Feb. 6 Coastal Ecosystem Preservation and Restoration
Kerri Allen, Coastal Management Program Director, North Carolina Coastal Federation; Bonnie Mitchell, Coastal Education Coordinator, North Carolina Coastal Federation
Since 1982, the North Carolina Coastal Federation has collaborated with coastal communities to protect and restore coastal ecosystems and cultural heritage. Their programs and projects include building living shorelines, promoting clean water, restoring oysters, removing marine debris and the Salt Marsh Action Plan, which establishes goals and benchmarks to maintain salt marsh productivity as the sea level rises.
Feb. 13 Cosmic Color!
Brand Fortner, Ph.D., Teaching Professor of Physics, NCSU; Adjunct Professor of Physics, UNC Chapel Hill
Color contains wonders and surprises that amaze, astound and confound. Is color a human construct or a fundamental part of nature? Would an alien or a parakeet agree with us on colors? Do images from space telescopes or Mars landers show "true" colors? For that matter, do photographs? This talk reveals the confusion, myths and amazing facts about color.
Feb. 20 Advances in Weather Forecasting Along the Southeast Coast of North Carolina
Robert Bright, Lead Meteorologist, National Weather Service, Wilmington, NC
Although weather technology and prediction is improving, our vulnerability to weather hazards continues to increase. This presentation discusses the evolution of forecasting and warning operations, local historical climate information and tools used to support our core partners and the public.
Note: Tours of the Wilmington National Weather Service Facility are scheduled this semester. Refer to the “Active and Outdoor” section of this catalog.
Feb. 27 Tree City: Wilmington
Tom Boland, Chair of the Wilmington Tree Commission; Margee Herring, President of the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees; Laura McCabe, Vice President of the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees; Sally Thigpen, Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Wilmington
Wilmington has proudly held the designation of “Tree City” since 2002. However, with increasing development, our tree canopy faces heightened challenges. This presentation describes the collaboration among the Wilmington Tree Commission, the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees and Wilmington's Urban Forestry Department. We review current land development codes, Wilmington’s urban forest master plan and the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees’ initiatives.
March 6 Heat + Health 101: A masterclass on the impact of heat on our bodies and our communities
Ashley Ward, Ph.D., Director of The Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability Heat Policy Innovation Hub, Duke University
Heat intersects with the human body in myriad ways, from pregnancy through old age. It also impacts our communities and their economic stability and growth in surprising ways. Dr. Ashley Ward, Director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University will share a new way to think about extreme heat and cover who’s really at risk when the mercury rises – which isn’t necessarily the people we tend to think of as vulnerable. She will also address the broad and escalating consequences of extreme heat, emphasizing its impacts across various sectors, delving into five common myths and misperceptions about heat, debunked with data-driven insights, offering a more nuanced understanding of heat vulnerability.
March 13 Night Flight: How Light Pollution Is “Bird-ening” Our Feathered Friends
Curtis Smalling, vice president and executive director, Audubon North Carolina; Sarah Branagan, president, Cape Fear Audubon
This presentation examines how artificial light affects bird behavior from disrupting migration, feeding and breeding patterns to flight collisions and disorientation. We explore the sources of urban lighting and the dangers it poses and discuss practical, multi-level solutions to reduce the impact of light pollution on bird populations and to protect their natural environment.
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