| Registration is now live! The Southeastern Indigenous Coalition Environmental Conference 2025 will take place March 7-8 in Occaneechi Saponi territory, North Carolina. There is also a virtual attendance option. Registration is required to participate. Event details: DAY 1: FRI MARCH 7th from 11am-5pm **LOCATION TBA** DAY 2: SAT MARCH 8th from 8am-3pm at The Haw River State Park, Browns Summit, NC RegisterJoin us for this historic 2-day event as we: Convene Knowledge Holders: Bring together and learn from Indigenous leaders on the frontlines of environmental justice fights and resilience-building projects to share their insights and transformative visions. Center Indigenous Perspectives: Highlight the unique challenges and solutions Indigenous communities apply to addressing environmental issues. Strengthen Collaboration: Deepen connections and foster partnerships among tribes, policymakers, activists, scientists and community members to support trust and the development of strategies for survival and environmental stewardship. Promote Resilience: Share traditional and innovative Indigenous-led practices that enhance community resilience in the face of collapsing systems. Themes include: Youth Leadership in Environmental Justice, Cultural Landscapes and Sacred Sites Protection, Climate Change and Indigenous Resilience, Food Sovereignty and Sustainable Agriculture, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Land and Resource Sovereignty. We’re calling on Indigenous community members, environmental activists, policymakers, scientists, and allies to come learn, connect and help foster Indigenous-led environmental justice and community resilience in the Southeastern region.*A limited number of reduced rate tickets are set aside for folks who are not able to afford the cost of entry. |
Category: Events
Help Shape the Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail Plan
Residents invited to give input via online survey, or at drop-in workshops in February
The City of Durham and Durham County Government, in partnership with the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO), the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), and the East Coast Greenway Alliance, are excited to announce the Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail Plan – a community-driven initiative to assess the transformation of an 18-mile inactive rail corridor into a multi-use trail.
This visionary project aims to establish a 26-mile trail network linking downtown Durham to Roxboro, creating a unique and accessible outdoor experience that reflects the character and heritage of the corridor. Through robust public engagement, the project will explore opportunities to:
- Connect parks, schools, and neighborhoods to the trail
- Highlight historical, cultural, and environmental assets
- Enhance accessibility for all ages and abilities
Drop-In Workshops – Share Your Vision at Your Convenience:
To ensure everyone has a chance to participate, we’re offering two drop-in workshops where attendees can provide their input at their convenience. These informal workshops will be fun and interactive, with stations where you can speak with the planning team, learn more about the project, and provide your input directly on a detailed trail map. Families are welcome – there will be a kid’s table for the little ones to enjoy, making it easy for everyone to join in and share their ideas.
Workshop Dates and Locations:
- Tuesday, February 4, 5 – 7 p.m., Durham County Main Library (300 N. Roxboro St.)
- Wednesday, February 5, 6 – 7:30 p.m., Durham North Regional Library (221 Milton Rd.)
“The Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail represents an incredible opportunity to bring people together, promote healthy outdoor activity, enhance our city’s vibrancy, connect to our unique history, provide an integral bicycle and pedestrian corridor for our city’s active transportation network, and inspire pride in the unique character of Durham,” said Durham City Councilmember Carl Rist.
Durham County Commissioner Michelle Burton added, “The Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail Plan is about more than just a trail – it’s about bringing our community together, honoring Durham’s history, and building a lasting legacy for future generations.”
Share Your Input – Take the Survey:
Whether you attend one of our workshops or engage from home, we encourage everyone to complete our online survey to provide additional feedback on the Durham-to-Roxboro Rail Trail Plan. Your input will help us shape a trail that reflects the needs and vision of our community.
Workshop attendees will also have the opportunity to complete the survey on-site, so you can share your thoughts while exploring the project’s details. Don’t miss this chance to help shape a transformative project for Durham and beyond.
The feasibility study will include an assessment of the corridor’s unique assets, a trail concept plan driven by public engagement, and a comprehensive implementation strategy, ensuring the project aligns with the community’s needs and values.
For more information visit the project website, call David Miller with the Durham-Chapel Hill Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) at 919-503-4118, or email David.miller@dchcmpo.org.
Lake Crabtree Park is under threat. You can help by adding a comment or attending this week’s public meeting.
There is a public meeting on Wednesday 1/29 5-7pm for the public to voice concerns about their destruction of 136 acres of forest and pedestrian/biking trails (they have 6 of the 14 miles of accessible trails in the county!) for the development of an “entertainment destination”.
More information can be found here: https://savelakecrabtree.org/
https://www.wral.com/news/local/rdu-develop-lake-crabtree-park-backlash-wake-county-2025
The meeting is located at Conference Room 100 at 1000 Trade Dr, Morrisville, NC 27560 from 5-7pm. Plan on arriving early.
Triangle Land Conservancy’s photo contest is back! We had some incredible submissions last year, and we’re excited to kick off 2025 with an exciting new challenge and see our trails through your camera lenses.
We’re switching up our contest categories this year to celebrate and represent each of TLC’s seven public nature preserves – Bailey & Sarah Williamson Preserve in Raleigh, Flower Hill Preserve in Middlesex, George & Julia Brumley Family Preserve in Chapel Hill, Horton Grove Preserve in Bahama, Johnston Mill Preserve in Chapel Hill, Swift Creek Bluffs Preserve in Raleigh, and White Pines Preserve in Sanford.
Durham is in the midst of a sediment pollution crisis. Dirty runoff from active construction sites across the city’s most developed corners are turning Durham’s creeks orange with mud, harming aquatic habitat, and polluting the Falls Lake drinking water supply downstream. Thankfully, you can help us stop the pollution by getting involved in Sound Rivers Muddy Water Watch program!
Please consider joining Sound Rivers’ Riverkeeper team for a Muddy Water Watch training on December 10th from 6-7:30pm at Durham’s People’s Solidarity Hub (1805 Chapel Hill Road).
Sound Rivers’ Muddy Water Watch training will offer community members information on the construction-sediment crisis in Durham and resources on how to get involved in monitoring the problem. Sound Rivers Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop, Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman and Water Quality Specialist Taylor Register will join interested community members to share facts and stories about their work monitoring sediment pollution and advocating for changes to citywide construction policy. Participants will walk away with an understanding of how to spot sediment violations on construction sites, what to do if violations are observed, and how to play a role in a growing movement to address Durham’s construction sediment crisis.
Chatham Conservation Partnership (CCP) Meeting
Brake for Wildlife! Transportation Planning for Better Solutions
October 17, 2024
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Chatham County Library – Holmes Meeting Room
197 NC Hwy 87 N
Pittsboro, NC
Wildlife needs to move across the landscape to find habitats for breeding, foraging, and raising young. Roads are barriers to wildlife movement. Come to the October CCP meeting to learn what state organizations are doing to facilitate safe passage of wildlife under roads in Chatham County. We will also hear about recent planning efforts to identify high priority wildlife crossing needs in the county.
AGENDA:
Welcome & Introductions
Partnering for Habitat Connectivity in the Triangle
Brooke Massa, Conservation Biologist, NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Guidelines for Wildlife Passage in NC
Travis Wilson, Eastern DOT Habitat Conservation Coordinator, NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Improving Roadway Safety and Wildlife Connectivity through the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization Wildlife Crossings Plan (includes portions of Chatham County)
David Miller, Transportation Planner, Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization
Please note that this is an IN-PERSON meeting and so will not be recorded like the webinars we have been doing the past few years. If this topic interests you, please attend in person!
Pre-registration is requested. Register for this CCP meeting.
CCP Steering Committee: Brooke Massa, Brandy Oldham, Debbie Roos, Margaret Sands, Allison Weakley.
For more information about the Chatham Conservation Partnership, visit the CCP website
Coming November 10th and 11th at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC. Applications are open for workshop proposals, exhibitors, and high school summiteers. More information: https://www.lifeandscience.org/learn/nc-youth-climate-summit/
Keep Durham Beautiful is hosting a two-day seminar, “Beyond the Backyard: Adding Value to Managed Landscapes” on Sept 4-5, 2024. Seminar will be held at the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill, tours throughout the Triangle region. Visit Keep Durham Beautiful for more information: https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/forum2024.
On June 27th, New Hope Audubon will host a zoom session on threats and solutions for preserving and improving bird habitat. For more information and register visit: https://gaonc.org/event-5757676
Keep Durham Beautiful’s BioBlitz, a community science initiative to help record and catalog the biodiversity of a given area kicks off April 26th. Learn more…