people.

This corridor allows local communities to preserve, protect and celebrate the Gullah Geechee heritage in a wide variety of ways. The presentation will highlight the efforts of the Brunswick County NAACP to establish a North Carolina Gullah Geechee Greenway/Blueway Heritage Trail along the west side of the Cape Fear River. Beginning in February 2020, this effort has been gaining support from local governments, private foundations, and local citizens. The new greenway/ blueway footprint is roughly 30 miles long and reaches from Navassa to Southport.

Brayton strongly believes that preservation, protection and celebration our historical, cultural, and natural resources are foundational to our community’s “sense of place”.

This seminar will be hosted on Zoom & FB Live. Please register beforehand for Zoom here.

November 2nd Saturday Cleanup
2021-11-13 09:00 - 11:00 | Railroad at N 30th St., 2929 Princess Place Dr., Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
Cape Fear River Watch is excited to partner with Keep New Hanover Beautiful for our Second Saturday Cleanup on November 13th! The cleanup will take place in the Smith Creek Watershed at the intersection of Princess Place Dr. and Evans St from 9:00am-11:00am. We will be heading East and West along the railroad tracks. Parking is available at 2929 Princess Pl Dr, Wilmington, NC 28405. Just look for the CFRW cleanup signs! CFRW will provide pickers, bags, gloves, and safety vests. As always remember to dress appropriately and bring water. We hope to see you out there!
Please register beforehand!

2021 Annual Membership Meeting
2021-11-14 16:00 - 18:00 | Online, NC, United States
Please feel welcome to attend our annual membership meeting! All River Watch members or people interested in joining are welcome. We will provide a year in review, and then CFRW members will vote on the 2022 Board of Directors.

Please register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYpc-qprD4iEt15E6KmPGi6WUxg9CoYYU5i
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Oct/Nov Book Club
2021-11-20 10:30 - 11:30 | Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC, 28403, United States
Northland: A 4,000-Mile Journey Along America’s Forgotten Border by Porter Fox

“America’s northern border is the world’s longest international boundary, yet it remains obscure even to Americans. The northern border was America’s primary border for centuries―much of the early history of the United States took place there―and to the tens of millions who live and work near the line, the region even has its own name: the northland.

Travel writer Porter Fox spent three years exploring 4,000 miles of the border between Maine and Washington, traveling by canoe, freighter, car, and foot. In Northland, he blends a deeply reported and beautifully written story of the region’s history with a riveting account of his travels. Setting out from the easternmost point in the mainland United States, Fox follows explorer Samuel de Champlain’s adventures across the Northeast; recounts the rise and fall of the timber, iron, and rail industries; crosses the Great Lakes on a freighter; tracks America’s fur traders through the Boundary Waters; and traces the forty-ninth parallel from Minnesota to the Pacific Ocean. Fox, who grew up the son of a boat-builder in Maine’s northland, packs his narrative with colorful characters (Captain Meriwether Lewis, railroad tycoon James J. Hill, Chief Red Cloud of the Lakota Sioux) and extraordinary landscapes (Glacier National Park, the Northwest Angle, Washington’s North Cascades). He weaves in his encounters with residents, border guards, Indian activists, and militia leaders to give a dynamic portrait of the northland today, wracked by climate change, water wars, oil booms, and border security.”

Our next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, November 20, 2021…10:30AM outside at Pomegranate Books (Weather Permitting). Due to COVID-19 social gathering restrictions, chairs will need to be spaced at least 6ft apart.

CFRW Book Club members receive a 15% discount at Pomegranate Books (910) 452-1107.

Giving Tuesday 2021
2021-11-30 00:00 - 23:30 | Online, NC, United States
Join Cape Fear River Watch in celebrating Giving Tuesday! Our staff, board, interns, and volunteers have been hard at work all year long protecting our river, and we count on YOUR support to continue our efforts for years to come.
This year your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $5000 thanks to a generous donation from the Orton Foundation! Show your support here: https://cfrw.app.neoncrm.com/donation.jsp?campaign=82&

December 1st Saturday Seminar
2021-12-04 09:00 - 10:00 | Online, NC, United States
December 1st Saturday Seminar: Team Effort to Clean Up Greenfield Lake!

Our December 1st Saturday Seminar will feature 5 speakers who will present on the Jumping Run Branch nutrient reduction project on Greenfield Lake!

Our speakers will share highlights on the project including an introduction to the issue, a summary of the work accomplished thus far, a look to the future, and very importantly, how regular citizens can get involved in reducing stormwater pollution!!

Please register for Zoom beforehand: https://us02web.zoom.us/…/tZIpdu6rrTwoH9wlZDbO0OA4TqOem…

SPEAKER BIOS:

– Dr. Mike Mallin
Dr. Michael Mallin is an aquatic ecologist with an M.S. in limnology from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in marine and estuarine biology from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, and is currently Research Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Center for Marine Science. His research interests include analyzing the impacts of land use practices on water quality, the study of nutrient loading on estuaries, rivers and streams, impacts of green development practices and BMPs on pollution mitigation, the environmental effects of catastrophic weather events, impacts of human and animal waste pollution on watersheds, and water quality management issues. He has authored or coauthored over 100 peer-reviewed papers and 135 book chapters, and technical reports on the ecology and pollution of freshwater, estuarine, and coastal marine systems. Dr. Mallin was a 2001 Aldo Leopold Environmental Leadership Fellow, and he is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2007). He served as President of the Southeastern Estuarine Research Society from 2004-2006 President of the North Carolina Lake Management Society from 2018-2019.

– Amber Ellis
Amber hails from the NC mountains, but has made a new home on the coast since 2015. She recently earned her M.S. from the Biological and Agricultural Engineering department of NC State University, working with Bill Hunt and the Stormwater Engineering Research Group. She now works as an Extension Associate with that research group managing projects in the southeastern portion of the state.

– Dr. Larry Cahoon
Dr. Larry Cahoon is Professor of Biology and Marine Biology at UNC Wilmington and teaches courses in Biological Oceanography, Limnology, and Coastal Ocean Science and Policy (the latter w/Dr. Mike Mallin). His research interests include a broad range of water quality issues in addition to basic research in coastal ocean, estuarine and freshwater ecosystems. He has won UNCW’s Faculty Scholarship, Graduate Mentor, Distinguished Teaching Professorship, and Senior Distinguished Scholarly Engagement and Public Service awards, in addition to the NC League of Conservation Voters’ Catalyst Award for his work with the GenX issue. He is currently in his 40th year of service at UNCW.

– Dana Sargent
Dana earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from San Diego State University, and a Master of Science in Environmental Sciences & Policy from The Johns Hopkins University. She worked in communications for a large nonprofit out of D.C. for 13 years and moved to Wilmington in 2013 with the intention of transforming her career to align with her passion for the environment. She began volunteering throughout the community and writing freelance and was soon invited to chair the CFRW advocacy committee, before being elected to the Board of Directors. Cape Fear River Watch then hired her to manage an outreach campaign on water quality issues including GenX and industrial agriculture. She is honored to have been hired in January 2019 to serve as the Executive Director at this small organization that does huge things. She loves music and her two magnificent daughters.

December/January Book Club
2022-01-22 10:30 - 12:30 | Pomegranate Books, 4418 Park Ave, Wilmington, NC, 28403, United States
The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water by Charles Fishman

“The Big Thirst brilliantly explores our strange and complex relationship to water. We delight in watching waves roll in from the ocean; we take great comfort from sliding into a hot bath; and we will pay a thousand times the price of tap water to drink our preferred brand of the bottled version. We love water—but at the moment, we don’t appreciate it or respect it. Just as we’ve begun to reimagine our relationship to food, a change that is driving the growth of the organic and local food movements, we must also rethink how we approach and use water. The good news is that we can. As Fishman shows, a host of advances are under way, from the simplicity of harvesting rainwater to the brilliant innovations devised by companies such as IBM, GE, and Royal Caribbean that are making impressive breakthroughs in water productivity. Knowing what to do is not the problem. Ultimately, the hardest part is changing our water consciousness.

As Charles Fishman writes, ‘Many civilizations have been crippled or destroyed by an inability to understand water or manage it. We have a huge advantage over the generations of people who have come before us, because we can understand water and we can use it smartly.’ The Big Thirst will forever change the way we think about water, about our essential relationship to it, and about the creativity we can bring to ensuring that we’ll always have plenty of it.”

Our next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 10:30AM outside at Pomegranate Books (Weather Permitting). Due to COVID-19 social gathering restrictions, chairs will need to be spaced at least 6ft apart.

CFRW Book Club members receive a 15% discount at Pomegranate Books (910) 452-1107.

February First Saturday Seminar
2022-02-05 09:00 - 11:00 | Online, NC, United States
Speaker: Dawn York, Senior Coastal Planner with Moffatt & Nichol and Cape Fear River Partnership Coordinator
Topic: Update of Lock & Dam #1 Rock Arch Rapid Modification
Zoom Link to Register – https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMocO6rrz8vGdZ0dkEDPIAderYqRZTpJbFj

February Second Saturday Cleanup
2022-02-12 09:00 - 11:00 | Crossroads Center, 894-1 S Kerr Ave, Wilmington, 28403
Cape Fear River Watch is excited to announce our February Second Saturday Cleanup! February’s cleanup will be located in two separate locations. The first will be the drainage easement that runs behind Crossroads Center and Wilmington Brewing. The second location will be the southern continuation of that easement that runs behind Jackson BBQ. We will all meet at a central staging location which will be located at the parking lot of Crossroads Center. 894-1 S Kerr Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403 should get you to the right location.

This cleanup will be a special one as it will be in part of a larger week of action put on by the NC Plastics Waste Reduction Coalition to push an executive order that calls for the governor to reduce unnecessary single use plastics within state institutions. As many of you know, we find a lot of plastic at our cleanups. We want to bring that to the attention of our leadership at the state level, so we will be collecting a bit of data this go around! It will be pretty straightforward, just a data sheet and pen are needed! CFRW will be providing gloves, pickers, safety vests, bags, data sheets, and pens.

If anyone has waterproof knee boots please bring them: we will need some people to walk through the center of the ditch which typically has standing water in it. Please remember to dress warmly!

Since Covid cases are on the rise we will be trying to implement practices that allow for social distancing. Please keep this in mind when attending the event and do your best to respect others around you. Since this is an outdoor event and we will be able to practice social distancing, masks are not required. We do recommend that you bring yours so you have the ability to wear one if needed.

We hope to see you there! If you have any questions feel free to reach out to Rob via email at rob@cfrw.us. We hope to see you out there!
Please register beforehand here: https://cfrw.app.neoncrm.com/eventReg.jsp?event=7303&

Disaster & Travel & Wilderness First Aid Certification Course
2022-03-05 08:00 - 2022-03-06 19:00 | Carolina Beach State Park, 1010 State Park Road, Carolina Beach, NC, 28428, United States
Walkabout Outfitter &
MEDIC Solo Disaster + Wilderness Medicine School
are hosting a

Disaster+Travel+Wilderness First Aid certification course
on
March 5-6th, 2022
in Carolina Beach State Park

LEARN HOW to SAVE LIFE and LIMB in a
-Wilderness area-rural area (not near a hospital)

-disaster site or
-travel anywhere

This is a great course for anyone who ventures outdoors, travels, or wants to help in case of an emergency during a disaster!

>> TIMING: These are a 2 day class. 8:00am to 7:00pm both days.

>> FEE: $225 (note: another organization in the region charges $305. You save $80 thanks in part to GOPC’s sponsorship of the class.)

WHY: Mired in a disaster zone, travel or rural area far from a hospital, or natural area miles from an access point … accidents, destructive weather, and terrorism happen, and all-too-often members of a group are not capable of dealing with the emergency. This leads to improper care of the patient, and endangers the entire group. Many recreational accidents are preventable, and improper care of trauma can compound even simple injuries. Very few first aid programs actually address the issues of providing emergency care in a setting where 911 is overwhelmed or not immediately reachable. In this course, classroom instruction and Q&A are interwoven with practical work and problem-solving exercises. Hands-on experience – a most powerful learning tool – during scenarios comprise ~50% of class. You come away with actual do-it-yourself care-giving confidence. Satisfaction guaranteed.OVERVIEW:
-No prerequisites
-For adults and focused teens. Know your loved ones are safe wherever they are.
-Hands-on learn how to care for an injured / ill person during the critical minutes or hours before ambulance / hospital arrival
-Blend of classroom instruction & hands-on rescue scenario practice
-Approved by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Girl Scouts of the USA, American Camping Association (ACA), University of Virginia (100% reimbursement for certain academic employees), and more
-2-year SOLO WFA certification
-Counts as recertification for WFA, AWFA, WFR and wilderness part of W-EMT

TOPICS:-Beyond the ‘golden hour’: wilderness/remote travel/disaster-delayed EMS arrival injury challenges and long-term patient care
-Patient Assessment System: thorough patient examination, treatment, monitoring, safety, and documentation
-Orthopedic Injuries and Treatment: Sprains, Strains, Fractures, and Spinal Cord Management
-Circulatory System Form and Function: Heart, Blood, Blood Vessels, Lungs, Brain
-Soft Tissue Injuries and Wound Treatment: Contusions, Abrasions, Lacerations, Flap Avulsions, Amputation, Punctures, Impalements,
-Bites, Stings, Blisters, Burns, and Infections
-Environmental Injuries and Treatment: Cold, Heat, Dehydration and Wilderness Survival
-Medical Emergencies and Critical Care: Shock, Allergies, Shortness of Breath, Brain Problems, and Heart Problems
-Patient movement: spinal cord precautions and clearing; pre- and post-evacuation treatment
-International Travel: preparing & packing for safe travel, problem prevention before and during travel, and identification & treatment of many travel illnesses – presented in a special hand-out for those who indicate interest.
Instructor: Matthew Rosefsky, Geo Medic, Wilderness EMT, CERT, MRC, and SOLO Instructor-Trainer; or a top-notch, highly-qualified expert Matt personally trained.
Course INFO, ONLINE REGISTRATION, other locations & dates:

http://www.solowfa.com/
A fully completed registration and payment will reserve your spot in the class. Feel free to contact courses@solowfa.com with questions…

March First Saturday Seminar
2022-03-05 09:00 - 11:00 | Online, NC, United States
March is Fish Consumption Month! Join us for our March First Saturday Seminar on Saturday, March 5th at 9:00 am via Zoom. Our presenters will share a summary of toxins found in fish and crabs in the Cape Fear River, including mercury, arsenic, chromium, and PCBs, and will discuss how those levels were used to determine fish consumption advisories for our area. We will also share updates from our community stakeholder partnership in advancing the Stop! Check! Enjoy! Campaign during the month of March and beyond.
Speakers
– Mozhgon Rajaee – Assistant Professor of Public Health at Oakland University
– Abigail Joyce – Research Scientist and Manager of the Analytical Chemistry Core with Duke University Superfund Research Center
-Veronia Carter – Town of Leland Councilmember
– Introduction by Chiara Klein, Program Coordinator for Community Engagement with Duke University Superfund Research Center
Zoom link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMlfuChqjIpGd1tWxcXhnLjE-6GBsll8MKv
Dr. Mozhgon Rajaee is an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Oakland University in Michigan. She holds a Master of Science and a Master of Public Health and a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on environmental health and justice issues.
Dr. Abbey Joyce is a Research Scientist at Duke University where she is the manager of the Analytical Chemistry Core for Duke’s Superfund Research Center. Her research focuses on measuring and understanding environmental contaminants, notably PFAS.
Veronica Carter is a former Civil Servant (International and US) and retired Army officer with over 39 years’ experience in managing complex logistics operations, often under austere conditions. Veronica has served on the Board of Directors for Cape Fear and Brunswick County’s Habitat for Humanity affiliates and Town of Leland’s Parks and Recreation Board. In addition she serves on the Duke Superfund Advisory Board and was instrumental in starting the Brunswick County Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), the County’s Long-Term Recovery Group. Veronica has devoted much of her time to ensuring Environmental Justice by empowering, advocating, and educating EJ communities in southeastern NC.
The Governor of North Carolina appointed Veronica to the Coastal Resources Commission, from 2008 through 2012 and she currently serves on the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality Secretary’s Environmental Justice and Equity Board. She is a native of Brooklyn, New York and received her BA in Political Science from Fordham University and her MPA from Troy State University. She is a graduate of the United States Army’s Command and General Staff College.
In November 2019, Veronica was elected, and is currently serving as a Councilmember for the Town of Leland, North Carolina.

CleanUp GreenUp!
2022-03-13 09:00 - 12:00 | Bellevue Cemetery, Princess Place Dr., Wilmington, NC, 28401, United States
UPDATE: We have changed the date of the event to SUNDAY, MARCH 13th due to inclement weather on the 12th. We hope to see you on Sunday at 9am at Bellevue Cemetery!

We are so excited for our “CleanUp, GreenUp” event on Saturday, March 12th! Meet us at Bellevue Cemetery at 9am for a kickoff and greeting.

Based out of the Bellevue Cemetery, we will coordinate our efforts to beautify this part of downtown Wilmington through a trash cleanup and native tree planting!

We will have over 100 native and fruiting trees to plant! Please bring your own gloves if you have them.

Volunteers interested in the cleanup portion specifically will then need to make their way over to Rankin St (navigate to 13th and Rankin). Parking will be available along the street. We will be focusing on McCumbers Ditch as well as the easement area that runs alongside it. The tide should be approaching low while we are out there so if you have waders or muck boots, those would be much appreciated. We will provide pickers, gloves, safety vests, and bags. It may be a bit cold in the morning so make sure to dress appropriately. We hope to see you out there! If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Rob at rob@cfrw.us.
Please register beforehand for this event here: https://cfrw.app.neoncrm.com/eventReg.jsp?event=7308&
