Start the New Year off right! Hike the Eno! Win prizes! Stay safe!!!
Join us along the Eno from January 2nd through March 31st with our new BING-ENO game! Learn more and download your BING-ENO card today: www.enoriver.org/bing-eno
Take a Hike with BING-ENO!
Dave Cook Receives Governor’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine
Dave G. Cook, retiring Education & Outreach Coordinator for the Eno River Association has received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine award. The award was presented to Mr. Cook on December 6 by North Carolina State Senator Mike Woodard during the Association’s Annual Meeting, held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 1963, North Carolina’s governors have reserved their highest honor, The Order of the Long Leaf Pine award, for persons who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through their exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.
Mr. Cook is a seasoned North Carolina State Park Ranger, Superintendent, and District Superintendent. He has served at the Eno River Association since 2016, and intends to continue volunteering after his retirement in January.
“Dave’s comfort in, knowledge of, and passion for the outdoors is contagious. He has been the perfect person to lead Eno River Association’s Education and Outreach efforts these past few years, following his long service with Boy Scouts of America and North Carolina State Parks. His leadership experience, community engagement, and volunteerism make him the ideal candidate for the Order of the Long Leaf Pine,” noted Jessica Sheffield, Executive Director of the Eno River Association.
The Order of Long Leaf Pine is the highest award for state service granted by the Office of the Governor. More information can be found on its website: https://longleafpinesociety.org/order-of-the-long-leaf-pine/ Messages of appreciation for Dave’s service are being collected at association@enoriver.org.
Thank you friends!
Thanks to your generous support, we’ve hit our 2020 year-end goals and can start 2021 strong and stable in the face of continued uncertainty.
It has been a challenging year for so many, but the Eno has seen record visitation and our Association, strong participation from neighbors like you. With the final push from our generous Eno community, we are pleased to share that individuals, foundations, and corporate partners donated a combined $2.9 million to the Eno River Association in 2020, including the historic establishment of the Roberta & Herman Brown Land Preservation Fund.
We have you, our loyal friends, to thank for ensuring we are responding to the needs of our Eno community throughout 2021 as well. Because of you, we are looking forward to a bright New Year. Together we can accomplish so much, including:
- **Continuing to support and expand conserved land at Eno River State Park, West Point on the Eno, and all of the parks & natural areas within the Eno River basin
- **Keep our 220-acre Confluence Natural Area open seven days per week to support visitors seeking the restorative beauty of nature along nearly three miles of Eno riverfront
- **Grow our acclaimed education programs to provide support to students and teachers for whom hands-on, experiential learning outdoors brings health and wellness benefits in addition growth in STEM skills and environmental literacy
- **Develop a new strategic plan to keep our focus sharp, assure that the protection and education projects we undertake are the right ones, and ensure that our organization welcomes all people who live and play in our diverse region
- Respond quickly when key properties become available for conservation and preservation
Thank you for being a part of our Eno family, and for your support in 2020. We look forward to another year of protecting the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the Eno River basin — together!
You can still make a gift to support these key goals for our Durham and Orange County communities.
Shop Hyper-local Online!
Just in time for the holidays, our Online Eno Store gives you the opportunity to shop local, online!
Shop Eno Store favorites including:
*Festival for the Eno posters, screen prints, and art
*Eno Hats & T-shirts
*Eno Bandanas — new colors released!
*The 2021 Eno Calendar, our 50th anniversary edition!
Plus, brand new merchandise just in time for the holidays!
*Sweatshirts
*Long-sleeved tees
*Dog leashes
*Eno Logo Tote Bags — great for gift wrapping items for that Eno-lover on your list!
More items on the way! Special surprises! Inventory reduction deals! Limited edition releases from our archive! You don’t want to miss it.
Eno River Association Members receive a 10% discount through Sunday, December 6. If you haven’t already received your member discount code for 10% off, or have questions about your membership, please email development@enoriver.org.
Annual Meeting, Holiday Hullabaloo, & Calendar Celebration
Honoring Native American Heritage Month
November is National American Indian Heritage Month. The Eno River Association joins in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. We have recently updated our Land Acknowledgment Statement as further commitment to practicing inclusion daily.
The Eno River Association respectfully acknowledges that the land that we are on today is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi, the Tutelo, the Shakori, the Cheraw, and the Eno. They descended from an ancient tribe called the Yesah and spoke dialects of the Siouan language. The Eno River Valley was their home as it was for Woodland Natives for thousands of years before the arrival of people from other continents. We recognize Indigenous peoples as the original stewards of this land.
The mission of the Eno River Association includes the protection of the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the Eno River Basin. That protection is mostly necessary due to colonial practices and an economic system of land use and ownership that has often degraded our environment and dispossessed many peoples of color in the Eno River Valley.
This acknowledgement is part of the education and practice of inclusion we seek to demonstrate to our community to recognize and respect the history of this land and this river, and all peoples and beings on the Eno through time.
Protection Added To Nancy Rhodes Creek
On October 30, 2020, the Eno River Association accepted the donation of a conservation easement on an 8.8-acre property in Durham adjacent to Eno River State Park across from the Pump Station Trail access. The Nancy Rhodes Creek Conservation Easement was generously donated by Weaving Water, LLC with support from Triangle Community Foundation and will help to ensure the protection of water quality to Nancy Rhodes Creek and the Eno River. It also protects a portion of an important Natural Area and plant species. This land was formerly part of Dr. Robert Holloway’s Farm and contained the collect structures associated with the former Rivermont Carbonated Spring Water. To learn more, click here.
NATURE FUN DAY AT THE CONFLUENCE NATURAL AREA
Sign up for one or more nature explorations. Group sizes are limited to 10 and masks must be worn where we cannot spread out.
Where: Confluence Natural Area, 4214 Highland Farm Rd, Hillsborough, NC 27278.
When: Saturday, October 3rd, 2020
From Hillsborough take Hwy 86 North away from town 1.6 miles from US70. Turn left on Coleman Loop 1.1 miles. Turn left on Highland Farm Rd 2.4 miles. The Confluence is on the left. There is a large sign and a gravel driveway.
Cost Per Person: $5 adults; $3 Eno River Association Members and children under age 18 (plus a processing fee)
Register: Nature Fun Day
Questions: education@enoriver.org or (919)620-9099 ext. 1204
Rain or Shine!
8:00 AM – Birding the Eno: Join us on a morning discovery of the birds of the Eno. We will use sight and sound to identify who is flying through the fields, trees, and sky. Good for both new and experienced birders. Bring your own binoculars but we will have a few to share. This will be about a mile and half walk over 90 minutes. No dogs please. Suggested ages 10 and up.
SOLD OUT! 9:00 AM – Wildflowers of the Confluence: Find out what is blooming in the fields, forest, and flood plain this fall. We will get into some of the life history and benefits uses of the plants. This will be on easy to moderate trails for about two miles in a leisurely 2 hour walk with lots of stops. Suggested ages 12 and up.
SOLD OUT! 10:30 AM – Reptile and Amphibian Safari: The Eno River Association maintains cover boards and tree frog tubes at the Confluence and we will be setting out turtle traps in advance. Come along with us as we check them for turtles, snakes, toads, frogs, lizards, and salamanders. This will be on easy to moderate trails with short excursions into the woods for about two miles in a leisurely 2 hour walk with lots of stops. Suggested ages 8 and up.
LIMITED AVAILABILITY! 2:00 PM – Insect Expedition: Discover the fascinating life of bugs buzzing around us. We will explore our six-legged neighbors in the fields and forest. Collection nets, containers, and magnifying glasses provided. Cameras encouraged. 90-minute program. Suggested ages 8 and up.
4:00 PM – Seining the Creeks: We may get wet! Lots of cool fish call the creeks of the confluence home. Some familiar, others not well known. We will run nets and check fish traps, identify the fish we find and learn thing about their sub-surface lives. Must be able to wade in shallow water (up to your waist) on uneven or muddy creek bottom. Wear footwear that can get wet and suitable to protect your feet from rocks and sticks. UPDATE: We can provide gators. This is a two-hour program. Suggested ages 11 and up.
SOLD OUT! 7:00PM – Bat Survey: Using computerized equipment we will capture and identify the echo-location calls of bats native to the Eno. We have enough tablets for everyone to work in pairs. Discover the variety of bats flying around us when it is too dark to even see they are there. Learn about how theses bats live and why they are important to us. This is a 90-minute program. Suggested ages 10 and up.
Reenvisioning Fall Events & Programs
Association to support personal and small group outdoor experiences
Due to safety concerns stemming from the ongoing global pandemic, the Eno River Association is re-imaging several of its popular in-person fall events and programs. While experts agree that outdoor experiences are among the safest ways to recreate during the pandemic, the Association will focus its efforts on small group and individual programs that highlight the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the Eno River basin.
The music and camping event known as JamborEno that takes place at the Association’s Confluence Natural Area in Hillsborough has been cancelled, as well as the hands-on environmental education event Stream-In at Eno River State Park. The Association will no longer be co-hosting the Eno River Run; interested participants should check the Bull City Running website for details and alternative programming.
Instead, the Association plans to provide environmental education programs for individuals, small groups, and families throughout the fall, and supplemental STEM educational programs for local students and learning pods. Additionally, to offset the cancellation of large group stewardship and trail workdays, the Association will be supporting small group service projects for workplaces, families, and pandemic pods. Due to a significant increase in traffic in parks and natural areas since the beginning of the pandemic – up to 68% in some cases – trash and trail erosion has increased. This small group stewardship series will help tackle the ongoing strain on park resources and provide a safe way to give back and commune with nature.
“Having access to safe, outdoor activities has never been more essential to the health of our community. Since the outbreak of the global pandemic, citizens have flocked to our parks for recreation and respite in record numbers. Never has the need for open spaces and safe, outdoor activities been more apparent.” commented Jessica Sheffield, Executive Director of the Eno River Association.
On October 3, the Association will host an education event at their Confluence Natural Area. The program will feature some of the popular activities from their Eno River Field Station and iWalk the Eno Summer Camp program and will support youth and adults of all ages. Attendance will be limited, and participants will be required to sign-up for specific timeslots.
To support the strain on school districts, parents, and students, the Association’s education team has also created a catalog of available programming ranging from hands-on STEM activities to local history topics to cultural arts. Learning pods are encouraged to use these resources, as well as online educational videos and other self-serve content, to create physical or virtual field trips to the Eno River this fall.
“Even in these tough times we are finding ways to provide opportunities to be safely outdoors, have fun, and grow the public’s knowledge and stewardship of natural resources,” adds Dave Cook, Education Coordinator. “You have to know it to appreciate it, and appreciate it to care for it. We want everyone to know and appreciate the natural, cultural, and historic treasure that is the Eno, and from there grow support for open spaces and clean water. The health and well-being of our community depends on programs like ours, that inspire an environmental ethic.”
Funding from the Merck Foundation and the placement of a Resiliency Fellow by the Conservation Trust of North Carolina (AmeriCorps Program) is helping make these new programs possible. The Association website will be updated with more information and links to register closer to the events: www.enoriver.org. Individuals or companies that want to learn more about service opportunities on Eno River trails this fall should contact Tom Davis, Stewardship Coordinator, at tom@enoriver.org or 919-620-9099 x206. Those with questions about the education program, may contact Dave Cook, Education Coordinator, at dave@enoriver.org or 919-620-9099 x204.
Eno River Association Awarded Catalyst Fund Grant to Catapult Wildlife Corridor Conservation
The Eno River Association was awarded the highly competitive Catalyst Fund grant from The Network for Landscape Conservation to further coordinate the efforts of the Eno-New Hope Landscape Conservation Group. From more than 100 applicants nationwide, 13 were awarded catalyst grants and the Association was the only North Carolina group to receive funding.
The Eno-New Hope Landscape Conservation Group is a network of land trusts, conservation groups, educational institutions, local governments, and ecologists who have aligned to conserve the natural habitats and the connections between them in the Eno River and New Hope Creek watersheds to protect biodiversity and natural resources for current and future generations. Funding will be used to hire a coordinator and to solidify group governance structures. The funding will also enable the group to develop a strategic action plan to guide implementation of its existing landscape conservation plan. By leveraging the momentum generated by the completion of the plan, this new support will build critical capacity within the group to advance collective action around its vision to conserve landscape connectivity within the Eno-New Hope landscape. Read the full press release here.
Stay safe, hike the Eno, win prizes!
Calendars, apparel, coloring books, pet leashes, and more!
