Water Quality Enhancement
Established in 1901, Airlie Gardens continues to contribute culturally and ecologically to the area of New Hanover County and North Carolina history. The 67 acres that make up Airlie Gardens was purchased and restored in 1999 through a grant from the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, the commitment of the New Hanover County Commissioners, the cooperation of the previous owner (the Corbett family), and the support of local residents.
A century in the making, Airlie offers views of Bradley Creek, 10 acres of fresh water lakes, walking trails, a butterfly garden, historic monuments, sculptures, diverse wildlife, and an ancient 462 year old oak tree at its heart. As the seasons change, so do the various flowering plant gardens. Airlie boasts over 100,000 azaleas, camellia cultivars, and many other species which bloom year round in displays around the Airlie Oak, pergolas, and trails. You can even witness the ferocious flora and fauna of their carnivorous plant and rain gardens buzzing with dragonflies on the hunt and flytraps lying in wait.
The mission of Airlie Gardens is to be a historic public garden with cultural and environmental education resources for the residents and visitors of New Hanover County. We love working to improve and protect the natural resources surrounding us and have worked closely with Airlie Gardens on their oyster bed proliferation projects and plan to work on renourishment projects planting sea oats to protect our sand dunes. As wind and waves constantly erode the beaches, sea oats stand as the only line of defense between the ocean and everything else. As their roots grow deeper, their stalks grow taller holding the dunes in place. By planting sea oats we preserve the salt marsh ’s integrity and protect homes and businesses from this harsh environment…All while earning community service credits!
We will be working closely with Airlie Garden’s public education team to assist in improving and building on their awareness and education materials. We will assist in everything from building compost bins within their organic vegetable gardens to participating in their oyster recycling program. We will learn about how they not only create rich soil to distribute throughout a garden but also naturally leech nutrients into the soil around them. By building and propagating artificial oyster beds in nearby Bradley Creek we learn how to maintain cleaner waters. By creating removable oyster ropes to attach to the docks we can help with educating school groups on the function of oysters and their vitality to Eastern NC.
Support Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation
Please help us continue to protect and conserve the remaining species of Sea Turtles. Through education and public awareness we can ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the natural wonder of these magnificent marine species.
Please consider giving a membership to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital Foundation for birthdays and other special occasions.
Thank you for your interest and support.
