Friends of Pleasure Island State Parks

06/16/2026

🌊🐢 Happy World Sea Turtle Day! 🐢🌊

Today, Friends of Pleasure Island State Parks and Fort Fisher State Recreation Area celebrates these remarkable ocean travelers and the ongoing efforts to protect them.

Sea turtles have navigated our oceans for more than 100 million years, yet today they face growing threats from habitat loss, marine debris, artificial lighting, fishing gear entanglement, and climate change. Along the beaches of Fort Fisher, every nesting season offers an opportunity to support the conservation of these ancient mariners and help ensure future generations can witness their incredible journey.

You can make a difference by:
• Filling in holes and knocking down sandcastles before leaving the beach
• Removing all trash and fishing line
• Keeping beaches dark at night during nesting season
• Respecting marked nesting areas and wildlife closures
• Giving nesting turtles and hatchlings plenty of space
• When driving on the Fort Fisher 4x4 beach, staying alert for marked sea turtle nests and giving them a wide berth to help prevent disturbance and protect critical nesting habitat

Every nest represents hope for the future of these incredible animals. By sharing the beach responsibly and respecting protected nesting areas, we can help ensure more hatchlings make their journey from nest to ocean.

This World Sea Turtle Day, join us in celebrating these extraordinary animals and renewing our commitment to safeguarding the natural resources that make our state parks so special.



North Carolina State Parks and Recreation
Friends of State Parks
1% for the Planet

06/15/2026

🚣‍♀️𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐏𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫!

Carolina Beach State Park is offering a guided kayak program led by Schools in Parks Specialist Marissa and Ranger Chris.

Bring your own kayak and join them on the water for a wind- and tide-dependent paddle through the park.

No kayak? Paddle NC is located at the marina at Carolina Beach State Park, with rentals available for $30/boat.

📌 Registration required
👥 Limited to 15 participants
🔞 Ages 13+
📞 Call or email the park to register

See the attached flyer for details!

05/28/2026

𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 - 𝑭𝒍𝒚𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒑 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝑩𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒌!!!

𝖩𝗈𝗂𝗇 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖲𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗈𝗅𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝖯𝖺𝗋𝗄𝗌 𝖲𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍 𝖬𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗌𝖺 𝖡𝗅𝖺𝖼𝗄𝖻𝗎𝗋𝗇 𝗈𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖿𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗌𝗍𝗂𝖼 𝖱𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖺 𝗀𝗎𝗂𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗁𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗈𝗇𝗀 𝖥𝗅𝗒𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗉 𝖳𝗋𝖺𝗂𝗅 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝖺𝗆𝖺𝗓𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗏𝗈𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗌 𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗊𝗎𝖾 𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗌𝗒𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗆𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗁𝗈𝗆𝖾. 𝖤𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 𝖥𝗋𝗂𝖽𝖺𝗒, 𝖩𝗎𝗇𝖾 - 𝖠𝗎𝗀𝗎𝗌𝗍, 𝟫𝖺𝗆-𝟣𝟢𝖺𝗆, 𝖥𝗅𝗒𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗉 𝖳𝗋𝖺𝗂𝗅.

05/21/2026

Ocean Rescue training is underway at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area in preparation for Memorial Day weekend and the summer season.

Fort Fisher Ocean Rescue, Hammocks Beach Ocean Rescue, and Fort Macon Ocean Rescue are coming together for hands-on coastal safety training led by USLA-certified Fort Fisher Chief Lifeguard Stephen Pait, Team Leader Mike Young, and Safety Ranger Jason Howard.

Since becoming officially USLA-certified in 2023, Fort Fisher has intentionally built and trained its own Ocean Rescue team designed specifically for this coastline. The focus is proactive safety, visible presence, and rapid response.

In USLA terms, Preventative Actions are the direct steps lifeguards take to stop emergencies before they happen — educating swimmers about rip currents, redirecting unsafe activity, and intervening early. Visible lifeguards in elevated towers change behavior long before a rescue is needed.

Ocean Rescue is more than a summer job. It is a mission grounded in courage, skill, prevention, and service.

We are proud to support Fort Fisher Ocean Rescue, Hammocks Beach Ocean Rescue, and Fort Macon Ocean Rescue, and grateful for the trained responders who stand watch for North Carolina’s shoreline.

Friends of Fort Macon
Friends of the Hammocks and Bear Island, Inc.
North Carolina State Parks and Recreation
Friends of State Parks

Photo 📸: Stephanie Covell

05/15/2026

We may see more mama turtles coming in to nest with warmer waters, king tide and super full moon. Fingers crossed 🤞

Beach water temperatures at Wrightsville Beach and Myrtle Beach are in the upper 60s, about 3 degrees below normal for mid May. This cool water lingering near the coast of the Carolinas should warm rapidly over the next couple of weeks as outlooks for the remainder of the month favor above normal air temperatures.

05/14/2026

During National Police Week, take a moment to stop by Carolina Beach State Park or Fort Fisher State Recreation Area and thank a Ranger.

They are our protectors, our neighbors, and our friends — serving our parks and community every day with dedication, professionalism, and heart.

Wear your thin green stripe with pride.

05/11/2026

Cruise the island in style and support Island Women!

Enter for a chance to win a pair of Sun Beach Cruiser Bikes, valued at $1,400. Perfect for riding around town, exploring the island, or enjoying the beach lifestyle.

Raffle tickets are $25.

Purchase tickets here:
https://islandwomen.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=974595&module_id=782696

Please share with your friends. Every ticket supports the work of Island Women in our community!

05/11/2026

We have our FIRST sea turtle nest of the 2026 season at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. 🎉

This Loggerhead mama chose the Natural Area for her nest site, and we could not be more excited to officially kick off nesting season!!

We are wishing all of the sea turtle teams, volunteers, and nesting mamas a safe, successful, and plentiful nesting season this year!! ❤️❤️🐢🐢

Here’s to many more crawls and nests ahead!

**This work for protected sea turtles at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area is authorized by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission (ES permit number 26ST22).

05/06/2026

It’s the first week of May, and that means Sea Turtle Season has officially begun at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area! Our Sea Turtle Monitoring program kicked off on May 1st, and we’re eagerly awaiting our very first nest of the season. This is such a special time of year as nesting moms return to our shores—let’s work together to keep them safe.

Here’s how you can help protect sea turtles and their nests:
✔️ Keep the beach clean—pack out all trash and if you see any trash left by others, please help us by picking it up
✔️ Remove chairs, tents, and gear at the end of the day
✔️ Fill in holes and knock down sandcastles
✔️ Do not use white lights on the beach at night
✔️ Give all wildlife plenty of space
✔️ Respect posted nesting areas—they’re there for a reason
✔️ While driving on the beach, watch for marked nests and park a safe distance away

Small actions make a big difference for these incredible animals. Let’s make this a safe and successful season for our sea turtles! 💚

04/27/2026

**$𝟭,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻-𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 + 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿? 𝗬𝗲𝘀, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲.**

Carolina Beach State Park is hiring a 𝙈𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚/𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙄, and this is more than a job — it’s a chance to work in one of the most beautiful places in North Carolina.

Imagine your workday surrounded by the majesty of the longleaf pine savannah, the quiet beauty of the Cape Fear River, miles of trails, wildlife, fresh air, and visitors from around the world who come here to experience the magic of our state park.

This position is hands-on, outdoors, and essential to keeping Carolina Beach State Park welcoming, safe, and beautiful. From trails and facilities to grounds, equipment, and special projects, this role helps care for the park we all love.

And yes — there is a $𝟏,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧-𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬

📍 Location: Carolina Beach State Park
💼 Full-time position
💰 Recruitment range: $35,596–$50,000
🌲 Work where conservation, recreation, and community meet

Ready to learn more? The full job description, requirements, sign-on bonus details, and application are available on the DNCR job posting here:

https://nc.wd108.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/NC_Careers/job/Maintenance-Construction-Technician-II---DPR60091476_JR-110994

Come help care for Carolina Beach State Park — and become part of something truly special.