Happy Fourth of July!
The best fireworks this weekend may be the spectacular sunrise over the Atlantic, shorebirds taking flight across the marsh, and the gentle waves rolling onto the beach at The Point.
The Fourth of July holiday weekend is one of the busiest times of the year for both people and wildlife. As thousands of visitors come to enjoy the beauty of the Topsail Nature Preserve, we ask everyone to help protect this extraordinary place by following a few simple Leave No Trace practices.
The Preserve is more than a beautiful beach. It is one of the most important coastal habitats on Topsail Island—a place where nesting shorebirds, sea turtles, and countless other species depend on all of us to be good stewards.
With a few simple actions, every visitor can help protect this special place.
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Leave No Trace
Whatever you bring to the beach should leave with you.
Please pack out all trash, food containers, fishing line, cigarette butts, and beach toys. Even small pieces of litter can injure birds, turtles, fish, and other marine life.
If you see litter left behind, consider picking up a few extra pieces. Every small act helps keep The Point beautiful.
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Respect Bird Nesting Areas
July is one of the busiest times for nesting and fledgling shorebirds. Please stay outside all posted bird protection areas and never enter fenced nesting habitat, even if birds are not immediately visible. Many chicks are remarkably well camouflaged and rely on these protected areas for their survival.
If birds begin calling loudly, dive-bombing, or acting distressed, you are too close. Please quietly move away and give them the space they need.
Please keep your dogs on a leash at all times.
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Help Protect Sea Turtles
Sea turtle nesting season is in full swing along our beaches.
Before leaving for the day, please fill in all beach holes and knock down large sand castles. Deep holes and sand structures can trap nesting females and hatchlings as they make their way to and from the ocean.
If you’re walking on the beach after dark, use only a flashlight with a red light. White lights—including cell phone flashlights—can disorient nesting turtles trying to find the ocean.
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Stay off the Dunes
The dunes surrounding The Point are fragile, home to wildlife and native plants, and provide important protection from storms and erosion.
Please avoid walking through the dunes or trampling native vegetation. Healthy dunes help protect wildlife, preserve nesting habitat, and safeguard Topsail Beach for generations to come.
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Thank You for Protecting The Point
The Topsail Nature Preserve is now owned and managed by the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (NCDCM), with preserve ordinances enforced by the Town of Topsail Beach.
Together with community partners and volunteers, we all share responsibility for protecting this extraordinary coastal treasure.
Every visitor has the opportunity to become a steward of this special landscape. Give birds and sea turtles plenty of space, keep noise to a respectful level, follow local regulations regarding pets, and help others understand why this remarkable place deserves our care.
This Fourth of July, enjoy the beach, celebrate safely, and help leave The Point just as beautiful as you found it.
Leave only footprints. Take only memories. Help keep The Point wild.
From all of us at Conserve The Point, have a safe, happy, and memorable Fourth of July!