All Together Now: January 2026 From Your Friends at NERRA
Jan 15, 1:27 PM
Dear colleagues, As I reflect on the past year and look ahead to the next, a few images come to mind: postcard-writing parties, handshakes on the Hill, pelicans in flight. Last year you helped connect national decisions to local needs, and your collaboration, expertise, and commitment continue to be the foundation of the NERRS’ success in Congress.
I want to recognize each you—Reserve staff, volunteers, friends, and partners—who stepped up to raise a collective voice in Congress and remind leaders why Reserves matter. Thank you for all that you’ve done, and for the ways you will continue to stay with us in 2026.
Take care, Kristen Goodrich President, NERRA On behalf of the NERRA crew
In This Issue DC DOWNLOAD
TALK NERRDY TO ME: PAUL DEST
DOING MORE WITH LESS IN OHIO
DATA-POWERED PLANNING FOR A SAFER COAST
THE HIDDEN WILDLIFE OF COASTAL WETLANDS
NORTH CAROLINA’S PONY PATROL
FAREWELL, MARK SILBERSTEIN
50 YEARS AT SAPELO
WELCOME, JENN!
RESERVES MAKING NEWS
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DC Download: January 2026 Congress is expected to pass the FY 2026 appropriations package by January 16, and the bill protects and strengthens NERRS!
Get the download >
Talk NERRdy to Me: Paul Dest
This month, in a nonviolent coup, NERRA’s very own communications maven Dolores Leonard deposed our loveably infamous, raving reporter Nik Charov. She interviewed Paul Dest, long-time executive director of the Wells Reserve who officially retires this month. They talked of lobster labs and chicken coops, the making of a truly great Reserve, and what it means to be “promoted to volunteer.”
Read the interview >
Doing More with Less in Ohio Long recognized for its work to protect Lake Erie, the Old Woman Creek Reserve is now serving as a regional catalyst for bringing people together and building community capacity to restore and protect the lake and its tributaries for the long term.
Get the full story >
Data-Powered Planning for a Safer Coast
Southern Maine’s coastal towns are feeling the effects of rising seas and stronger storms. To help communities meet these challenges, the Wells Reserve and regional partners are creating practical, science-based tools that use local data to take actions that protect people and places.
Learn more >
Study Reveals the Hidden Wildlife of U.S. Coastal Wetlands When people picture estuaries, they may think of waving grasses and wading birds. What they don’t often imagine are bobcats roaming at night, black bears resting near the water’s edge, or raccoons raising their young in the marsh. This new research helps bring those stories to light.
Learn more >
Behind the Scenes with North Carolina’s Pony Patrol
The North Carolina Reserve is home to wild Banker horses that roam freely on the state’s pristine barrier islands. While the horses inspire people to visit and appreciate the natural landscape, sometimes they get a little too close. Enter the Pony Patrol: a volunteer group that aims to keep both the horses and their human visitors safe.
Get inspired >
Farewell, Mark Silberstein! After 43 years at the helm of the Elkhorn Slough Foundation, executive director Mark Silberstein will pass the baton to a new leader in 2026. Under his guidance, the Foundation grew into a nationally-accredited land trust, transforming public awareness of Elkhorn Slough as a vital resource and the wild heart of the region.
Read more >
Half a Century of the Sapelo Island Reserve
The Sapelo Island Reserve turns 50 this year. That's a half century protecting the people, places, and economies of the greater Altamaha River estuary. Join NERRA in wishing them a very happy birthday!
Welcome, Jenn! The Wells Reserve at Laudholm is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Jennifer Seavey as the new executive director. To the Reserve, she brings deep family roots in Maine and more than two decades of leadership in marine science, conservation, and community-centered coastal resilience across the Gulf of Maine.
Read more >
🥳 Congratulations to the Kachemak Bay Reserve for receiving the kachemak Heritage Land Trust’s King Maker Award for their commitment to the conservation, preservation, and protection of salmon!
🦀 The coast of Southern Maine near the Wells Reserve has a problem: invasive green crabs. One potential solution? Eat ‘em.
🦋 Get the latest in climate impacts on fish and wildlife living near the Chesapeake Bay Reserve in Maryland.
📊 Reserve data informed this paper on marine heatwaves in estuaries and coastal systems.
👨🎨 We love it when art meets science, and this exhibition at the Rookery Bay Reserve is no exception.
🦜 Love birds? Planning to be in Florida soon? Then do we have an event for you!
🎙️ We’re excited to tune into NHPR’s Something Wild podcast, now co-hosted by former Great Bay Reserve fellow Grace McCulloch.
🐟 Remember the fishpond restoration at the Heʻeia Reserve? Well, it was just completed, ensuring that this cultural landmark and living laboratory will be there for generations to come.
📚 Looking for something to read this weekend? Here’s a deep dive into what’s going on these days in the Tijuana River Estuary.
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Looking for a low-effort, high-impact outreach idea? The Wells Reserve found success this week by inviting a local TV meteorologist to give a public talk. The event drew strong attendance, brought in new members, and resulted in multiple on-air mentions during the state’s most-watched evening forecast and social media amplification. Bonus points: Broadcast meteorologists rely on NOAA and National Weather Service data and can be effective, credible voices for science and funding advocacy.
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The National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the work of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) and enhancing NERRS ability to support coastal communities and environments. We work with friends and partners to increase support for the NERRS and its programs.
❤️ Do you Heart Estuaries? Let the world know on Valentine's Day! Your Friends at NERRA You View this email in your browser
Dear NERRds, While NERRA is not running a formal #IHeartEstuaries social media campaign this year, we still encourage everyone to celebrate Valentine’s Day by sharing your love for estuaries on social media.
To help inspire your posts, here are some sample posts from 2024 and 2023. Feel free to use or adapt these or create your own posts—just be sure to include the #IHeartEstuaries hashtag. There are also two card templates you can use to send a Valentine to your senator or representative.
With love, Rebecca & the rest of the gang at NERRA
The National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the work of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) and enhancing NERRS ability to support coastal communities and environments. We work with friends and partners to increase support for the NERRS and its programs.
All Together Now: February 2026 Your Friends at NERRA You View this email in your browser
ALL TOGETHER NOW
Ibises take flight on Sapelo Island. A recent study estimated that wildlife-related recreation, including birding, contributes more than $120 billion to Georgia’s economy every year.
In This Issue DC DOWNLOAD
WILDLIFE KEY TO GEORGIA’S COASTAL ECONOMY
TEACHING ALASKA’S NEXT GENERATION ABOUT SALMON
GOOD FIRE IS CATCHING ACROSS THE SYSTEM
FROM SEEDS TO SHORELINE IN SOUTH CAROLINA
JOINING HANDS TO COMPLETE THE HEʻEIA FISHPOND
RESERVES MAKING NEWS
SPREAD THE NERRD WORD
Dear colleagues, When we say we love our estuaries, it’s more than sentiment. It’s a recognition that estuaries—and our Reserves—are at the heart of coastal regions and the communities that depend on them.
I’ll carry that perspective with me when the NERRA board meets in Washington, DC next month. While there, and beside our coastal partners, we’ll be expressing gratitude to Congress for the continued support that allows us to continue to work to protect our estuaries.
Until then, take care, Kristen Goodrich President, NERRA On behalf of the NERRA crew
DC Download: February 2026 H.R. 6938, which included FY 2026 funding for Reserves, was passed by the Senate and the House and has been signed into law by the President.
Get the download > STORIES FROM AROUND THE SYSTEM Wildlife Key to Georgia’s Coastal Economy
As new residents and visitors flock to Georgia's coast, the Sapelo Island Reserve is demonstrating that natural areas and economic prosperity go hand in hand. A recent study led by the Reserve and University of Georgia Marine Extension and Sea Grant found that coastal nongame wildlife recreation contributes billions of dollars to the state’s economy.
That’s right, billions. Learn more >
Teaching Alaska’s Next Generation about Salmon
In Alaska, salmon lessons start early. It’s common for young children to be able to name the five species that collectively generate more than $1.5 billion in economic value annually. What’s often missing from the curriculum, though, is a deeper understanding of the role local landscapes play in salmon abundance.
Learn how the Kachemak Bay Reserve is stepping up to help >
Good Fire is Catching
On Wisconsin Point, land stewards including the Lake Superior Reserve recently did something that, for some, would have been unthinkable decades ago: they set a fire. Carefully planned and closely monitored, the burn was designed to restore native habitat, reduce wildfire risk, and bring the long-standing practice of Ishkode (fire) back to heal people and the landscape.
Read about the good fire catching System-wide >
From Seeds to Shoreline On a clear fall morning, students from South Florence High School waded into the marsh at the North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserve, collecting marsh grass seeds beneath a bright blue sky. Underway for more than a decade, this muddy, hands on project has been planting the seeds of not only future marshes, but also the next generation of coastal stewards in South Carolina.
Read about this great Reserve/Sea Grant partnership >
Joining Hands to Complete the Heʻeia Fishpond
After more than two decades of steady, community-led work, the completion of restoration efforts at Heʻeia Fishpond marks a historic milestone for Hawaiʻi. No longer surrounded by invasive mangrove, the 88-acre fishpond is a powerful example of what sustained community stewardship can achieve, and the Heʻeia Reserve has played a critical role in supporting the restoration work.
Get inspired by what happens when we work together > RESERVES MAKING NEWS
☕ Looking for some weekend reading? We love this history of the Tijuana River Estuary and the story of two people who worked so hard to save it—and inspired the next generation to love their wetlands.
🗺️ New mapping tool, developed at the ACE Basin Reserve, is poised to help South Carolina prepare for sea-level rise.
🧪 The Kachemak Bay Reserve presented their HABs monitoring work at Alaska’s Marine Science Symposium.
👏 North Carolina is celebrating 25 years of service from stellar educator Lori Davis, 14 of which have been spent as education coordinator at the North Carolina Reserve.
🏆 Florida’s Apalachicola Reserve is part of a collaborative research team that won this international research award.
🐚 Researchers at the Wells Reserve published a study on movement of queen conchs that is informing new conservation guidance. (Read more here and here.)
💸 We love it when Reserves in Hawai‘i, New Hampshire, Florida (and around the System) get the resources they need to do important work forr the coasts.
🦭 Manatee sighting at the Grand Bay Reserve is helping scientists understand the importance of protected coastal areas to these loveable creatures. (Spoiler alert: they’re not just cruising by.)
Also: 🕊️ It’s almost peak birding season in Mississippi and the Grand Bay Reserve is a must-visit.
🐦 And speaking of birds … a new study has debunked a 50-year myth that native Hawaiians cause bird extinctions. (Read more here and here.)
🏖️ This new multimedia campaign encourages visitors to go beyond the traditional Florida beach vacation and enjoy the pristine beauty at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas Reserve.
🎓 We love this Holling Scholar’s reflection of their time working on biocultural restoration at the He‘eia Reserve.
🌱 Conservationists are gathering seeds and cuttings of native species at the Rookery Bay Reserve to make sure they are not lost as habitats change or disappear.
🧑🔬 This collaborative project investigating the health of restored manoomin at the Lake Superior Reserve is such a good example of indigenous-led research.
✅ Some impressive updates on the North Carolina Reserve’s work last year.
🤩 We are already huge fans of the ACE Basin Reserve, but this article does a great job of summarizing what it is and why it’s so important.
🐴 You still have a few days to apply to work for the North Carolina Reserve’s Pony Patrol.
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3:00–4:00 PM ET, Tuesday, March 3, 2026 Christine Feurt of the Wells Reserve and Neil Ganju of the U.S. Geological Survey will present a project that applied geospatial tools to support salt marsh conservation and restoration along Maine’s coast. Using a Collaborative Learning approach, scientists and marsh managers worked together to adapt these tools for real-world decision-making around changes in marsh resilience. The webinar will highlight the tools, the innovative collaborative process, and a new guide, How to Catalyze Geospatial Science to Build Marsh Resilience, developed to help practitioners design effective marsh resilience projects.
The National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing the work of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) and enhancing NERRS ability to support coastal communities and environments. We work with friends and partners to increase support for the NERRS and its programs.
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