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| April was a month of celebration as we reflected on the impact you’ve helped us make in our Outer Banks national parks over the past five years. We are grateful to everyone who came out to Swells’a Brewing for our birthday party – it was great to see so many of our supporters together, and we officially kicked off our new partnership with Duck Donuts (more details coming soon)! |
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| Last week, I attended the Friends Alliance spring meeting, a virtual gathering of national park partners from around the country. As we learned about topics ranging from environmental justice to how the National Park Service plans to commemorate America250 in 2026 by focusing on inclusive storytelling, I was reminded how special and unique it is that we have three amazing national parks right here in our backyards. |
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| As I talked to my colleagues around the country one thing was clear – our national parks need our support now more than ever. We will continue to celebrate our fifth birthday this year and look ahead to what we want to accomplish in the next five years as our parks continue to face challenges ranging from budget cuts to environmental changes. We’ll be looking to you to learn what you want to see us achieve in our parks, and ways you think we can continue to grow our impact as we work to protect and enhance these special places. Stay tuned! |
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Meet Your Ranger: Mike Anderson |
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| Our Meet Your Ranger series introduces you to the many amazing people who support our Outer Banks national parks every day! This month, we’re pleased to introduce you to Mike Anderson, Lead Interpretive Ranger at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site! Mike’s days are busy as he gives ranger programs, assists visitors, and plans projects and events for the park. |
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| In his free time, Mike enjoys listening to tunes from Broadway musicals, watching “The Crown” and “Jeopardy!”, and 3-D printing movie prop replicas from Star Wars and Marvel movies! |
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It’s Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest Season! |
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- Donate: Give a tax-deductible donation of $100 or more to reserve your 2024 sea turtle nest. Your gift will help us fund important projects that protect and enhance the Seashore and the vital habitat it preserves. You will receive a confirmation email for your donation.
- Receive your nest assignment: Sea turtles typically start to arrive in May and June, and will continue to arrive until September. As nests become available, you will be assigned your sea turtle nest and receive an adoption certificate by either mail or digitally with initial information about your nest. Please keep in mind that if you reserve a nest in May, you may not receive your initial information until late May, June, or even later depending on how many early adoptions are received.
- Wait patiently for your nest to hatch! When your nest hatches later this summer or fall, you will receive a personalized update in the mail with information park rangers collect about your nest including the number of hatchlings that made their way out to sea.
A note about honorary/memorial gifts: If you choose to adopt a nest in honor or in memory of a loved one and provide an honoree’s mailing address on your donation form, a letter with nest information and a certificate will be mailed directly to your honoree. Your honoree will be notified of your gift and will receive a certificate when their nest is assigned, not at the time you make the gift. Please keep this in mind if your gift is time-sensitive. NEW in 2024 – digital certificates are now available! If you would like to receive an electronic certificate or send an electronic certificate to an honoree, click the box “send certificate digitally” on the donation form and provide an email address. Read our frequently asked questions for even more information about our Adopt A Sea Turtle Nest program! Please note: No individual or group that participates in this program can claim ownership of a sea turtle nest, eggs, or hatchlings. Nature is also unpredictable. If your adopted nest is lost to a weather event or damaged by some other means, we will assign you a new nest that may or may not be shared with another individual or group. For the safety of the sea turtles and in alignment with National Park Service guidance, your nest’s exact location will not be shared until after it has hatched. |
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Celebrating Pony Birthdays |
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Join us in celebrating the Ocracoke ponies who have May birthdays!
Did you know you can help these beautiful and unique ponies by symbolically adopting one or supporting the herd? Your support helps cover the costs of their ongoing care and feeding. When you Adopt A Pony or support the herd with a gift of $50 or more, you will receive an adoption certificate and a picture of your pony or of the herd to keep! |
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| Note: Our park staff will host a public meeting about the Ocracoke ponies at the Ocracoke Community Center (999 Irvin Garrish Highway, Ocracoke, North Carolina) on Tuesday, May 21, from 1 to 2 p.m. At the meeting, our park staff will seek input on the development of a management plan for the ponies and assistance in identifying issues, concerns, and opportunities. For more information on the meeting, click here. |
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| Winnie – May 3 Winnie is the youngest member of the herd, born in 2018 to her parents, Sacajawea and Captain. She spends her time learning from mom and exploring her island home. The next time you visit the Ocracoke Pony Pens, come say hi!
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| Jobelle – May 7 Jobelle is the daughter of Ocracoke ponies Jitterbug and Rayo. She was named by the Ocracoke School students; “Jobelle” is the local name for the gaillardia flowers (commonly called “blanket flowers”) which are found throughout the Outer Banks! |
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| Captain – May 9 Captain is a chestnut stallion who was named after the late Captain Marvin Howard, a local Ocracoke Island resident who founded the first — and only — mounted Boy Scout troop in the United States. The boy scouts were responsible for taming and caring for the wild pony herd in the 1950s. |
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| Maya – May 24 Maya is a paint mare who was born in 2000. She has four siblings in the herd and is known to be the tallest and most vocal pony in the Ocracoke herd! |
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Ways to Give: Memorial and Honorary Donations |
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| Remember or honor the special people in your life who shared or share your love of our Outer Banks national parks. When you choose the “Donation Dedication” option when you donate, we will send a special acknowledgment to the individual or family you chose notifying them of your thoughtful gift. |
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| To stay up to date with programs and events, check out our parks’ online calendars below: |
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Save the Date: National Trails Day |
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- Date: Saturday, June 1
- Time: 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- Location: Meet at the North End Parking Lot on Roanoke Island. Options for a 1.3 mile and a 2.5 mile walk/hike are available. For more details, click here to see the map.
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| Make sure to wear comfortable clothing and walking/hiking shoes and sunscreen, and don’t forget your water and bug spray! To RSVP for the event on Facebook, click here. |
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