Masonboro Organization History
The organization was started in 2009 as a result of annual July 4th celebrations on Masonboro Island that drew large crowds of partygoers. Visitors often left garbage behind from partying that polluted the island. This prompted North Carolina state leaders and officials to question whether they should place new restrictions on the public and their access to the island. That’s when Masonboro.org stepped in with 75 “red shirt” volunteers who donated their time to hand out free trash bags and encourage partygoers to properly dispose of their trash at home.
In partnership with Waste Management the organization along with its volunteers have been successful in cleaning thousands of pounds of trash from the island over the years. Between 2009 and 2016 they removed an annual average of over 5,000 pounds of trash left on the island each year. By sunset on the 4th of July in 2016, Masonboro island was in pristine condition, despite an estimated 2,300 visitors to the island on that day. In 2017, they collected 3,500 pounds of trash left behind on the island. In 2018, this was reduced to under 1,500 pounds collected during cleanup. In the following year, there was only 900 pounds of trash left for volunteers to collect during the annual cleanup. After seven years of the program and working closely with the New Hanover County Sheriff and North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission, the message “pack everything you packed in” was finally sticking with the public.
Masonboro Island Explorer (ILX) Program
In 2013, Masonboro.org developed the Masonboro Island Explorer (ILX) Program. ILX was created to provide all 5th grade students enrolled in New Hanover County Public Schools with the opportunity to explore and understand the diverse ecosystems of Masonboro Island and its surrounding waters, and to foster an interest in the ecology of the barrier islands. The long term goal of the program is to develop future stewards of the North Carolina coastal islands, and in doing so, cultivate a lifelong interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).
In October 2013, Sissie Brooks, who was serving as the science coordinator for Wrightsville Beach Elementary, and former board member Hayward Newkirk, coordinated with Joe Abbate from Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours to launch the first pilot program with approximately 50 fifth graders from Wrightsville Beach Elementary School. Sissie and Joe provided the educational component of the program. In the spring of 2014, 150 students and teachers participated in the ILX program. This was accomplished by partnering with the NC Estuarine Research Reserve to further develop the curriculum to meet the standards and objectives of the New Hanover County’s Sea Scholar program.
The success and feedback from its first year encouraged them to expand the program. During the 2014/15 school year over 350 fifth graders from Gregory, Sunset Park, College Park, and Bradley Creek Elementary schools had a chance to go to Masonboro Island through the ILX program.
In 2015, with the financial assistance of the Duke Energy Foundation, Landfall Foundation, and dozens of local sponsors, over 750 students were able to participate in the ILX program. In 2016, over 1500 students participated in the program. From 2017 onwards, the program has been offered to every eligible 5th grade student in New Hanover County. In order to accommodate the growth, Carolina Ocean Studies was commissioned to provide transportation and educational services.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Masonboro.Org is run by volunteers. We have no paid staff and no overhead. Each year, we rely on our team of directors for volunteer drives, fundraising, clean up and more. CLICK HERE to check out our leaders.
IN THE NEWS
We've been in the news lately for our work on ILX and our partnership with the Coastal Reserve. Plus, we've archived our newsletter and articles on our July 4 clean-up efforts. CLICK HERE for more.