Burgaw – Pender County Tourism and Pender County Parks & Recreation announce the winners of the 2021 Pender County Nature Photography Contest. “The competition in the 2020 Nature Photography Contest was outstanding,” said Zachary White, Pender County Parks and Recreation supervisor. “Once again the 2021 contest had a large number of entries submitted with photos in each of the categories...

Sea Turtle Hospital News Back in 2006 when we were at our previous location in Topsail Beach one of our very favorite patients, a Kemp’s named “Dare” spent years working toward recovery, but unfortunately lost the fight. We tell every one of turtles when they are admitted that we promise to do our absolute best to make sure they get better and get to go home. Although we couldn’t walk Dare...

Sea Turtle Hospital News We really are back. We’ve completed our first month of Covid-restricted public tours and our guests have had nothing but compliments for our new process: on-line, prepaid ticketing with scheduled times. And to make your visit even more special it’s docent-led throughout the facility with groups of only twelve. Through May we will be open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 1-4 PM....

We’re back! When our Governor began to relax the Covid restrictions on occupancy we put our carefully crafted plan into action and our hospital is again open to the public. But there are a few things you’ll need to know before you come. If you’ve been to see us before, whether in our current location or our original hospital in Topsail Beach you know that our turtles attract multitudes of fans from...

Pender County Nature Photography Contest 2021 Pender County Nature Photography Contest Rules Eligibility The contest is open to the public with the following categories: Adult Amateur; Adult Professional; 15 and Under Amateur Youth Category. All photos must be taken in Pender County between June 2020 and April 2021. Photos can be of animals, plants, landscapes, scenery, and historic structures all within Pender...

Pender County Tourism and Pender County Parks & Recreation announce the 2021 Pender County Nature Photography Contest. The contest remains open to the public. Photos will be used in published materials giving credit to the photographers and locations along with prizes awarded for winners in each category. Photos can be of plants, animals, landscapes, scenery, and historic structures all within Pender County. Entries...

Currie, NC- - In honor of National Park Week, Moores Creek National Battlefield will be holding a Junior Ranger Day at the park from 10 am until 3 pm on Saturday, April 24. The event will feature both in-person events and virtual events on the park’s website ( www.nps.gov/mocr ). The event will begin with a ceremony conducted by the Stamp Defiance Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) at...

Sea Turtle Hospital News We’ve had a busy month. In addition to taking care of the forty-plus patients overwintering with us we’ve participated in a fund-raising art show in collaboration with Going Local in Mayfaire. And we’ve spent a lot of time, a lot of time planning on just how we can reopen for tours under Covid restrictions. “For the Love of Turtles” art show was a great success....

Sea Turtle Hospital News On March 17 everybody is Irish, at least Irish enough to wear something green, eat corned beef and cabbage and drink a brew that turns your tongue an odd color for the day. And we’re celebrating the month of March at the hospital by featuring three of our exceptional greens for adoption. Long-time patient “Canal” heads the list. Canal has been with us since 2015 after admission...

These Pender County CountOnMeNC businesses have taken additional training and implemented new procedures in light of COVID-19. These businesses have pledged to: Ensure staff wear cloth face coverings if they cannot keep six feet apart. Ensure safe sanitation practices are followed. Administer health checks to all staff prior to shift start. Make sure indoor and outdoor seating meets all physical distancing guidelines....

The Governor of North Carolina announced on February 24, 2021, that he is lifting the modified stay-at-home order, which included a curfew from 10 PM to 5 AM. Executive Order 195 signals the easing of restrictions in NC. Within the parameters of this order, our tourism businesses are open to visitors and community members with restrictions in place and recommendations on operating. This means that our food &...

Sea Turtle Hospital News Well, it was nice while it lasted. We should have known better than to think that those above-average temperatures would continue until spring. And if we thought for even one minute that this was maybe, just maybe the year we wouldn’t be seeing an influx of NC cold-stuns in late January and early February our hopes were just that - hopes. We recently admitted seven little greens, all...

2021 Virtual New Year’s Eve Blueberry Drop Receives Awards BURGAW – Town of Burgaw’s event is a recipient of two awards from the North Carolina Association of Festivals and Events (NCAFE). The 2021 Virtual New Year's Eve Blueberry Drop was recognized as 2021 Excellence Award Winners from the NC Association of Festivals & Events during their Annual Virtual Show Fest 2021 Event Innovators...

Sea turtle hospital names new executive director The Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (KBSTRRC) Board of Directors and Staff are pleased to welcome our new executive director, Kathy Zagzebski. Clearly, no one person will ever be able to fill the very large footprint of our Founder and current Executive Director, Jean Beasley. But after more than four decades in the “turtle business”...

National Plan for Vacation Day, Jan. 26 Join us and US Travel in celebrating National Plan for Vacation Day, Jan. 26 National Plan for Vacation Day, celebrated on the last Tuesday of January, is a day to encourage Americans to plan their time off. Save the date: National Plan for Vacation Day is January 26, 2021. Thousands of organizations join this annual, nationwide event to encourage Americans to plan their vacation....

BURGAW – Pender County’s GIS mapping department pulled together a wealth of information from Pender County Parks and Recreation and Pender County Tourism to create an interactive Web-based map. The map shows parks, trails, natural areas, community centers, and places of public interest managed by different agencies. “Whether you want to swim, go boating, see a museum, or experience some history,...

NCDOT releases the State of Aviation report Henderson Field contributes to local economy PENDER COUNTY – The North Carolina Department of Transportation released its annual report, The State of Aviation, this week. The report highlights the contribution of airports across the state. “Publicly owned airports contribute $61 billion to the state’s economy annually and supports 373,000 jobs,”...

Sea Turtle Hospital News We’ve admitted and rehabilitated cold stunned turtles for, well, forever. We’re always sympathetic to their plight: they were just happily going about their everyday turtle lives before being suddenly stopped in their tracks by forces outside of their control. After having the same thing done to all of us in 2020 we have a greater appreciation for how these critters must feel. We...

Moores Creek National Battlefield to Receive Donation from Sons of the American Revolution Currie, NC- The staff and volunteers of Moores Creek National Battlefield would like to thank the members of the Lower Cape Fear Chapter of the North Carolina Society, Sons of the American Revolution (NCSSAR) for their recent donation to the park of $1,300. The Sons of the American Revolution is an authorized "non-profit,...

Sea Turtle Hospital News It’s been a strangely calm fall at the hospital, largely due to Covid restrictions and not being able to invite you all in but also because we have relatively few patients. Not that we’re hoping for the ginormous influx of cold-stuns that New England is dealing with! So, when we have some time between morning feedings and late morning turtle care talk often turns to our years at the...

Virtual New Year’s Eve Blueberry Drop planned for Burgaw BURGAW – The Town of Burgaw, Pender County, and the North Carolina Blueberry Festival welcome the return of the annual New Year’s Eve Blueberry Drop on Dec. 31. “The 2019 Blueberry Drop was another huge success,” said Cody Suggs, Burgaw Parks and Recreation director. “Although the event will not be in person this year,...

Currie, NC- In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Moores Creek National Battlefield will not be able to host the annual Anniversary Program this year. However, the park will hold a "virtual" Anniversary event beginning at 10 am. on Saturday February 27 and continuing through Sunday February 28, via Facebook Live, on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/moorescreeknps) as well as on our other social media outlets,...

There's plenty to do this holiday season Even with pandemic restrictions, creative organizations have found a way to make the season merry and bright. December is here & the holiday season has begun! Let us be your guide this holiday season on the top spots to experience your holiday cheer & to feel merry and bright! Events are going to be experienced a little differently this year but there...

We love Pender Spenders! Pender County retailers are using our Pender Spender stickers to empower shoppers that It Matters Where You Shop. Thank you for being a Pender Spender! #ShopPender

Today is #NationalTakeAHikeDay! Hop on one of Pender County's many trails like the statewide Mountains-to-Sea Trail or Visit Moores Creek National Battlefield and hike the same path that revolutionary soldiers did. Visit the Town of Burgaw and hop on the Osgood Greenway and Urban Trail and walk past historic sites and famous filming locations. Or if you're looking for something more adventurous check...