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B[ilfiS
OUTEN
lay,lan.18-Tuesday,lan.24,
2012| fte NewspaperforToday's
OuterSanksI www.obsentinel.com
| 50Cenis
Coastal
Studies
campus
t0openinAugu$t
BYIIEELI(EILER
SENTINEL
STAFF
joint
A two-day
orientation
meeting
of theUniversityof
NorthCarolina
Coastal
Studies
Institute(CSD
Foundation
andAdministrative
Boardsof
Directors
washeldon
Jan 12and13in Manteo
andthelValterB.Jones
CenterfortheSounds
in
Columbia.
Thepurpose
of themeetilgwasto
providetheboardsand
thecommunity
withan
overview
of pasthnd
t'utureCSIprograms
and
anupdateontheCSI
Skycocampus
currently
underconstruction.
The
millioncampus,
$32.5
progressing
onschedule
andslatedtobpenin
August,is expected
to
become
a world-class
facility in coastal
research
andeducation.
CSIDirectorNancy
Whitesaidthattheinstitutehasthethree-fold
missionof providing
NTELKELTER
STNIINIL'
northeastern
N.C,with a Coastal
guests
Institute
staffandboardmembers,
Studies
andcommunity
leaders
enjoyed
theviewfromthedeepwater
facilityfor "applied,
mis- canal
adjacent
totheMarine
0perations
Building
during
atouroftheCSlcampus
construction
site.
place-based
sion-based,
N.C.
Universityit wasenvi- nextto theDareCounty chased
bythestatein
" northeastern
research
andeducation,
Planning
began
in
sioned
as
a
cutting
edge
RegionalAirport.
When
2009
for
million.
$8.25
focusurg
specifically
the
research
1990s
and
the
instifacility
that
was
land
offered
bythe
for
The
design
conhact
processes,
oucoastal
tutewasestablished
in
wouldfaciiitateinterownersof propertyin
thecampuswasawarded
and
estuarine
ecology
asa partnership
disciplinary
andintertheSkycocommunity
Pearce,
to leadarchitects
sustainability 2002
coastal
between
North
Carolina
university
collaboration
that
ihis
it
was
decided
Brinkley
and
Cease
ontheOuterBanksand
freeof thecustomary sitewouldbemoreapStateUniversitythe
Ice,withconstruction
otherareasof coastal
paper"vork
andfunding propriatewith its much management
byY{hitnotbe- Universityof North
marinesciences
ualolulaat una0elHru. redtape.
largerarea,wateraccess ing-Turner.
byother
ingaddressed
The213-acre
Theoriginalproposed andproximityto Oregon campus
East
tircilitiesin thestateand IINCWihnington,
contahsseveral
providingpublicservice CarolinaUniversity
sitewasonianddonated Inlet.
to andElizabeth
ancinubiiceducation
CitvState byDareCounty'located .ThelandwaspursEE
PAGEAS
CSI,
CSI: c(tmpus
toopeninAugust
iROMPAG€A1
square feet) will house
and launch equipment,
different coastalecosys- vehicles and vesselsused
tems, including marshes, in the institute's field
.'crub wetlands,forested research operations.
ivetlandsand sound
A marina will provide
'rnters.
berths and servicesfor
SustainableDesign
up to 10vesselsused for
Specialist Robert NIcfieid research and educaClendon is incorporating tion programming.
Studentsat the instiI wide array of sustainable elementsin the detute will include gradusigl and constructionof
ate and undergraduates
,!he camnus and will seek from the five partner
-.,^-- .'^
{,EED (Leadershipin En- universities. students
hirgy and Environmental
from grades K through
Sbsign) certifl cation by
12participating in field
trips, day overnight and
the U.S.GreenBuilding
.[punci]. "Green" eleresidentia-lprograms,
will
inciude
local
as well as a variety of
"r,fents
':ind
recycledcontent
teachers,scientists and
professionals.
h"iilding materials. an
:::uovative wastewater
Nathan Richards,
.tr;eatmentsystem,creassociateprofessor in
,atedwetlands.bioretenthe Nlaritime Studies
.' rion arreas.rainwater
Program at ECU and
irarvestingcisterns,
director of the CSI Maritime Heritage Program,
a geothertnal heating
describedlast fall's
;and coolingsystemand
parss
projects in collaboration
ive.solar orientation
,and designto optimize
with the Pocosin Arts
,seasonalheating and
Folk School in Colum,cooling.
bia and ninth and tenth
grade students from
Following the irttroritrctory
board
rernarks,
ColumbiaHigh School.
,
The projects focused
,niembers,guestsand
community leaders
on locating and studyincluding Dare County
ing shipwrecks in the
,h{anagerBobbyOutten
Scuppernong
River and
'
anclComnrissionerRich- nearby waterways.
"The Scuppernong
ard Johnsontook a tour
,ef the constructionsite,
River lvlaritime Herillocatedon N.C.Highway tage Project was a great
,;-145
nor:th of Wanchese.
opportunity for us to
merge research,teach;Sportingorangeharding and outreach in
tirats,the tour partici'pantsgatheredcloseto
collaboration with the
staff to hear details
community" said Richliibout the three levels of
ards, explaining that he
,the Researchand Educa- was able to combine his
.tion Building amidst
Advanced Methods in
,the soundsof salvs,
Maritilne Archaeology
hammers and motorized classwith a project to
,construction equipment. begin a resourcesinven: The ResearchBuildtory databasethat would
identify more systemati,rng will contain 60,000
cally and exhaustively
lsqLrarefeet of ciassril)oms,researchand
the more than 6,000shipwrecks located on the
:teaching laboratories
'and an auditorium.
coast and in the rivers
'Residential buildings,
and sounds of northeast'ivhich will be funded
ern N.C.
jseparatelywill provide
Combining the project
,I;,OOO
squarefeet of
with a community edushort term housing for
cational outreachprostudentsand visiting sci- vided 40 Columbia High
entists. The Nlarine OpSchool students with
erationsBuilding (15,000 hands-onexperiencein
the use of side-scansonar, magnetometryand
other technologiesused
in underwater archaeology
Other CSI projects that
have parbrered with lo
cal communities have included the WaveEnergy
Converter project in partnership with Jennette's
Pier, the Albemarle
Green Building Seminar
and Expo cohostedby
the Dare County College
of the Albemarle, First
Flieht High School's
championship entries in
regional, national and
international Remotely
Operated Vehicle competitions, constructed
wetland projects with
Manteo High School and
Elizabeth City Middle
School and alternative
energy/wind furbine
projects with Hatteras
Island schools,First
Flight schoolsand the
J.P Knapp School in Currituck.
CSI Education Programs CoordinatorJohn
McCord and his production team also have
fiimed documentaries on
many local projects, contributing to the creation
of a community legacy
of partnership in coastal
research.
CSI Administrative
Board Chairman Mike
Kelly speaking to the
board at the conclusion
of the secondday of orientation meetings and
presentations,expressed
his gratitude to Dare
County for being "nothing but 120percent cooperative with everything
that's come along and
everythingthat we've
done." He addedhis appreciation of former NC
SenatorMarc Basnight's
work in support of the
project, noting, "This is
a long-term economic
development project for
North Carolina. So if
you happen to run into
SenatorBasnight, be
sure to say thank you."
neel@obsentinel.com