Volunteers work to restore Carolina Beach State Park wetlands

CAROLINA BEACH, NC (WWAY)– Work is underway to restore ten acres of wetland habitat in Carolina Beach State Park. 

This dirty work will help eliminate an invasive species in the marsh.   

“Currently we’re planting about twenty thousand plants, four different species, here on the 10-acre plot. We’ve been doing that over the last two days,” said Morgan Rigsbee, NC Coastal Federation Intern.    

Restoration work is underway to revive 10 acres of wetlands in Carolina Beach State Park. According to the North Carolina Coastal Federation, the project was necessary due to an invasive and harmful species, called phragmites, taking over the marsh.  

“What we wanted to restore was tidal water flow in that area, as well as plant new native species that is going to be beneficial to lots of wildlife, insects, other plants, and make the wetland look more like its natural state verses the disturbed state that it was in before,” said Georgia Busch, a Coastal Specialist with the NC Coastal Federation.  

These efforts will help get the marsh back to its natural state.   

“All these little bright green chunks that we planted the past two days, they’re going to take over, and it’s going to be lovely,” said Elise Snavely, an Ambassador with the NC Coastal Federation.  

“You see an area that was disturbed, and as you walk away from it, especially with a group of volunteers, it’s really rewarding to see all the work that has been done with fresh new green plants thriving from just being planted over the last couple of days,” said Park Ranger Jesse Anderson.    

“We’re planting lots of grass!”  said Aiden Snavely, the youngest volunteer of the group.  

Crews have been working at the park for the last two days.  

The Coastal Federation says this was phase four of the project, and there are many more to come.