Topsail Environmental Awareness TEA

01/17/2023

08/21/2022

Waterspout this afternoon near Carolina Beach over the Cape Fear River.

Photo: Dusty Goettel

08/17/2022

Important information about Hummingbirds

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
on Behalf of Hummingbirds:
This hummingbird is unable to retract her tongue due to fungal spores that have germinated on her tongue or in her gullet caused by folks mixing honey or anything other than plain white sugar with water. She will die because she can no longer feed.
If you have feeders, PLEASE USE ONLY PLAIN WHITE SUGAR in your mixture of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. No organic or raw or brown sugar, no powdered sugar, no honey, no artificial sugar. Use plain white sugar/water mixture which is most similar to actual flower nectar. And no toxic red color liquids such as koolaid etc.. !
Change the sugar water mixture every couple of days, especially during high temperatures, as it will start to ferment if it sits out for days on end.
If you can't or won't do this, please do not put out a feeder at all.

07/15/2022

07/15/2022

Exploring North Carolina’s sharks

Shark Week 2022 officially kicks off tonight on 💥🦈💥 Tune-into “The Haunting of Shark Tower” & watch the badass research team from + + + unravel some of the mystery behind North Carolina Great White Sharks!

07/11/2022

The backbone of marine ecosystems on a fingertip 🌊

Krill may be tiny in stature, but they play a giant role in the ocean. At Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, huge swarms of these little crustaceans provide a key source of food for many marine animals. Booming populations of krill are the backbone of many ocean ecosystems because they are a vital prey source of many larger species such as seals, whales, fish, and seabirds.

(Image description: A krill on a human finger. Credit: Sophie Webb/NOAA. Photo from the May 2010 ACCESS cruise conducted May 17-20, 2010 onboard R/V John Martin and May 29-31, 2010 onboard R/V Fulmar. Cruise number 2010_01)

07/06/2022

The heat index is 106℉ in North Carolina today! Stay cool and stay hydrated, y'all!

06/21/2022

Please be aware of the many Golf carts on the island now.

A third family member has died after a June 13 crash involving a golf cart and a DWI driver in Iredell County.

06/21/2022

WOW! 🌈 A Florida woman recently snapped gorgeous photos of what forecasters call a cloud iridescence, or a "fire rainbow." MORE: https://bit.ly/3zIFYm9

(📷: Angela Capece)