Projects Events And Partnerships

Carolina Madtom

Wildlife Diversity staff launched a project during 2007 to determine the abundance and distribution of the Carolina madtom, a very small catfish. The madtom is listed as a state-threatened fish and was once abundant in the Neuse and Tar rivers. Biologists’ surveys found the fish is still abundant in the Tar River but is nearly gone from the Neuse River.  One of the reasons for the fish’s decline in the Neuse is degraded habitat due to urban development. This suggests that additional care is required if the madtom is going to survive the Tar River basin’s development.
 

Sicklefin Redhorse

The sicklefin redhorse is a recently discovered fish that lives exclusively in the Hiwassee and Little Tennessee river systems in western North Carolina and northwestern Georgia. Biologists are conducting research to find out more about population size, spawning migrations, habitat and food requirements, reproductive biology and early history. This research is a cooperative effort between the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and Roanoke College, N.C. State University, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Tennessee Valley Authority and Duke Energy. Biologists are using results from the research to conserve and enhance habitat and explore expansion of populations in the Tuckaseegee River system.

Colonial Waterbirds

The Wildlife Diversity Program manages colonial waterbirds on 31 Commission-owned coastal islands. These islands provide nesting habitat for many species of terns, gulls, herons, egrets and other waterbirds, which have long attracted bird enthusiasts. Wildlife Diversity personnel lead the effort to manage and protect these nesting areas and work with many partners, including other state and federal agencies, Audubon North Carolina and other landowners, to manage habitat for waterbirds along North Carolina’s coast.

Robust Redhorse

Since 2002, Wildlife Diversity personnel have been principals in a cooperative project tagging and monitoring the robust redhorse, a large sucker that until very recently was thought to be extinct in North Carolina. The robust redhorse is extremely rare and, in North Carolina, is found only in the Pee DeeRiver. Human impacts, such as dam building, pollution and the introduction of exotic species, are likely causes of the fish’s decline. 

 

Neotropical Migratory Landbirds

Neotropical migratory landbirds nest and breed here in the summer before returning south for the winter. Neotropical migrants are well-known backyard visitors and include ruby-throated hummingbirds, summer tanagers and hooded warblers. Wildlife Diversity personnel survey and monitor songbird populations through a variety of programs across the state, provide guidance to landowners on managing habitats, and conduct bird identification workshops and presentations.

Peregrine Falcons

Between 1984 and 1997, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission personnel released 92 juvenile peregrines from various cliff sites in western North Carolina. In 1999, peregrines were removed from the federal list of endangered species; however, with such a small population in North Carolina (less than 15 breeding pairs), falcons remain on the state endangered species list.  Wildlife Diversity staff coordinate a nest monitoring project, which continues to track the success of restoration efforts and provides guidance to cliff landowners on how to manage these important breeding sites.

Bald Eagle

Wildlife Diversity staff monitor bald eagle nests each year to obtain information, such as the number of active nests, along with the number of young fledged per nest. Bald eagles are another example of a collaboration of the Commission, agencies, organizations and landowners that has led to the national recovery of an endangered species.  The Wildlife Observation Site on Jordan Lake provides a tranquil location for observing our national bird in addition to year-round wildlife. Wildlife Diversity staff coordinates management of this site, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the New Hope Audubon Society, and helps landowners statewide with guidance and information on how to ensure the continued recovery of bald eagles in North Carolina.

Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers

Wildlife Diversity staff work on Commission-owned game lands and with other state and federal agencies in North Carolina to manage public land for the red-cockaded woodpecker. In addition, the Commission has initiated a Safe Harbor Program on private lands to help landowners manage their properties in ways that benefit woodpeckers while ensuring that landowners can utilize their property in compliance with terms of the US Endangered Species Act.  This small black-and-white woodpecker, perhaps the most well-known endangered species in North Carolina, uses open stands of pine forests with trees that are 30 years or older for foraging and even more mature trees for nesting.

Learn about the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Safe Harbor Program:
Safe Harbor Program Questions and Answers (PDF)
Information for Landowners. Is it right for you? (PDF)

Green Salamanders

Wildlife Diversity staff survey and monitor green salamanders in western North Carolina to help determine the status of green salamander populations in the state and direct conservation action.

Northern Flying Squirrels

Wildlife Diversity personnel in the mountains conduct research involving trapping, nest box surveys and radio-telemetry of northern flying squirrels to help determine the range of this endangered species. This information will help ensure that our forests are managed in a manner that protects and enhances northern flying squirrel habitat.

Bats

Wildlife Diversity staff conduct monitoring studies throughout the state to determine bat distribution and hibernation sites. They use a variety of methods, such as mist netting, trapping, banding and telemetry, to survey and band hundreds of bats. They also work to conserve important roost sites such as caves and mines.

Fact Sheet (PDF)

North Carolina’s White-nose Syndrome Surveillance and Response Plan (PDF)

Bog Turtles

The Commission began surveys for bog turtles in North Carolina in the 1980s to determine the status of populations. Since then, Wildlife Diversity biologists and partners have conducted surveys every year and recorded important information on each captured bog turtle, such as gender, age and shell length. They are working to conserve the rare wetland habitats in the upper Piedmont and mountains that these turtles call home.

Urban Wildlife

Begun in 2004, the Urban Wildlife Project works to promote open space conservation through land use planning and land conservation in the Triangle Region. This proactive approach steers development away from sensitive wildlife habitat and encourages compact communities with associated connected open spaces.

NC Birding Trail

The NC Birding Trail was created "to conserve and enhance North Carolina's bird habitat by promoting sustainable bird watching activities, economic opportunities and conservation education."

Sea Turtle Recovery

Sea turtle nests are often threatened by beach development, heavy beach traffic, artificial lighting, and various beach re-nourishment activities. Wildlife Diversity staff coordinates the efforts of hundreds of volunteers from individual beach projects along approximately 300 miles of North Carolina's coastal barrier islands. These volunteers monitor nesting activity and report sea turtle strandings.
 

Learn more at seaturtle.org

Learn about the satellite tracking at Bald Head Island, NC

Native Species Restoration in Western Rivers

Pigeon River. The Pigeon River was severely polluted by a paper mill for nearly a century. Cleanup efforts reversed much of the damage, but many native fish species had disappeared with no route to recolonize naturally. Since 2003, biologists have been working with partners Blue Ridge Paper, University of Tennessee, N.C. Division of Water Quality and others to restore some of these populations. So far, six fish species —silver, mirror, telescope, striped and Tennessee shiners, and gilt darters — are being reintroduced to their native water.

Cheoah River. The Cheoah River had most of its water diverted for hydropower production for more than 70 years. Flow now has been restored but the river is isolated from potential source populations of missing species. Biologists are working now with partners Alcoa, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, Virginia Tech and others to restore habitat and species. In 2007, wavy-rayed lampmussels were the first to be reintroduced. A cooperative effort is under way now to restore the spotfin chub, a federal threatened species.

Aquatic Species Population Monitoring

Many (144 species) freshwater mussels, fishes and crayfishes in North Carolina are listed as threatened or endangered or were identified as priorities for conservation in North Carolina’s Wildlife Action Plan. Surveys to monitor these species and their habitats, as well as searches for new or undiscovered populations, are conducted by biologists throughout the state. Information from these studies is used to guide habitat conservation and enhancement, update the status of imperiled species, revise conservation priorities, and assess the effectiveness of conservation actions.

• Mussel flood impact study
• See Wildlife in North Carolina article, “Moving Mussels”.

Rare Aquatic Species Propagation

North Carolina has a new tool for conserving rare and endangered freshwater mussels and fishes! Wildlife Diversity is partnering with the Commission’s Table Rock and Marion fish hatcheries, N.C. State University, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the N.C. Department of Transportation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Conservation Fisheries, Inc., to develop facilities, techniques and the expertise needed to reproduce rare species in captivity. Following successful experiments to hold and propagate mussels, plans are now under way to expand culture facilities for them and rare fishes at the Marion hatchery. This expansion will enable biologists to provide safe refuge for critically endangered mussels during short-term habitat problems (like drought). It also will allow for the production of juvenile mussels and fishes for restoring populations in North Carolina streams and rivers and will support further research to improve and expand these efforts.

Eastern Hellbender

Since2007, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission mountain region Wildlife Diversity Program, along with project partners from the N.C. Zoo, collaborators from the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation, and other agencies, volunteers, universities, etc., began a long-term project to inventory, monitor and assess species status in North Carolina. The goals are to study hellbender populations in the state, revisit historical locations, discover new locations, monitor populations and increasing threats to habitats, conduct applied research and educate the public on hellbender conservation.