Community Rising

In this episode of Shoresides, host Nicolas Magrino talks with Mike Meyer, Head of Farmer Advocacy for The FarmLink Project, about a growing effort to make sure nutritious food reaches every community — especially when traditional supply chains fall short.As food banks across the country stretch to meet rising demand, FarmLink is showing what can happen when farmers, state agriculture departments, the USDA, and hunger relief organizations work together. Meyer shares stories from North Carolina and beyond, where fresh apples, potatoes, and other produce are being delivered directly from farms to families in need — faster and at lower cost.It’s not about replacing existing programs, Meyer says, but about strengthening them. By connecting farmers and food banks more efficiently, FarmLink hopes to reduce waste, support growers, and help every household access healthy food with dignity.Shoresides explores how collaboration — from field to food bank — could transform the future of food security in America.Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

The ocean is getting greener — and bluer. Scientists can see it from space. But what does it mean?In this episode of Shoresides, host Nicolas Magrino speaks with Philip Bresnahan, associate professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, about what’s driving subtle but measurable changes in ocean color around the world. From warming waters to shifting nutrient flows, the hues of the sea are telling a complex story — one that hints at the far-reaching effects of climate change, but also at the deep, dynamic rhythms of the ocean itself.Credits: Image: NASA and Joshua Stevens, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey and MODIS data from LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response.Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Join us in this episode as we interview Wallayce Todd of Community CPR to explore the vital role of community connections in the rural areas of Columbus County after storms. Learn how her organizing, Community CPR, and neighborly bonds transform lives, foster resilience, and strengthen the social fabric of our region's rural communities. Ten Things to Do to Prepare for a Storm and Flooding:Create an Emergency Plan: Develop a family emergency plan, including communication methods, evacuation routes, and meeting points.Assemble an Emergency Kit: Pack essentials like water, non-perishable food, medications, flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, and important documents.Stay Informed: Monitor weather forecasts and sign up for local emergency alerts to stay updated on the storm's progress.Protect Your Home: Install storm shutters or board up windows, clear gutters and drains, and secure outdoor furniture and items that could become projectiles.Prepare for Power Outages: Have backup power sources like generators and stock up on extra batteries and power banks for electronic devices.Elevate Important Items: Move valuable items, electronics, and documents to higher ground or upper floors to protect them from potential flooding.Check Insurance Coverage: Review your home and flood insurance policies to ensure adequate coverage for storm and flood damage.Plan for Pets: Ensure you have supplies and a plan for your pets, including food, water, and carriers for evacuation.Know How to Turn Off Utilities: Learn how to safely turn off gas, electricity, and water in case of emergency.Stay Connected with Neighbors: Build a network with your neighbors to share resources, information, and support before, during, and after the storm.Never drive into flood water, as it can be deceptively deep and dangerous, risking your safety and the safety of others.Hosted & Produced by Akshay Gokul Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

When it rains in coastal North Carolina stormwater pours off our plethora of parking lots into the neighborhoods, parks and eventually the Cape Fear River, and with the stream of water pollutants with it.  Our increasing number of surfaces don’t allow the water to soak into the ground. Local groups are advancing public education which acknowledge the big public policy issues at play, but also offer solutions we can all take.  The episode features staff from Heal Our Waterways and the Cape Fear River Watch. Here are ten things you can do about stormwater in Wilmington, North Carolina, New Hanover County, along with helpful links:Install Rain Barrels: Collect rainwater from your roof to use in your garden.New Hanover County Rain Barrel ProgramCreate a Rain Garden: Plant a garden designed to absorb rainwater runoff.NC State Extension on Rain GardensUse Permeable Pavements: Replace impermeable surfaces with materials that allow water to seep through.EPA on Permeable PavementPlant Native Vegetation: Native plants require less water and help reduce runoff.NC Native Plant SocietyReduce Lawn Fertilizer Use: Excess fertilizer can wash into storm drains and pollute waterways.NC State Extension on Fertilizer ManagementProperly Dispose of Hazardous Waste: Prevent chemicals from entering storm drains.New Hanover County Household Hazardous Waste ProgramClean Up Pet Waste: Pet waste left on the ground can wash into storm drains.EPA on Pet Waste ManagementInstall Green Roofs: A green roof can absorb rainwater and reduce runoff.NC State Extension on Green RoofsParticipate in Community Clean-Ups: Join efforts to clean local waterways and reduce pollution.Cape Fear River WatchEducate Your Community: Raise awareness about stormwater management practices.NC Coastal FederationImplementing these actions can help manage stormwater and protect the environment in Wilmington and New Hanover County.Hosted & Produced by Akshay Gokul Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

In this episode of Community Rising, we spotlight the vital work of Seeds of Healing, Inc. Join us as we speak with Bonetta Spratley, Christopher Marville, and Dr. LeShonda Wallace to learn how they are advancing HIV testing and awareness in coastal North Carolina. Discover the innovative approaches they use to combat stigma, provide support, and empower individuals living with HIV. Listen in to hear inspiring stories and learn how you can contribute to this essential cause.Learn more about the resources provided by visiting Seeds of Healing website. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

“We were just sitting on the porch like normal on a beautiful Saturday. And then we heard this tractor, and then all of a sudden this animal waste was coming everywhere and it was stinking like nothing we had ever experienced,” says Elsie Herring of Wallace, North Carolina.Herring is one of many eastern North Carolinians who have had negative health impacts and financial burdens as a result of nearby concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO’s) over the last several decades. In this episode of CAFO’s & Communities, we explore how the hog industry’s hazardous waste redistribution has harmed neighboring communities and what they’re doing about it.Produced by Dedan Waciuri, Kayla Guilliams, and Laura Bratton in collaboration with Sherri White-Williamson, Elsie Herring, Jeff Currie, Larry Baldwin, and Naeema Muhammad. Special thanks to Larry Baldwin of Coastal Carolina Riverwatch.To learn more and get involved, visit North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, North Carolina Conservation Network, and Coastal Carolina Riverwatch‘s websites.Music: Pure Water by Medyn, Thoughts by ANBR, Aquarius by Spearfisher. Sounds by Badlands Sound via Artist and YouTube Audio Library. Photos by Laura Bratton. Bottom right photo by Jeremy Lange, taken from ProPublica.References:Environmental Working Group, “EXPOSING FIELDS OF FILTH: Locations of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations in North Caroling by County,” EWG and Waterkeeper Alliance,https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/2016_north_carolina_animal_feeding_operations_bycounty.php.Kravchenko, J., “The Coming Storm 2019: Hog CAFOs, Human Health & Hurricanes in N.C,” Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment (2019), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHf22c_uwzc.Kravchenko et al., “Mortality and Health Outcomes in North Carolina Communities Located in Close Proximity to Hog Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations,” North Carolina MedicalJournal, 79 (5):278-288 (2018).Marks, R., “CESSPOOLS OF SHAME: How Factory Farm Lagoons and Sprayfields ThreatenEnvironmental and Public Health,” Natural Resources Defense Council and the Clean WaterNetwork (2001).Schiffman et al., “Potential Health Effects of Odor From Animal Operations, WastewaterTreatment, and Recycling of Byproducts,” Journal of Agromedicine, 7(1): 7-81 (2000); PolicyStatement Adopted by the House of Delegates, North Carolina Council of Churches (2000).Sobsey, M., McBride Health Conference, UNC Chapel Hill (1990), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoTcCooC7AE.Thu, et al., “A Control Study of the Physical and Mental Health of Residents Living Near aLarge-Scale Swine Operation,” Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health 3(1): 13-26 (1997).Wing, S., “Community Health Impacts of Factory Farms,” TEDxTalks Manhattan (2013),https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZW8-LQftnY.Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Coming soon on Community Rising. Climate change is reshaping coastal North Carolina in a myriad of ways, and one of the most striking is the emergence of ghost forests.As our climate warms, sea levels rise, and saltwater intrusion advances inland, the delicate balance of coastal ecosystems is disrupted.The result is the eerie transformation of lush, vibrant forests into skeletal remnants of their former selves, populated by dead and dying trees.Ghost forests serve as a stark testament to the urgency of addressing climate change, highlighting the pressing need for global action to mitigate its devastating effects and protect the fragile ecosystems that are falling victim to its relentless advance.Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Want to vote early in coastal North Carolina? Here's how.¿Quieres votar temprano en la costa de Carolina del Norte? Escucha este anuncio. 

Look to the coast of North Carolina and you may find something a bit unexpected - artificial reefs. These manmade reefs mimic the characteristics of real reefs in order to provide a home to ocean life. In this episode, Jordan Byrum, an artificial reef coordinator with the NC Division of Marine Fisheries, discusses the history, creation and importance of artificial reefs in North Carolina. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Honey bees not only produce one of the most popular sweeteners used within food and drink products - they also play a huge role in our agricultural system. Onslow County Master Beekeepers David and Lynn Sanbeg, along with Eric Talley of the Onslow County Beekeepers Association, have made it their goal to provide high-quality honey for their communities. These dedicated beekeepers encourage residents of Coastal North Carolina to learn the importance of honey bees, and how they are a crucial component of one-third of the produce that comes from our agriculture systems. Music used:Mind Stream by Chris Haugen, May 2020, 2:24, from the YouTube Audio Library Oceanside Bonfire by The Great North Sound Society, May 2020, 2:53, from the YouTube Audio LibraryNow I Know by TrackTribe, Oct. 2019, 3:17, from the YouTube Audio LibraryBack To Portland by TrackTribe, Oct. 20219, 2:05, from the YouTube Audio LibraryRainy Sundays by The 126ers, Aug. 2019, 3:24, from the YouTube Audio LibraryPeace Creek by Ashley Shadow, June 2019, 2:45, from the YouTube Audio LibrarySwoop by The Mini Vandals, Mar. 2019, 1:43, from the YouTube Audio LibraryHigh Wire by The 126ers, Dec. 2018, 3:18, from the YouTube Audio LibrarySounds used: “Park ambience - mostly birds” by Mafon2 of Freesound.org, May 15th, 2015, 1:02, https://freesound.org/people/Mafon2/sounds/274175/“Bees.wav” by Benboncan of Freesound.org, May 31st, 2009, 4:36, https://freesound.org/people/Benboncan/sounds/73370/“Bees.wav” by peachmaster of Freesound.org, Sep. 27th, 2013, 0:17, https://freesound.org/people/peachmaster/sounds/201613/“Wind in trees.WAV” by nickydunne of Freesound.org, Mar. 14th, 2019, 1:30, https://freesound.org/people/nickydunne/sounds/463551/“Skylarks at ROC.wav” by genghis attenborough of Freesound.org, Feb. 29th, 2008, 2:58, https://freesound.org/people/genghis%20attenborough/sounds/49006/Image used:Creative Commons, "200907011 Honey Bee 021" by cygnus921 is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Hog farms have been polluting the environment of Eastern NC for decades. And over the past few years, owners of these operations have started touting biogas as a way to make hog farms more sustainable. In this episode, Kemp Burdette, the Cape Fear Riverkeeper, explains why biogas isn't the sustainable solution that it's being made out to be. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Low-income communities of color are disproportionately impacted by environmental issues in NC, and face higher rates of disease because of it. When COVID-19 hit, Sherri White-Williamson, the Environmental Justice Policy Director at NC Conservation Network, says it became clear that these were the communities that were going to be unduly vulnerable to the virus. In this episode, White-Williamson discusses why environmental justice communities are so at-risk and what policymakers should do about it. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Christian Legner is the Public Informations Officer of Duck, NC. She speaks about what her town prioritizes when hurricane season is in full effect, and how this changes with COVID-19. Hurricane Isaias hit Coastal Carolina a few days ago. Christian speaks about how her town dealt with the damages and evacuations. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

NC is predicted to have a high-intensity hurricane season this year. The state is launching a new tool – outlined zones – to help coastal residents understand which areas will be most vulnerable to impacts and organizes evacuations by predicted zone impact. In this episode, Katie Webster, Assistant Director of Planning for NC Emergency Management, talks about the state's new "Know Your Zone" program that hopes to streamline these evacuation orders amidst COVID-19. To find out your zone go to: knowyourzone.nc.govProduced by Kayla Guilliams. Music by Meydän. Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

North Carolina's low-income communities of color already face higher rates of chronic diseases like heart disease. And with the threat of increasing temperatures due to climate change, these disparities will only worsen. In this episode, Marian Johnson-Thompson, a virologist and environmental justice advocate, talks about how climate change will worsen health disparities, and why these disparities exist in the first place. Produced by Kayla Guilliams. Music by Meydän. Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

From hog lagoons to sewage sludge to wood pellet plants, low-income communities of color in Eastern North Carolina experience a wide array of environmental injustices. Naeema Muhammad, an organizer and activist with the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, has been fighting against these injustices for over 20 years and has experienced the emotional toll that comes with such activism. In this episode, Muhammad describes the current battle she's fighting - advocating for communities living near hog lagoons whose lives and health are put at risk on a daily basis. Produced by Kayla Guilliams. Music by Meydän. Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Ana Zimmerman is a biology professor at the College of Charleston. She's also a flood survivor. Over the course of a few years, her home was repeatedly flooded after major storms. The effect of repeated floods caused major damage to her home, and left her with struggles that weigh on her both personally and professionally as a scientist. Produced by Ben Abrams. Music by Meydän. Photo by Wade Spees.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

On July 22nd, the Chemours facility in Fayetteville, North Carolina notified Cape Fear Public Utilities Authority that sediment highly contaminated with PFAS chemicals leaked into the Cape Fear River. In this episode, Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear, tells us what Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender county residents that rely on the river for drinking water need to know. For more information, go to www.cleancapefear.org/dailyfilter/ or https://www.cfpua.org/CivicAlerts.aspxProduced by Kayla Guilliams. Music by Meydän.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Larry Baldwin is the Crystal Coast Waterkeeper and the Advocacy Director of the White Oak New River Keeper Alliance. He's an advocate for improving the health and quality of water systems throughout coastal North Carolina. Baldwin has experienced a number of hurricane and says they can actually be a good thing for river systems. But they cause a number of other issues - they destroy communities' infrastructure and create issues with water quality, among others. Produced by Caroline Bailey. Music by Meydän.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

North Carolina's Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary is the second-largest estuary in the United States and serves as a vital resource for several industries and communities. Bill Crowell, Director of the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership, says that as climate change continues to threaten this resource, taking steps to protect it is more important than ever. Produced by Kayla Guilliams. Music by Meydän.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Peter Groenendyk is the Director of Housing at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) and has experienced countless hurricanes. Groenendyk discusses the process of evacuating students during hurricanes and finding housing for students with nowhere to go. He says his experience relocating students during hurricanes prepared him to deal with student housing issues that resulted from COVID-19 - but only to an extent.Produced by Caroline Bailey. Music by Meydän.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

As a seventh generation commercial fisherman, David “Clammerhead” Cessna, of Smyrna, NC, speaks about how his family's tradition led him to sustainable shellfish harvesting. At age 59, he is the co-founder of the Sandbar Oyster Company, producing job opportunities, environmental solutions and green gill oysters for Coastal NC and beyond.Produced by Chris Moncrief. Music by Meydän.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

The cancellation of plans to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline was announced on July 5, 2020 by utility companies Duke Energy and Dominion Energy. Today we examine the negative impacts it would have caused and ask activist Hope Taylor, director of Clean Water for North Carolina, why she fought so long to end its proposed construction. The 600-mile pipeline would have brought natural gas from West Virginia down through North Carolina and have adverse impacts on poor communities of color. Produced by Kayla Guilliams. Music by Meydän.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Eric Griffin and Jeff Campbell are both seasoned administrators at UNCW, responsible for environmental health and safety on campus. They both explain how they could draw from past hurricane experiences to guide their plans for COVID-19 relief. Griffin and Campbell believe UNCW can be used as an example of resilience and community during these difficult times. But they admit that COVID-19 brings a whole new level of uncertainty that no one can totally prepare for.Produced by Caroline Bailey. Music by Meydän.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. 

Where will you be when sea waters rise the most? In September, 2018, Hurricane Florence pushed waters 3.6 feet above the high tide line in Wilmington, NC. Don Bain, a scientist at Climate Central in Princeton, NJ, says this kind of flooding may be a yearly event by the end of the century due to climate change. In this episode, Don explains the "Surging Seas" project, a group of map-based tools to help people better understand climate change and how rising seas will affect your area. Produced by Ben Abrams. Music by Meydän.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Chemours, a chemicals plant located in Fayetteville, North Carolina has been leaching PFAS chemicals into the Cape Fear River for decades, impacting the health and well-being of the communities that rely on the river for drinking water. Three new bills have been recently proposed that Emily Donovan, co-founder of Clean Cape Fear, thinks are a good first step in addressing the contamination. In this episode, Donovan speaks to what residents closest to the plant are going through today – and how Chemours is reacting.Produced by Kayla Guilliams. Music by Meydän.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region. Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6

Lisa Rider is the Executive Director for Coastal Carolina Riverwatch (CCR), which serves Crystal Coast and White Oak River communities. Rider speaks to how COVID-19 is affecting their organization's signature environmental education programs. Amidst social distancing, new methods for educating communities about clean waterways are emerging. Produced by Chris Moncrief. Music by Meydän.Broadcast from the Working Narratives studio, this series examines environmental news in the coastal Carolina region.  Support Shoresides’ local storytelling. Your gift helps us amplify coastal voices: https://givebutter.com/to7as6