Masonboro Island
One of the four sites of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve. Interpreter led field trips must be reserved two seasons ahead. This is a favorite field trip for many teachers.
Preview your trip on the web: Masonboro Island
Learn more
- Estuary Live Video streaming allows you and your students to take live virtual field trips to the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort, NC. The videos archived for use at any time.
- Lesson plan: Pollution plume The students will simulate a plume to illustrate point source and non-point source pollution.
- The Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds Students can learn about watersheds and how to protect the nation's water resources.
- Lesson plan: Shells and more This activity involves identifying objects from the beach using a guide book and then placing the information into a prepared table.
- Lesson plan: StreamWatch This lesson is intended as a long term project to determine the overall health of a stream or wetland. Students identify seasonal changes that occur within the ecosystem, ideally with a minimum of bimonthly or monthly monitoring.
Related pages
- National Estuarine Research Reserve Systems - The Rachel Carson Component: Located in one of North Carolina's fastest growing areas, the Rachel Carson site is a center of marine research and education. The reserve is a diverse and productive estuarine system for birds, mammals, and fish.
- Fort Fisher State Recreation Area: The Fort Fisher program introduces students to the habitat and life history of "colonial-nesting coastal birds." The program also focuses on endangered, threatened and special-concern bird species.
- Zeke's Island North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve: Part of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, Zeke's Island has interpreter led field trips which focus on the importance of estuaries to the North Carolina coast.
Related topics
- Learn more about New Hanover County, North Carolina, biology and life science, dredge spoil areas, ecology, environmental science, estuaries, estuarine research, grasslands, green sea turtles, habitats, loggerhead, maritime forests, nature reserves, ocean beaches, salt marshes, sand dunes, science, shrub thickets, subtidal soft bottoms, and tidal flats.
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The largest undisturbed barrier island along the southern part of the North Carolina coast, Masonboro Island is located approximately five miles southeast of Wilmington. It is an essentially pristine barrier island and estuarine system. Part of the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Masonboro Island site can only be reached by boat. There are public and private boat ramps in and near Wrightsville Beach and Carolina Beach. Interpreter led field trips are offered to specific Reserve sites depending on accessibility and staff availability. Plan to make your reservations two seasons ahead of time. Lesson Plans and pre-visit activities are available on the website. See the Teachers & Students area.
