NORTH CAROLINA WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION
WILDLIFE DIVERSITY PROGRAM QUARTERLY REPORT April–June 2026
Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
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On the cover, clockwise from top left: An Indiana bat captured during a mistnet survey on the Nantahala National Forest. (photo, Katherine Etchison, NCWRC); NCWRC technicians Sean Devine and Brittni McGuire, along with volunteer, Marcia Lyons, survey a Royal and Sandwich Tern colony on a shoal in Pamlico Sound (photo, Carmen Johnson, NCWRC); Releasing an Allegheny woodrat (photo, Jonathon Gruenke, NCWRC); A hatchling Eastern mud turtle caught while surveying for amphibians on Sandhills Game Land (photo, Marissa Calvert, NCWRC).
Left, Larval glochidia from a federally-endangered James spinymussel collected from the Dan River, Stokes County (photo, Chris Eads, NC State University); right, A metamorph gopher frog is released at an artificial burrow in the Sandhills (photo, Marissa Calvert, NCWRC).
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Table of Contents Wildlife Diversity Program Staff ..........................................................................................................4 Nest Side Story ..................................................................................................................................6 Monitoring Wood Storks and Tracking Nesting Outcomes .....................................................................7 Fifty Years of Monitoring Waterbirds – The North Carolina Colonial Waterbird Survey Celebrates a Milestone ........................................................................................................8 Listening for the Birds: 2026 Expansion of NCWRC’s Motus Wildlife Tracking Network ........................10 First Indiana Bat Maternity Roost Found in 14 Years ..........................................................................12 Mountain Woodrat Surveys Off to a Great Start ..................................................................................13 Leatherback Sea Turtle Nesting in North Carolina ..............................................................................14 Growing Our Bog Turtle Populations One Year at a Time: An Update On North Carolina’s Bog Turtle Headstart Program .......................................................................................................15 A Summer Opportunity ....................................................................................................................16 Two Years Out – Eastern Hellbender Surveys in Hurricane-damaged Habitats ....................................17 New GatorWise Swag – Keeping Alligators Wild and People Safe ........................................................18 Technical Assistance .......................................................................................................................19 Partners for Green Growth ................................................................................................................19 Conservation Partnerships ...............................................................................................................19 Cooperative Land Conservation ........................................................................................................20 NCWRC Resilience Strategy .............................................................................................................21 Beach Nourishment Activities ..........................................................................................................21 Aquatic Organism Passage/Culvert Assessment ................................................................................21 Wildlife Crossing Activities ...............................................................................................................22 Helene Division Assistance/Coordination ..........................................................................................22 Spring and Summer 2026 Updates from the Foothills Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Region .......................23 Cape Fear Shiner (Miniellus mekistocholas) Broodstock Collections in the Deep River Subbasin ..........24 Update on the Status of Sharphead Darter Following Hurricane Helene ..............................................24
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) Wildlife Diversity (WD) Program is housed within the agency’s Inland Fisheries (Aquatic Wildlife Diversity) and Wildlife Management divisions. Program responsi- bilities principally include surveys, research and other projects for nongame and endangered wildlife species. Nongame species are animals without an open hunting, fishing or trapping season.
Wildlife Diversity Program Staff
Dr. Sara Schweitzer, Assistant Chief, Wildlife Management Division, Wildlife Diversity Program sara.schweitzer@ncwildlife.gov; Wake County Rachael Hoch, Assistant Chief of Fisheries, Inland Fisheries Division, Aquatic Wildlife Diversity
rachael.hoch@ncwildlife.gov; Wake County Scott Anderson, Science Support Coordinator scott.anderson@ncwildlife.gov; Wake County Brooke Calisto, Waterbird Technician brooke.calisto@ncwildlife.gov; Carteret County John Carpenter, Eastern Landbird Biologist john.carpenter@ncwildlife.gov; New Hanover County
Karen Clark, Science Support Specialist karen.clark@ncwildlife.gov; Coastal Region Kacy Cook, Waterbird Biologist kacy.cook@ncwildlife.gov; Carteret County Sean Devine, Waterbird Technician sean.devine@ncwildlife.gov; Craven County Katherine Etchison, Mammalogist katherine.etchison@ncwildlife.gov; Buncombe County Dr. Luke Etchison, Western Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator luke.etchison@ncwildlife.gov; Haywood County Michael Fisk, Eastern Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator michael.fisk@ncwildlife.gov; Lee County
Sarah Finn, Coastal Wildlife Diversity Biologist sarah.finn@ncwildlife.gov; New Hanover County
Gabrielle Graeter, Conservation Biologist/Herpetologist gabrielle.graeter@ncwildlife.gov; Buncombe County Aubrey Greene, Wildlife Diversity Biologist/Herpetologist aubrey.greene@ncwildlife.gov; Moore County Dr. Matthew Godfrey, Sea Turtle Biologist matt.godfrey@ncwildlife.gov; Carteret County Jeff Hall, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Biologist jeff.hall@ncwildlife.gov; Pitt County
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist carmen.johnson@ncwildlife.gov; Craven County Brena Jones, Landscape Planning Coordinator, Habitat Conservation Division brena.jones@ncwildlife.gov; Granville County Chris Kelly, Western Bird and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel Biologist christine.kelly@ncwildlife.gov; Buncombe County
CC King, Science Support Specialist cc.king@ncwildlife.gov; Piedmont Region Isabella Lacourrege, Waterbird Technician isabella.lacourrege@ncwildlife.gov; Craven County Brittni McGuire, Waterbird Technician
brittni.mcguire@ncwildlife.gov; Craven County Amber Olson, Eastern Listed Species Biologist amber.olson@ncwildlife.gov; Alamance County Dylan Owensby, Western Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist dylan.owensby@ncwildlife.gov; Haywood County Michael Perkins, Foothills Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator michael.perkins@ncwildlife.gov; McDowell County Langston Rimmer, Central Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Biologist langston.rimmer@ncwildlife.gov; Alamance County Rosie Ronca, Herpetologist Technician rosie.ronca@ncwildlife.gov; Buncombe County Chantelle Rondel, Western Aquatic Listed Species Biologist chantelle.rondel@ncwildlife.gov; Macon County Lee Sherrill, Science Support Specialist lee.sherrill@ncwildlife.gov; Mountain Region Andrea Shipley, Mammalogist (shared staff with Surveys & Research) andrea.shipley@ncwildlife.gov; Nash County Hope Sutton, Eastern Wildlife Diversity Supervisor hope.sutton@ncwildlife.gov; New Hanover County Mike Walter, Central Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator michael.walter@ncwildlife.gov; Alamance County
Alicia Davis Wassmer, Alligator Biologist alicia.wassmer@ncwildlife.gov; Wake County Joey Weber, Bat Technician joey.weber@ncwildlife.gov; Haywood County
Kendrick Weeks, Western Wildlife Diversity Supervisor kendrick.weeks@ncwildlife.gov; Henderson County Lori Williams, Western Amphibian Biologist lori.williams@ncwildlife.gov; Henderson County
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Nest Side Story
by John Carpenter, Eastern Landbird Biologist
M any bird species have evolved ways to conceal their nests very well, which makes discovering one by accident a highlight of a field biologist’s day. On an early June morning this quarter, while walking through a recently burned longleaf pine forest conducting surveys for the Red-cockaded Wood- pecker in Bladen County, a Common Nighthawk burst up from the ground immediately at my side. It flew a short dis- tance and began a “broken wing display,” a tactic used by sev- eral bird species that involves the bird feigning injury to dis- tract potential predators and lure them away from a nearby active nest. I was not fooled. A quick look around revealed two small, speckled eggs lying on the bare ground just feet away from where I was standing. Nighthawks do not build nests, and their egg laying seems less strategic and more haphazard, as if they decide, “I have 5 seconds to put these eggs some- where… whoops, oh well, there they are!” On the drive home, I realized that this discovery presented an opportunity. I returned a few days later with two cheap trail cameras, setting them as close to the nest as I could without causing abandonment. I programmed one to capture still pho- tos and the other video. My hope was to document all the fascinating stuff that could happen—fluffy chicks, unusual behaviors, massive storms—and gain insights into events we rarely, if ever, witness in person. When I returned 3 weeks later, I found the camera pro- grammed for still images knocked over, face down. The other was still upright but with a maxed-out memory card. Upon inspecting the files, I quickly noticed very few still photos yet hundreds of videos, most from a single day. As sometimes happens with deployment of field equipment, things had gone wrong. Luckily, I found a few files that did provide some inter- esting scenes, but overall, I was disappointed that the attempt hadn’t revealed a more interesting story. For some reason, before closing the file folder, I clicked on a couple more seemingly random files and saw… well, my sto- rytelling just can’t compete with the actual footage. Watch the short story unfold here .
JOHN CARPENTER/NCWRC
Top, a Common Nighthawk nest and eggs; bottom, a Common Nighthawk female on nest.
JOHN CARPENTER/NCWRC
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Monitoring Wood Storks and Tracking Nesting Outcomes
by Kacy Cook, Waterbird Biologist, and Brooke Callisto, Waterbird Technician
W e conducted our annual nest abundance surveys for Wood Storks in North Carolina during the spring. For the 2026 breeding season, we recorded a total of 712 active Wood Stork nests across four active nesting colonies. This year’s count is among the highest nest abundance estimates observed since 2005. Wood Storks were not docu- mented at four other locations where nesting has previously occurred, one of which is a natural Car- olina Bay which has dried up, likely due to our pro- longed drought. During Wood Stork monitoring, we also found three Little Blue Heron nests that were positioned such that we decided to deploy trail cameras in an attempt to track nesting outcomes – a task that is nearly impossible to accomplish via direct observa- tion. We were able to set up trail cameras approxi- mately 50 feet from each nest without disturbing any nearby birds. The cameras are set to take one picture once every three minutes throughout the nesting season. We are hopeful that this approach will allow us to capture any predation or competition events. We may also get some information about food items brought to young by the adult birds.
KACY COOK/NCWRC
Wood Stork nest with young, in a cypress tree.
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Fifty Years of Monitoring Waterbirds – The North Carolina Colonial Waterbird Survey Celebrates a Milestone
by Carmen Johnson, Waterbird Biologist; Sean Devine, Isabella Lacourrege, & Brittni McGuire, Waterbird Technicians
T his year, 2026, marks the 50th Anniversary of the North Carolina Colonial Waterbird Survey, a triennial survey used to monitor the status and distribution of nesting colonial waterbirds in the state. Throughout May and June, NCWRC, the National Park Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the North Carolina Coastal Reserve, North Carolina State Parks, the United States Marine Corps, Audubon NC, and the Bald Head Island Conservancy have been counting nests up and down the North Carolina coast. The survey was established in 1976 by Dr. James Parnell, a professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, with the goal of assessing the size of colonial waterbird breed- ing populations in the state amid concerns over pesticide con- tamination and habitat loss. The 1976 survey was disrupted by weather, so Dr. Parnell surveyed again in 1977 to get a higher quality count. Over the last 50 years, the survey has informed the management of waterbirds in North Carolina by producing valuable data on how the nesting population of each species has changed in the state. The data from this year will be entered into the Colonial Waterbird Database managed by NCWRC, as well as the Avian Knowledge Network, a data-sharing effort which seeks to understand broader scale changes in the distri- bution and status of waterbirds along the Atlantic Flyway.
CARMEN JOHNSON/NCWRC
NCWRC technicians Sean Devine and Brittni McGuire, along with volun- teer, Marcia Lyons, survey a Royal and Sandwich Tern colony on a shoal in Pamlico Sound.
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A Royal Tern and Sandwich Tern colony.
BRITTNI MCGUIRE/NCWRC
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
CARMEN JOHNSON/NCWRC
CARMEN JOHNSON/NCWRC
Left to Right: NCWRC staff survey a Least Tern colony on a dredge material island near Oregon Inlet by walking transects to look for the tiny, camouflaged nests that are laid directly on the ground. A Glossy Ibis nest.
BRITTNI MCGUIRE/NCWRC
BRITTNI MCGUIRE/NCWRC
Left to Right: NCWRC Staff survey a long-legged wading bird and Brown Pelican colony. A newly hatched Least Tern chick in a rooftop colony.
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Listening for the Birds: 2026 Expansion of NCWRC’s Motus Wildlife Tracking Network
by Chris Kelly, Bird and Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel Biologist, Western Region
L ast quarter we brought you a story about listening for the Northern Saw-whet Owl with bioacoustics equipment. This quar- ter we have more stories about listening; this time with antennas. The 2026 spring season brought significant movement in the expansion of NCWRC’s Motus infrastructure. Commission biologists coordinated final planning and logistics for installa- tion of new Motus stations across North Carolina’s four national forests and Cape Lookout National Seashore. Through our Good Neighbor Authority – Motus agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, Garrett Rhyne of the American Bird Conservancy installed one station on Croatan National Forest, one on the Uwharrie National Forest, and four on Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests. Four additional stations are scheduled for Pisgah and Nantahala this summer and fall. Five years after initiating this effort, western North Carolina is now approaching the level of coverage originally envisioned across the Appalachian Mountains. These stations fill a major gap (dubbed by our friends to the north as a “black hole”) in the global Motus network and support research on migratory birds, bats, and insects across the region. The Commission has also become an active contributor to this research through participation in a rangewide Wood Thrush nanotagging project. During spring migration, our network of Motus stations, combined with ground tracking, documented the return of two Wood Thrush that we tagged in 2025. Planning is already underway to participate in a rangewide Kentucky Warbler nanotagging project in 2027. Coordinated by the Appala- chian Mountains Joint Venture, the Kentucky Warbler project, much like the Wood Thrush project, seeks to fill in knowledge gaps about the species’ full annual cycle. State wildlife agencies factor prominently in these efforts, tagging birds on the breeding grounds and even supporting tagging by partners on the bird’s nonbreeding grounds.
Recent buildout of Motus Wildlife Tracking Net- work showing NCWRC efforts (yellow, green, blue) and other stations (orange - WNC only). Note that this map does not depict the full Mo- tus network in North Carolina.
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Motus stations being installed in 2026 under the NCWRC-USFS Good Neighbor Authority Motus agreement. Click Motus Station IDs for more information and to check for detections during fall migration.
Station
National Forest
Ranger District
Motus Station ID
16252 16253 16254 16260 16156 16283
Frying Pan Cowee Bald
Pisgah
Pisgah
Nantahala Nantahala Nantahala Croatan Uwharrie
Nantahala Nantahala Tusquittee Croatan Uwharrie Appalachian Appalachian Grandfather
Wine Spring Bald
Panther Top
Croatan
Buck Mountain Roan Mountain Camp Creek Bald
Pisgah Pisgah Pisgah
Pending installation Pending installation Pending installation Pending installation Pending authorization
Dobson Knob
Huckleberry/Oak Kb
Nantahala
Cheoah
Mt Mitchell (NC State Parks)
Pisgah coverage
Appalachian coverage
CLAYTON GIBB/NCWRC
Top: NCWRC’s partner, Garrett Rhyne, Southeast Motus Coordinator with the American Bird Conservancy, assembles a Motus station on the USFS Air Quality build- ing at Frying Pan Mountain in Haywood County. Bottom: Garrett hauls his mobile Motus workshop all over the Southeastern US to install stations.
Western NC Motus network showing 2026 installations through the USFS Good Neighbor Au- thority (GNA) Motus agreement and existing stations. Stations coded yellow, green and blue are registered under the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Motus project #588 on Motus.org .
CLAYTON GIBB/NCWRC
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
First Indiana Bat Maternity Roost Found in 14 Years
by Katherine Etchison, Bat Biologist
N orth Carolina Wildlife Resources Commision biologists made an exciting find with help from U.S. Forest Service and Brown Envi- ronmental biologists through the capture of five Indiana bats on the Nantahala National Forest in Graham County. The most recent Indiana bat capture in this area occurred in 2012 despite continued mistnet sur- veys until present day. The endangered Indiana bat has suffered severe population declines due to White-nose Syndrome (WNS), which has made this species so rare that the last mistnet capture in the state occurred in 2015. These recent Indiana bat captures are the result of many hours of intensive scouting and acoustic surveys as NCWRC searches for WNS survivor colonies. Two of the five reproductive female Indiana bats were radio-tagged and tracked to their roost in a dead eastern hemlock tree in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness Area. This tree represents a mater- nity site, from which 24 bats were counted exiting the roost at sunset. This is the first Indiana bat maternity roost found in 14 years in the state. Planning for future monitoring and efforts to learn more about this important bat colony are underway.
JULIA ELLIOTT
JOHNNY WILLS
KATHERINE ETCHISON/NCWRC
An Indiana bat captured during a mistnet survey on the Nantahala National Forest.
KATHERINE ETCHISON/NCWRC
Top: An Indiana bat receiving a radio-tag. Middle: Wild- life Diversity Technician, Joey Weber and Wildlife Diver- sity Biologist, Katherine Etchison, radio-track two Indi- ana bats. Bottom: An Indiana bat maternity roost tree in the Nantahala National Forest.
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Mountain Woodrat Surveys Off to a Great Start! by Andrea Shipley, Mammalogist
T he Wildlife Resources Commission’s game lands are man- aged for public recreation and for wildlife habitat. The mountain region has a diverse array of game lands and small mammal species, some of which are considered Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) or are state listed. The Allegheny woodrat and the Southern Appalachian woodrat are pack rats that are native to North Carolina. The Allegheny woodrat is state designated as “Special Concern,” which means that they require monitoring to obtain additional information on their populations, and the Southern Appalachian woodrat is designated as an SGCN in the 2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan due to a knowledge deficiency about the species in the state. To address these knowledge gaps, we are surveying our game lands to determine if Allegheny and Southern Appalachian woodrats are present. Last October, we began woodrat surveys at Sandy Mush Game Land, where we caught four woodrats, two of which were pregnant females. The capture of pregnant females, females who have signs that they’ve recently had a litter, or subadults, is important because it indicates that there is an established breeding population. Determining if there’s a breeding population helps us understand if the area needs long term monitoring. In March, we began surveys again once nighttime temperatures were holding at 40 F and above. We started by surveying Toxaway Game Land where we caught four Southern Appalachian woodrats, one of which was a pregnant female and one a subadult male. We also surveyed the Little Table Rock tract of Pisgah Game Land, including deployment of trail cameras, but were unsuccessful at detect- ing woodrats. In May, we surveyed a historical Allegheny woodrat site in Pisgah National Forest, where we caught two pregnant females. This site was previously surveyed in 2020, and it was great news to be able to verify that the colony is still actively breeding! Surveys on game lands for woodrats will continue through October on Pond Mountain, Elk Knob, William H. Silver, and Needmore game lands. These surveys will ultimately help the Scientific Council’s Mammals Subcommittee evaluate the sta- tus of both species in the future.
JONATHON GRUENKE/NCWRC
Above: Releasing an Allegheny woodrat. Below: Allegheny woodrat habitat in Pisgah National Forest.
JONATHON GRUENKE/NCWRC
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Leatherback Sea Turtle Nesting in North Carolina by Matthew Godfrey, Sea Turtle Biologist, and Sarah Finn, Coastal Wildlife Diversity Biologist
I n 1966, Frank Schwartz at the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Science in Morehead City, North Carolina, received a report of a handful of live Leatherback Sea Turtle hatchlings crawl- ing down the beach at South Core Banks in Carteret County, sug- gesting that a Leatherback Sea Turtle nested there earlier that sea- son. However, he considered the record as “possible” because no photos or other evidence was presented. It wasn’t until 1998 that Leatherback nesting in North Carolina was confirmed when two females were observed laying eggs at Cape Hatteras National Sea- shore in Dare County. Since that year, there have been 63 confirmed Leatherback nests laid in North Carolina, including six nests laid during the 2026 sea turtle season. The first nest of this year was laid in late April on Atlantic Beach in Carteret County, and the female turtle was observed on the beach at dawn, returning to the water after nesting. Because Leatherback eggs are larger and laid deeper in the sand, the incubation period of the eggs tends to be longer than Loggerhead Sea Turtle eggs. It is expected that the Leatherback eggs in Atlantic Beach will produce hatchlings in late July or early August. The other Leatherback nests, laid at the Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras National Seashores, will likely produce hatchlings in August or September.
NCWRC STAFF
Above: The distinctive crawl associated with a Leatherback Sea Tur- tle that nested in Atlantic Beach. Left: The adult female Leatherback Sea Turtle returning to the water after nesting in Atlantic Beach.
NCWRC STAFF
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Growing Our Bog Turtle Populations One Year at a Time: An Update On North Carolina’s Bog Turtle Headstart Program by Gabrielle Graeter, Reptile Biologist, Western Region
I n North Carolina, decades of human-driven habitat impacts have led to fewer than 10% of our known bog turtle ( Glypte- mys muhlenbergii ) populations being considered viable. One of the ways we help sustain the remaining populations is by bol- stering recruitment of juvenile turtles across the landscape. We use two main strategies to increase the number of young turtles entering a population each year. The first is using predator-ex- cluder cages around nests that we find, allowing the eggs to incubate in the wild and hatch while minimizing the threat of predation. The other strategy is to transport eggs from wild nests to our partners at Zoo Knoxville to incubate and rear the hatchling turtles through their first nine months, giving them a ‘headstart’ on survival once released back to the wild. This year marked the fifth year that we have been using a ‘headstart’ program for bog turtles across their North Carolina range, and we are seeing some promising results from our work. Given that bog turtles are not mature until age six to eight years and the number released each year is relatively small, determin- ing success requires a lot of patience. Since we began in 2021, we have collected 299 eggs from 93 nests in North Carolina and released 209 juvenile headstarted bog turtles back into the wild. Eggs collected for headstarting have a 72% success rate of hatch- ing, which is significantly higher than what is reported in the literature for wild nests with no intervention (15 - 33% hatch rate). While we are unable to estimate survival rates to repro- ductive age on headstarted turtles at this point in the program, we have more than doubled one population from only five known turtles in 2018 to a minimum of 12 adult turtles in 2025 and are also seeing repeated captures of headstarted individuals across all of our participating sites. In North Carolina, our populations are benefiting from our continued efforts to increase population sizes and protect indi- viduals from risks at their most vulnerable life stage. In May 2026, we signed another agreement with Zoo Knoxville to con- tinue this collaborative program for another five years. In June 2026, with the help of our partners, we were able to collect more than 90 eggs from 28 nests across nine sites for the headstarting project. Once they hatch in August, the Zoo will rear them through the winter until their release in May 2027 into their original bogs. As we continue this vital work and the dataset grows, we will have more information to share and to help inform future conservation decisions.
ROSIE RONCA/NCWRC
NCWRC staff and partners dedicate hundreds of hours every summer to finding bog turtles nests to protect, like the one pictured here, both through headstarting and in-situ predator excluder cages. Every nest that we are able to find represents an opportunity to grow these pop- ulations and conserve this species.
ROSIE RONCA/NCWRC
Juvenile bog turtles from the 2025 cohort (released in 2026) were incubated and reared at Zoo Knoxville for the first 9 months of their lives, during which they received regular check ups to track growth and condition. In May of 2026, these individuals were released back to their natal bogs after having grown to the size of 3-year-old wild bog turtles.
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
A Summer Opportunity
by Aubrey Heupel Greene, Herpetologist, Sandhills and Piedmont regions
Z ach Smith joined the Sandhills herp team for summer 2026 as an NCWRC Intern coming from App State. Zach has been splitting his time between the NC Zoo and the Sandhills, focus- ing primarily on amphibian monitoring and husbandry. His time at the Zoo is spent caring for larval gopher frogs and tiger sala- manders collected from the Sandhills. As the summer has pro- gressed both species have begun metamorphing and emerging, ready to be released back into the wild. Because most wetlands aren’t holding water this summer, Zach helped Sandhills Herpe- tology Technician, Marissa Calvert, create artificial burrows where released metamorphs can take refuge. Because genetic studies have indicated that gopher frogs in the Carolinas could use a boost in terms of genetic diversity, NCWRC and many regional partners decided to take action this year by headstarting eggs collected from a huge spring breeding event on the coast (over 70 egg masses!) and releasing them to other pop- ulations in the region. This effort will hopefully give those popu- lations more frogs as well as increased genetic diversity, which improves the overall health and survival of the population. Gopher frogs didn’t breed in the Sandhills in 2026 due to the drought, but thanks to the coastal population, we have frogs to release not just at Sandhills Game Land but at Fort Bragg as well. It has been several years since breeding has been confirmed (eggs) on Fort Bragg, so it is exciting to release frogs on this land- scape as another step toward the long-term survival of gopher frogs in the Sandhills region. The fieldwork portion of Zach’s time with NCWRC was intended to be spent surveying amphibians in ephemeral wet- lands but in a drought year there aren’t as many amphibians (or wetlands) to be found! Instead, we have focused on permanent wetlands to determine what species use these habitats. So far, we have found eight amphibian and two turtle species, including a very tiny hatchling mud turtle! This information will help us bet- ter understand the role these wetlands play on the landscape. It is particularly helpful to know which wetlands hold water even in extreme drought years and are thereby the only available breeding habitat for many species.
Left to right: A larval Eastern tiger salamander being raised at the NC Zoo; A metamorph Eastern tiger salamander is ready for transport from the NC Zoo. AUBREY HEUPEL GREENE/NCWRC AUBREY HEUPEL GREENE/NCWRC
MARISSA CALVERT/NCWRC
AUBREY HEUPEL GREENE/NCWRC
Above Clockwise: A hatchling Eastern mud turtle caught while surveying for amphibians on Sand- hills Game Land; NCWRC Intern, Zach Smith, releasing a meta- morph gopher frog into a recently filled wetland on Fort Bragg; A small wetland on Sandhills Game Land that continues to hold water despite severe drought conditions. Wetlands like this may be the only places available for amphibians to breed successfully in these condi- tions; Fort Bragg Biologist, Jessie Schillaci, releases a metamorph gopher frog into a recently filled wetland on Fort Bragg.
AUBREY HEUPEL GREENE/NCWRC
AUBREY HEUPEL GREENE/NCWRC
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Two Years Out – Eastern Hellbender Surveys in Hurricane-damaged Habitats by Lori Williams, Western Region Amphibian Biologist
I n the second quarter of 2026, Wildlife Diversity staff continued assessing and monitoring Eastern Hellbender populations post-Hurricane Helene. In one focal stream, a tributary in the Upper French Broad River drainage (Transylvania County), we conducted six snorkel surveys at three known sites to compare pre-Helene results with year one post-Helene (2025) and now, year two post-Helene. Survey results were very comparable to those in 2025, including observations of adult Hell- benders (n = 1 to 2) at all three sites and larval Hellbenders (n = 3 to 4) at two out of three sites. Finding any larvae at all is a good sign for population recovery. How- ever, numbers of adult Hellbenders are still lower than what was found before the hurricane, which is concerning. Similar to 2025, staff noted lingering damage to stream substrate and riverbanks from heavy machinery and debris removal activi- ties, as well as extensive silt and sediment deposits.
A gilled Eastern Hellbender larva in hand, a welcome sign of recent, successful nest. BEN DALTON/NCWRC
Left to right: Eastern Hellbender gilled larva in silt and sediment on stream bottom; substrate conditions worsened after Hurricane Helene and after in-stream debris removal operations; An adult Eastern Hell- bender, likely a male “den master,” under cover on the stream bottom. BEN DALTON/NCWRC BEN DALTON/NCWRC
A larva of Eastern Hellbend- er on the stream bottom af- ter release. Note the small, external gills on the neck, which are absorbed around two years of age.
BEN DALTON/NCWRC
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for October–December 2025
New GatorWise Swag – Keeping Alligators Wild and People Safe
by Alicia Wassmer, Alligator Biologist
A t the 4th annual Lake Waccamaw Alligator Festival held during April 2026 at the Elizabeth Brinkley Park in the town of Lake Waccamaw, stickers and magnets bearing the catchphrase “Keep Alligators Wild” were popular freebies picked up by festi- valgoers at the NCWRC informational booth. Throughout the event, agency staff hosting the booth chatted with countless locals and visitors, answering questions about alligator biology, the vital ecological roles of alligators, and – most importantly – how to coexist responsibly with these large, native reptiles by being GatorWise. In 2025, wildlife agencies in each of the 11 states where American Alligators live worked together to launch GatorWise®, a regional outreach initiative modeled after BearWise®. This campaign seeks to provide reliable resources to the public and deliver clear and consistent communications about how to avoid human-alligator conflicts and live responsibly with Alligators. No matter which state they’re in, people can be GatorWise by following the same set of GatorWise Basics: • Assume alligators are present • Never feed alligators • Don’t dispose of fish or food scraps in water • Never harass, capture, or handle an alligator • Be responsible for people and pets in your care • Maintain awareness anytime you are in or near water By learning the 6 GatorWise Basics, residents and visitors can make informed decisions about their behavior and take action to keep Alligators wild and people safe. To learn more, visit GatorWise.org .
ALICIA WASSMER/NCWRC
Outreach booth promoting GatorWise at the 2026 Lake Waccamaw Alligator Festival.
Stickers and refrigerator magnets were given out to support adoption of GatorWise behaviors.
Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
HABITAT CONSERVATION
Technical Assistance
Staff have provided technical assistance to multiple community groups and local governments. These technical assistance interac- tions include: • Wake Forest Conservation Alliance – recommendations on development review processes and conservation priorities • Subdivision development review for City of Durham Planning Commission • Town of Chapel Hill Greenways Plan • Durham City & County Open Space Plan • Collaboration with the Office of Conservation Policy & Analysis to implement an evaluation of the Green Growth Toolbox Program
Partners for Green Growth
Recipients of the Partners for Green Growth cost-share program in 2024 and 2025 have been moving forward with their projects, with two projects in the final stages of completion. • Union County has completed their Partners for Green Growth project with their Rural Land Use Plan, draft ordinance lan- guage, and Conservation Subdivision Brochure. Rural Land Use Plan | Union County, NC • The Village of Forest Hills was selected to receive Partners for Green Growth funding to develop conservation policies for their future land use plan and develop a technical memo on ordinance opportunities for enhanced resource conservation. • The Town of Aberdeen has been awarded Partners for Green Growth cost-share funding to create a conservation chapter in their preferred development guide and develop model ordinances for incentivizing conservation design.
Conservation Partnerships
Staff are actively involved in several conservation partnerships around North Carolina. Partnerships with notable involvement include the Triangle Connectivity Collaborative, NC Natural and Working Lands Steering Committee, Onslow Bight Conservation Forum, Cape Fear Arch, the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS), NC Bat Working Group, NC Sandhills Conservation Partnership, Collaboration on Helene Impact and Recovery Assessment and Monitoring (CHIRAM), NC Connectivity Coalition, NC Chapter of The Wildlife Society, and the Eastern North Carolina Sentinel Landscape Partnership (ENCSL). Over the last quarter: • Staff are assisting the Onslow Bight Conservation Forum in organizing their Private Lands Working Group and developing an outreach and technical assistance program for private landowners in the Onslow Bight. One private landowner event was coordinated with eight landowners in attendance. • Staff assisted with coordination of a NC Sandhills Conservation Partnership meeting on June 10th, 2026 focused on land use planning and conservation. • Staff continue to participate on the Cape Fear Arch steering committee and continues to assist in planning quarterly meetings. • Staff are collaborating with CHIRAM members to provide landowner workshops on stream restoration. • Staff are serving in a technical guidance role on the NC Connectivity Coalition’s statewide wildlife habitat mapping initiative.
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Cooperative Land Conservation
AMERICAN THE BEAUTIFUL GRANT – The hoop house was completed in June at the Sandhills Depot with funding from an ATB grant. Seeds from 40+ Sandhills plant species have been collected over the last 3 years and will be propagated in the hoop house with the intent of distributing to landowners that are working to replant longleaf pine and enhance herbaceous groundcover with appropriate ecotypes. In addition, in association with Sandhills LAWA staff, plants will be grown to revegetate food plots and openings on Sandhills GL, no longer being used because of poor productivity. Funding from this grant has also allowed for the contract growing of 25+ Sandhills and Coastal Plain species in association with a local nursery and two state botanical gardens. COMPETITIVE STATE WILDLIFE GRANT – Frosted elfin (an SGCN) surveys were conducted across the State in April and May with funding from a cSWG. On Sandhills GL, populations from last year were verified and counted; an additional population was noted on Block A and will be monitored in coming years as well. As part of the cSWG, NatureServe is running models to give potential locations of appropriate frosted elfin habitat to broaden our survey areas. In addition, butterflies were found at Voice of America GL and Goose Creek GL in April and May, respectively. Monitoring also occurred at Holly Shelter GL and Chowan Swamp GL. Lastly, HabCon staff worked with TVA, USFWS, and USFS to survey existing populations in Cherokee County through nighttime larval surveys. PIEDMONT BAT SURVEYS – With the help of an intern, we continued to monitor the 10 hibernacula sites for the Piedmont tricolored winter study and maintain the acoustic, game camera, and temperature/RH data loggers. The intern analyzed data and wrote her undergraduate thesis on the hibernacula study. She received Highest Honors for the thesis from UNC. The group is working on publishing the results from this study. We found evidence during this study that bats are foraging on insects in the mine during winter. We plan on further studying this behavior. Recently, we received a small grant to study tricolored bats at the Stoney Creek Restoration Site in Nash County. In May and June, we conducted 5 mist-net surveys for bats, two of which were training/professional development events. We are providing technical guidance to a UNC-CH graduate student, who is studying geological characteristics of mines as potential drivers of hibernaculum selection by bats. STINKING QUARTER MITIGATION SITE MULTI-TAXA RESEARCH – We con- ducted second year of post-construction aquatic and terrestrial wildlife surveys and eDNA sampling at the Stinking Quarter Mitigation Site. We currently have two UNC-G graduate students conducting their thesis on different aspects of the multi- taxa Stinking Quarter Mitigation Project. I also met with a graduate student to discuss using the Stinking Quarter Mitigation Site for an aquatic, acoustic study.
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
NCWRC Resilience Strategy
Habitat Conservation staff are coordinating the update of the agency’s third iteration of a NCWRC Climate Resilience Strategy. The strategy represents a cross-collaborative planning effort between Engineering Services, Inland Fisheries, Habitat Conservation, Helene Restoration Division, Information Technology, Land and Water Access, Wildlife Management, Wildlife Education, Conser- vation Policy and Analysis, Communications, Marketing, and Digital Engagement, and Law Enforcement. The Office of Conserva- tion Policy and Analysis is hosting an intern to help develop, disseminate, and analyze a survey to engage field staff in agency resiliency work.
Beach Nourishment Activities
Several beach nourishment, beneficial-use placement, and sandbag installation proj- ects occurred during shorebird and sea turtle nesting seasons this year. Beneficial placement of material from several USACE navigation projects extended into the early weeks of May. Sandbag installations on Ocean Isle Beach and Figure 8 received vari- ances from the CRC and were also constructed during nesting season after consulta- tion with USFWS and NCWRC. Nags Head, Avon, and Buxton also have and are continuing to nourish beaches this summer with material from offshore borrow sources. Additional monitoring and coordination were required for all these projects due to the species and habitat impacts during nesting seasons. Complications included continued site disturbance, noncompatible material placement (color, composition and compaction), escarpment formation, and impervious structure installation. These projects each required extensive staff coordination and resources. Aquatic Organism Passage/Culvert Assessment Work continued on the NFWF Coastal Resiliency Grant to assess culverts in the North Carolina Coastal Plain with a focus on passage for river herring. During the quarter, about 360 assessments were completed. This was a new quarterly high for the AOP team, despite the extensive travel to coastal North Carolina. All assessments of culverts that were also sampled for river herring eDNA in spring 2025 and spring 2026 were completed. This allows us to understand if the SARP survey is accurately capturing culvert passability at a site by comparing the SARP results to the eDNA concentrations upstream and downstream of a culvert.
In early May, Hutch Hutchinson was hired as the Land Conservation intern and spent 16 days in the field assisting with SARP surveys. Hutch completed a variety of other tasks during his internship period. These included but were not limited to breeding bird surveys, bee surveys, butterfly surveys, prescribed burns, and completing a literature review for the Green Growth Toolbox, a technical assistance tool designed to help communities conserve high-quality habitat during development. Hutch concludes his internship until the end of July.
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Wildlife Crossing Activities
The Eastern NCDOT coordinator Accomplished the following during the quarter: • Continued working with WRC staff to monitor wildlife usage of the US 64 wildlife crossings with camera traps. As well as working with UNCW to process present and publish this data. • Continued monitoring for Brunswick County wildlife crossings and US 17 Wildlife Crossings in Jones County. • Continued planning and implementation of the RESCUER: US 64 wildlife crossing grant. Participated in the public meeting and local officials meeting this as well. • Coordination with Division 8 staff and contractors to discuss adjustments that need to be made to 3 wildlife crossing struc- tures on the NC 211 project. • Conducted NCACT Road Crossing subcommittee meetings. This includes the development of an NC stream crossing guide- lines document. • The Western NCDOT coordinator continues to assist the NCDOT with development of measures to help off-set impacts to wildlife habitat connectivity associated with repair work along I-40 in Haywood County. This included: • Providing technical review of draft plans for terrestrial habitat connectivity features to be built under the interstate. • Assisting with the identification and evaluation of aquatic organism passage improvement sites the USFS included as NCDOT responsible mitigation for the I-40 repair work and borrow site development.
Helene Division Assistance/Coordination
During the Quarter, a meeting was held with the US Forest Service and Good Neigh- bor Agreement partners to discuss 404 and 401 permitting for restoration projects on the Forest. Project volumes, timelines, and review process were discussed. Project volumes could be as high as 2000+ projects per year. A triage process developed by HabCon staff was reviewed and found to be a significant benefit in reducing project review times and volumes.
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Spring and Summer 2026 Updates from the Foothills Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Region
by Michael Perkins, Foothills Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator
S pring and early Summer are the busiest seasons for Foothills AWD Region. Temperatures warm, fish become more active for the breed- ing season, and staff can more easily get their faces in the water for surveys. The bulk of April was made up of 20 long-term fish monitoring sites in the Broad River drainage, primarily in Polk, Rutherford, and Cleveland counties. The primary focus of these surveys is to monitor Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) including the state- listed Thicklip Chub, Santee Chub, Seagreen Darter, and Broad River Spiny Crayfish. Overall, many sites were in excellent condition with diverse fish communities, including some sites affected by Hurricane Helene damage or debris removal activities, like Green River, White Oak Creek, and Hinton Creek. However, at other sites, staff collected new records of introduced, non-native species, like Bluntnose Minnows and Inland Silversides in the Rocky Broad River near Lake Lure. In May, staff wrapped up Broad River drainage fish monitoring and switched focus to mussel surveys in the Dan River drainage for brood- stock collections of the federally threatened Atlantic Pigtoe and feder- ally endangered James Spinymussel. These rare mussel species are found in only a few streams in North Carolina. Staff successfully located gravid individuals of both species over a few sampling trips and long days in Stokes and Caswell counties. Both species are being propagated by NC State University at the Yates Mill Aquatic Conservation Center (YMACC). Following up on the first quarterly report of 2026, the Brook Floater propagation with YMACC was successful and they have approximately 10,000 juvenile mussels ready for grow out over the next year. In June, staff worked with the Western AWD biologists to survey large riverine fish via boat electro-shocking in the Catawba River in McDowell and Catawba counties. These are sites that have not been sampled in the last several years and staff were excited to revisit them. Staff focused on collecting SGCN suckers including redhorse, quill- back, and carpsucker species. Staff collected over one hundred red- horse and new “official” records of other species like Longnose Gar in the Catawba River. Next year, staff will focus efforts on the target fish species during their most active period in late Spring when they aggre- gate around shoals to breed.
NCWRC STAFF
NCWRC STAFF
Above: FAWD Biologist Chantelle Rondel and technician Maddie Roark on the “Mountain River Cruiser” in the Catawba River, McDowell County; FAWD and Eastern AWD biologists processing mussels in Country Line Creek, Caswell County; A dozen non- game fish species, including state-protected Seagreen Darters and Thicklip Chub, from a single seine haul in Hinton Creek, Cleveland County; Larval glochidia from a federally-endangered James spinymussel collected from the Dan River, Stokes County. CHRIS EADS/NC STATE UNIVERSITY NCWRC STAFF
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Wildlife Diversity Program Quarterly Report for April–June 2026
Cape Fear Shiner (Miniellus mekistocholas) Broodstock Collections in the Deep River Subbasin
by Michael Walter, Central Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity Coordinator
NCWRC STAFF
D uring April and May of 2026, Central Region Aquatic Wildlife Diversity staff conducted surveys for the federally endangered Cape Fear Shiner ( Miniellus mekistocholas ) in the Deep and Rocky Rivers of the Cape Fear River Basin. In total, 49 person hours of survey effort resulted in the collection of 74 individuals. A total of 15 juvenile Cape Fear Shiners were observed during the surveys indicating recruitment in the population. The 74 fish were held overnight at Yates Mill Aquatic Conservation Aquaculture Center (Raleigh, NC) and transferred to Edenton National Fish Hatchery (Edenton, NC) for propagation. Offspring from these broodstock collection and propagation efforts will be stocked into the mainstem of the Cape Fear River to augment existing populations.
Update on the Status of Sharphead Darter Following Hurricane Helene
by Dylan Owensby, Western AWD Biologist, and Luke Etchison, Western AWD Coordinator
T he State-Threatened Sharphead Darter, Nothonotus acuti- ceps , is a small, vibrant fish that can be found in the lower Nolichucky River Basin in North Carolina. It prefers swift mov- ing, shallow water habitats with cobble and boulder substrate types. In the 1950’s, this species was thought to be extinct, but biologists found a population in the Nolichucky River near the TN and NC state line. Although they are considered imperiled, surveys over the last several decades have shown that the Shar- phead Darter is relatively common through its narrow range in North Carolina. Biologists with the Western Region of the Aquatic Wildlife Diversity (AWD) Program have included the Sharphead Darter as a priority for targeted species monitoring plans in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Initial fish community surveys following Hurricane Helene in 2025 resulted in one individual at one site in the North Toe River. However, during targeted surveys in June of 2026, biologists were able to document over 100 Shar- phead Darter individuals at just 3 sites in the North Toe River in Yancey/Mitchell Counties. One juvenile Sharphead Darter was also documented during a fish community survey in the lower Cane River in Yancey County during the same month. These encouraging findings indicate that the Sharphead Darter population in North Carolina is persisting even after the wide- spread destruction caused by Hurricane Helene.
DYLAN OWENSBY/NCWRC
Adult Sharphead Darter captured in June 2026 in the North Toe River, Nolichucky River Basin.
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