August 2007 The Shoreline Page 3
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Kitty Hawk Worth the Trip
By Cierra Tomaso
Volunteers (front to back) Tori, Veda, and Ned Moore help to relocate nest # 1
Turtle Time - Moving Nest One
By Peggy Sagmiller
There are now three Loggerhead sea
turtle nests in Pine Knoll Shores! Nest #2
was discovered June 7 by Bill Steenland.
Nest #3 was also found on June 7 by
Barbara Gaunt and Mary Anne Hotham.
Both these nests are high on the beach
out of danger from flooding or overwash
- except in the case of a hurricane.
Nest #1 was unfortunately laid close
to the high tide line. Less than a week
old, it was inundated by the high tides of
Tropical Storm Barry. Two weeks later
it was severely overwashed by high tides
due to a full moon. An escarpment had
formed less than a foot from the nest,
threatening to undercut it and wash the
contents out to sea.
Hoping that the nest was still viable, we
asked permission to move it. In the past,
permission has been denied due to an
on-going study on Bogue Banks relating
to sea turtles and beach replenishment.
However, permission to move Nest
#1 was granted on Saturday, June 16,
by Matthew Godfrey, head sea turtle
biologist for North Carolina. With help
from volunteer Ned Moore and family.
Nest #1 was relocated to a higher location
at the base of the dunes.
If you think flying is exciting, then
the Wright Brothers National Memorial
is for you! This article is a tour of that
memorial.
First, there's a Visitors Center. One room
has a model of one of the gliders. In that
same room, on the day I was there, they
were having a talk on the Wright brothers.
There is also a little museum with pictures
and descriptions about various events
involving the Wright Brothers. Of course,
there's a nice gift shop. Outside 1 saw the
monumental spot where the first flight
took off. Up ahead were replicas of the
workshops where the flying machines
were built.
Then, and this is my favorite part, 1
saw this huge hill with a winding path.
A bit daunting, 1 have to say. OK, a lot
daunting! 1 mean, this is no bunny hill!
One member of our group decided to
drop out. I hiked slowly up the hill to the
memorial at the top.
It was worth the hike. A cliff crumbled
off on one side. The view was awesome. I
could see the entire town and then some!
The memorial had two busts of the Wright
Brothers, and a massive pyramid. When
we climbed down, a few tents contained a
museum. It showed all you need to know
about the Wright Brothers. If you go there,
you will never need another biography
about Orville and Wilbur Wright.
So that's the Wright Brothers National
Memorial. Visit it in Kitty Hawk, or on
the web at http://www.nps.gov/wrbr. 1
hope you visit the memorial someday, if
you haven't already. So pack your bags
and "fly" over there!
Atlantic House
Set to Break Ground
By Charlie McBriarty
Moving a sea turtle nest is a delicate
procedure. Within hours after having
been laid, the turtle embryo attaches
itself to the inside of the shell. If the
egg is turned over, or changed from its
original orientation, the embryo will
detach and die. Also, as the sex of a sea
turtle is determined by temperature, the
warmer eggs at the top and center of the
nest would become females, while the
cooler temperatures at the bottom of the
nest would produce males. The eggs must
therefore be placed in their new man-made
nest in the same places they came out of
in their original nest.
The new nest is dug to about the same
depth as the original. It is then fashioned
by hand into a flask shape and lined with
sand from the original nest. This sand
contains whatever is left of protective
mucus secreted by the mother turtle as
the eggs are laid. The new nest is filled,
reburied, and marked. We wait and hope.
If even one egg hatches, the work will
have been worth it.
Because Nest #1 was relocated, it will
not be included in the on-going Bogue
Banks study.
The successful conclusion of the
construction fundraising phase means
that the permanent home of Atlantic
House will become a reality in the
immediate future. Groundbreaking
for the new "Clubhouse" is anticipated
early next month. The new home will be
located on the north side of Bridges St.
between the Onslow Carteret Behavioral
Health-Mental Health facility and Longley
Supply Co.
Tlie $650,000 construction fundraising
phase, initiated three years ago, was
successfully completed this past month. In
a press release announcing conclusion of
this campaign. Friends of Atlantic House
President Jerry Stockdale thanked all of
the contributors from both the public and
private sectors.
Atlantic House is dedicated to the
psychosocial rehabilitation of individuals
with severe and persistent mental illness.
It is modeled after New York City's
Fountain House. This program actively
engages persons suffering from mental
illness as they work toward recovery.
Participating individuals are considered
members, rather than patients, and the
facility is referred to as the clubhouse. The
goal of the system is to restore social and
vocational functioning of the members
while helping them manage their mental
illness. This is accomplished by involving
members and staff of the clubhouse as
partners in making decisions regarding
governance, policy matters and future
direction of the clubhouse. This clubhouse
has operated in Carteret County since 1989
and has helped more than 200 members
build on their strengths and abilities
to become self-reliant and productive
citizens.
Glenda Self, director of Atlantic
House, expressed her appreciation that the
construction phase has been successfully
concluded. She noted that the fundraising
efforts continue. Additional funds will be
needed to outfit the new clubhouse. Those
wishing more information may call the
clubhouse at 726-1216. Tax deductible
contributions may be sent to Friends of
Atlantic House, P.O. Box 81, Morehead
City, NC 28557.
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