Saturday, September 5, 2015

Cape Lookout National Seashore & Crystal Coast Adventure Weekend





Aerial view of Cape Lookout - wild and pristine

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY - NOVEMBER 6, 7 & 8


Hi everyone!

We hope you will join us on our adventure weekend!

Our theme for the weekend will be 'how to live in in harmony' with a barrier island. We will see examples of both densely-developed and pristine barrier islands. You will come away knowing just how unique and special the barrier islands of North Carolina are and what we are likely to expect from the rise in sea level associated with climate change.. We are so lucky to have fantastic local experts as our guides on this trip!


Meeting Time: 3:00 pm Friday at Fort Macon State Park or 9:00 am Saturday at Trinity Center, Pine Knoll Shores

Meeting Place (Friday): Fort Macon, Visitor Center
2303 East Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach, NC 28512
(252) 726-3775

Meeting Place (Saturday): Trinity Center, Point of Arrival (main office) or Dining Hall
618 Salter Path Road
Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512
(252) 247-5600

Here's a map link to Saturday's meeting place:

Cost: Adult (18 and up) = $235; Ages: 5 -17 = $105; Ages: 4 and under = $40
Includes Lodging, all meals, six family programs and roundtrip transportation to Cape Lookout National Seashore. Deposit of $25 holds your spot.


Weekend Schedule: (You may tailor your trip to fit your family's schedule)


Friday's events -

We hope you can join us on Friday afternoon, when we will start your adventure weekend with an outstanding program at Fort Macon and a ranger-guided nature hike on the beach. Fort Macon State Park is rich in history, and has a spectacular natural environment and beach.


The story of the Fort Macon goes back more than 150 years even before the Civil War. Did you know the technology that protects the fort goes back to a young West Point graduate named Robert E Lee?  Fort Macon's strategic location on a dynamically-moving inlet has ensured a constant battle between the erosive power of the sea and man's determination to preserve the fort and, for the time being - it's a battle man has won (at least for now)! 

We will also discover that Ft.Macon is very close to the site of Blackbeard's scuttled flagship - the Queen Anne's Revenge. After the historical program, a ranger-guided nature hike will introduce us to the tough yet fragile, highly-adapted plants and animals of the dune, beach and maritime forest ecosystems.




​
Fort Macon
Fort Macon beach and dunes

After the program, we will check into our comfortable accommodations at the Trinity Center, and get settled.  Join everyone for a lovely meal, and finish the evening on the beach. For those who are star lovers, there will be a Skywatch with telescopes and binoculars on the beach, or you may elect to socialize in the fellowship hall reserved for our group's use.

Trinity Center is an outstanding example of how careful planning can allow us to live in harmony with a natural barrier environment while still enjoying beautiful and comfortable accommodations. The center is run by the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina and was developed with rare sensitivity to the natural environment. The grounds stretch all the way from the private beach front to the Bogue Sound, preserving the lovely maritime forest and wetland environments.


Private Beach at Trinity Center - Pine Knoll Shores

Saturday's events -

If you are joining us on Saturday morning, breakfast is served at 8:00 am. 


Dining at Trinity Center - Pine Knoll Shores


We will be departing the Trinity Center at 9:30 promptly for our island adventure to Cape Lookout National Seashore. Once we arrive at the National Park's visitor center, you can tour their brand new exhibit hall. Our guide for this adventure will be Steve Neshkoff, from the National Park Service, and Steve will conduct us to Cape Lookout National Seashore, a pristine barrier island - one of our state's greatest treasures. 


Once on Cape Lookout barrier Island, you may participate in our, ranger-guided programs, climb the Cape Lookout lighthouse for a one of a kind view and have some unstructured time to explore the island on your own. This area is also renowned as an outstanding place for shelling. We will have box lunches and lots of water available on the island. We will rendezvous as a group to ride the ferry back to the mainland.



Cape Lookout Lighthouse

Saturday evening events - 

After returning to the Trinity Center you can enjoy some free time exploring the private beach, the beautiful grounds at the center or Bogue Banks. Nearby Beaufort and the ghost town of Diamond Head were founded as whaling centers. Dinner at will be followed by a hands-on presentation about the marine mammals of the area. For those who are star lovers, there will be a sky watch with telescopes and binoculars on the beach following the marine mammals program.

Sunday events - 
Breakfast is served buffet style, all you eat, starting at 8:00 am. Afterwards, please check out and get your stuff stowed away in our vehicles. Then we invite you to join us for the very popular behind-the-scenes tour of the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium - just down the road from Trinity Center.

           Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium

We hope you will join us on our Crystal Coast getaway weekend. You may be one of the lucky ones bringing home a beautiful shell as a souvenir.


​Scotch Bonnet - North Carolina's State Sea Shell


Easy to moderate walking involved. You may tailor this trip to fit your schedule by joining us on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning and departing at your convenience.

Here are some things to know about the trip.
  • Bring water shoes (shoes that can get wet and are comfortable).
  • Bring hats, water, sunscreen and bug spray (ticks can be out any time of year).
  • If you want to swim at Cape Lookout bring suits and towels.
  • Bring a daypack and plastic or cloth bags to take home your shells and beach-combing treasures
  • Please be prompt. If you happen to run late or get waylaid, we can be reached at  919-270-0028. Texting is the preferred way to contact us.
We will need an accurate 'head count', please let us know as soon as you can, if you will be attending and how many will be in your party : )

You can pay in two ways:   

1) Send your payment to Paypal - rgreen08@gmail.com.  - or - 

2) Mail a check to
Rob Greenberg
2218 Esther Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

** Although I've created a new email address for geology field trips, my Paypal account is done using my primary email address - rgreen08@gmail.com

We will send out another email to those signed up for this field trip..  In that email we will include a description of the coastal geology and ecology at the sites we will be visiting as well as driving directions.  

Thanks so much for your time and for sharing your enthusiasm for geology with us! 

Please feel free to forward this email to others who you think will be interested.  We would love to grow our list of geology enthusiasts!

Handy Websites:

Cape Lookout Natl Seashore - http://www.nps.gov/calo/index.htm
Pine Knoll Shore Aquarium - http://www.ncaquariums.com/
Things to do at the Crystal Coast - http://www.visitnc.com/crystal-coast

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Bald Head Island Discovery Weekend: October 2 - 4




Hello Everyone

There are still openings for the Bald Head Island field trip scheduled for October 2nd through 4th.  I've done this trip several times with my students and it has always received great reviews.  Our "home" for Friday evening through Sunday morning will be the Bald Head Island Conservancy (BHIC).  We'll share a large common space (living room and large kitchen) and prepare our own meals.  The conservancy has clean and comfortable dorm-style facilities for sleeping.  

Link for BHIC:


While there we'll enjoy programs about the maritime forest, the salt marsh, coastal geology, weather and climate and astronomy.  The staff at BHIC has been working with us on programs, which will be perfect for our expected wide age range.  The facility is very close to the beach, and a short walk to the shoals, an exciting and high energy point on our beautiful coast!

The cost per person (students as well as parents) is $130.00   Not included are the $20 per person roundtrip ferry tickets, which Mary and I will purchase separately.  I believe the cost is $13.00 for children under 12.  This cost includes a shuttle by golf cart to and from the Bald Head Island Conservancy.  You can reimburse us for the ferry tickets upon arrival.

Once we have a final roster of participants, I'll create a separate contact group and we can plan our meals collectively.  The facility has a full kitchen (cooking utensils, plates, silverware, etc) so we need to bring our food items, spices and condiments.  Planning and preparing meals has always gone well in the past - and provides a great time to get to know one another.

Our meeting point will be the Southport Ferry on Friday, October 2nd.  

Here is a link to the ferry location:  


You can pay in two ways: 

1) Send your payment to Pay Pal - rgreen08@gmail.com.  - or -

2) Mail a check to
Rob Greenberg
2218 Esther Drive
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Thanks for taking the time to read this trip announcement.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  There is a 30 person limit for this field trip based on accommodations.  Hope to hear from you soon! 
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Mineral and Gem Collecting in the Spruce Pine Mining District of the Blue Ridge Mountains

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

Meeting Time: 11:00 am
Meeting Place: Parking lot of the Museum of North Carolina Minerals
79 Parkway Maintenance Rd
Spruce Pine, NC 28777

Here's a map link to the meeting place: https://goo.gl/maps/vVmpI

Cost: $70/student; parents free, sibling discount - any additional child beyond the first will be charged $55. (Please contact rgreengeology@gmail.com if you have questions about discounts.)

We'll start our tour with a look at the hands-on, interactive exhibits that explore the creation of the Blue Ridge Mountains and a wide variety of minerals at the Mineral Museum.

After this orientation, our friend, a leader and career expert with decades of experience in Spruce Pine Mining District, will host us for a full day of collecting at sites, most of which are off-limits to the general public.  The Hoot Owl Mine contains pegmatite deposits from which we can collect classic and unique 'book' specimens of muscovite mica, plus feldspar and quartz pegmatite. Graphic granite can also be found here. 


Muscovite, feldspar and quartz pegmatite

Our next stop will be the dolomitic marble from the renowned Bandana Mine. This sparkly, coarsely-crystalline, pure-white marble resembles glacial ice! Wollastonite and sphene specimens can also be found here.

Wollastonite on white dolomitic marble

We hope to visit the Crabtree Emerald Mine as our third stop. Abundant minerals can be found here including: emeralds, tourmaline, quartz, feldspar and schorl.


Emerald crystal in smokey quartz and mica matrix

After these stops, if you are still hungry for more, join us at Emerald Village. Buckets of gemstones and mineral specimens are available to be panned on their sluice lines. Buckets start at $10 and up. We will be there to help you identify and put a name on your treasures.

You may decide to make a mountain getaway weekend out of it. You may be one of the lucky ones bringing home an emerald from this trip!

Easy to moderate hiking involved. You may tailor this trip to fit your schedule. 

Here are some things to know about the trip.
  • Wear sturdy shoes.
  • Bring water, sunscreen and bug spray (yes, ticks can be out even in the early spring!)
  • Bring plastic or cloth bags to take home your rock and mineral specimens. 
  • Bring rock hammers (if you have them), and protective eye cover.  We will supply some for the group.
  • Please be prompt. If you happen to run late, we can be reached at  919-270-0028.
We will send out another email to those signed up for this field trip in September.  In that email we will include a description of the geology at the sites as well as driving directions.  

Thanks so much for your time and for sharing your enthusiasm for geology with us! 

Please feel free to forward this email to others who you think will be interested.  We would love to grow our list of geology enthusiasts!

Handy Websites:
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