Prescribed Burn in Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area Thursday 4/8

‘Tis the season, and the Burn Crew will be conducting another prescribed burn at the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area Thursday.  The Natural Area will be closed during this time until 10am Friday morning. This planned fire is beneficial to the environment, and:

  • Reduces hazardous fuels, protecting human communities from extreme fires;
  • Minimizes the spread of pest insects and disease;
  • Removes unwanted species that threaten species native to an ecosystem;
  • Provides forage for game;
  • Improves habitat for threatened and endangered species;
  • Recycles nutrients back to the soil; and
  • Promotes the growth of trees, wildflowers, and other plants

Journal Events Coming to You

This Thursday, April 8 from 4 – 6pm    Journal Pick-up Event at El Restaurante Ixtapa, Hillsborough.

Enjoy dinner along the banks of the Eno and purchase your copy of the Journal at the table we’ll have stationed outside. Several authors and the illustrator Joe Liles will be present to sign copies. Social distancing and mask use will be required. *Fun fact: The cook house for Faribault’s Barbecue (featured in the Journal) is there and still standing.

Thursday, April 22 at 1:00 p.m. — Discussion with Durham County Library
Virtual Event – Registration required. Click here.
Join the Eno River Association’s Executive Director, Jessica Sheffield, in conversation with contributors Beverly Scarlett and Dr. Freddie Parker to hear about Eno family history, stories, and the journey of this project.

See all the retail and library locations that carry Ribbons of Color.

The Association provides platform for People of Color to share their Eno family history

The Eno River Association announces the revival of their Eno Journal, now available for purchase online and thru local retail shops. Ribbons of Color Along the Eno River: The History of African Americans and People of Color Living on the Eno contains first- and second-hand stories of those who have long lived in the Eno watershed.

This Eno Journal is the culmination of a two decades-long effort by the Association to discover, research, recruit writers, and publish this collection. “We are grateful to the descendants, record keepers, and historians in the Eno River community who preserved these memories and photographs” says Dave Cook, former Eno staffer and veteran volunteer on the project. READ MORE…

Eno Summer Programs Registration is OPEN!

We are pleased to be offering two weeks of iWalk the Eno Science and Nature Day Camp for 8-12-year-olds and one week of Eno River Field Station for 12-15-year-olds this year! iWalk the Eno will take place June 14-18 & 21-25 and you may sign up for one or both weeks. Field Station will take place July 19-23.

Based on our successful hosting of Field Station in 2020, we will have additional safety guidelines in place. Camps cost $225 for one week or $440 for two weeks of iWalk. Need-based scholarships are available thanks to partners like Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Duke Energy, & Merck Foundation.

For more information visit www.iwalktheeno.org or www.enofieldstation.org.

Take a Hike with BING-ENO!

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

Welcoming New Staff!

Please join the Eno River Association Staff and Board of Directors in welcoming Hillary Harrison to the team who started on February 1! Hillary leads our Environmental Education and Outreach program. Hillary will direct our hands-on feet-wet outdoor education programs, lead our environmental educator and seasonal teachers, manage our calendar program, and grow our outreach efforts. 
 
Hillary grew up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and spent 10 summers working for the National Park Service at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. She studied Marine Biology at UNC Wilmington; continuing to work for the National Park Service after receiving her bachelor’s degree. Since 2016, Hillary has worked at various parks and preserves throughout the Triangle, most recently with Durham Parks and Recreation as a member of the Outdoor Recreation and City Lakes unit.
 
Hillary and her husband now live in Durham and have grown to love our city, our community, and the natural spaces it offers – including, of course, our beloved Eno River! We are thrilled to have Hillary join us in our mission to conserve and protect the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the Eno River basin.
 
Join us in extending Hillary a warm Eno welcome! Please note that we’re now lucky enough to have two Hillarys on our team, so to reach Hillary Harrison and our education team, email hharrison@enoriver.org. To contact Hillary Bruce regarding development or communications matters, email hillary@enoriver.org.

Buc-ees project cancelled!

Pressure from citizens and hard questions from our local officials have prompted the Buccee’s developers to withdraw this project, which would have built a very large (100 pump) gas station, retail store, 120 room hotel, a retail/restaurant mini mall, 7 acres of road and 8 acres of parking – all draining into Sevenmile Creek, a major tributary of the Eno River. 

“While development is important to our communities, it must be done in a way that fits with existing uses, current zoning designations, and preserves our natural assets. Efland Station’s plan didn’t fit, and we are satisfied with their decision to withdraw their application,” said Executive Director of the Eno River Association, Jessica Sheffield.

Thank you, Eno Family, for your engagement in this advocacy for our neighbors, our streams, and our community!

If you would like to join our advocacy efforts by mobilizing your community or serving on our Land Use & Advocacy Committee, please email us or call 919-620-9099.