Friends of the Reserve
Connecting you to the natural “string of pearls” on North Carolina’s coast.
The Friends of the Reserve (FOR) is a nonprofit organization, dedicated to supporting the work of the North Carolina’s Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve and ten sites they protect. We are neighbors, families, visitors, students, and professionals. Our goal is connect you to the natural wonder of our Reserves and engage you in helping to protect these places for generations to come.
Click on the Reserve Site icons and blue and green dots in the map to learn more about each Reserve site, respectively. Zoom in to to see more reserves to visit!
FOR provides funding for Reserve programs, supports the stewardship of natural and cultural resources, and advances research led by North Carolina’s Reserves, a network of 10 protected sites established for long-term research, education and stewardship. The Reserves are programs within the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management in the state’s Department of Environmental Quality. The North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve is one of 29 reserves within the National Estuarine Research Reserve System.
FOR Internship Award
To encourage promising and talented students from traditionally underserved and underrepresented populations to pursue study and careers centered in coastal and estuarine sciences, the N.C. Coastal Reserve and the Friends of the Reserve created a funded summer internship program.
The N.C. Coastal Reserve Undergraduate Internship Award seeks to provide the opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to gain professional experience working in coastal and estuarine science, management, and education.
Applications* for the 2026 internship are accepted in the late fall and early 2026. The submission deadline is January 25, 2026, at 11:59 pm
*Finalists for the internship award will be instructed to complete and submit an application to the NC Coastal Reserve/NC National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Courtesy Rachel Clark