Note to editors: Lisa Campbell can be reached for additional comment at (252) 504-7628 or lcampbe@duke.edu. Karen Amspacher can be reached at (252) 728-1500 or kwamspacher@ec.rr.com.

BEAUFORT, N.C. -- Four new driving trails linking coastal heritage sites along the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway and a new kayak trail in Carteret County鈥檚 Down East region have opened just in time for the July 4th weekend.

The four driving trails lead visitors to scenic, historic, recreational and cultural attractions in 21 fishing villages along the byway. The Down East Paddle trail weaves through miles of pristine coastal creeks and sounds.

All were developed by Saltwater Connections, a grassroots initiative founded in 2010 as an outgrowth of a partnership between local community organizers and researchers at the 91社区福利 Marine Lab in Beaufort.

鈥淭he aim of Saltwater Connections is to increase economic prosperity in communities along North Carolina鈥檚 central coast by building upon, rather than sacrificing, the unique environments and traditions that make this region such a wonderful place to live or visit,鈥 said Lisa M. Campbell, a Duke Marine Lab faculty member who is widely cited for her research on sustainable community-based economic development and ecotourism in rural areas.

鈥淒uke鈥檚 role has been to support the initiative with research on community priorities and values, so that Saltwater Connections projects can better address and reflect them,鈥 Campbell said.

鈥淭hese new trails are among many programs being developed by our volunteers to give visitors a way to explore and appreciate our coast鈥檚 cultural and natural heritage,鈥 said Karen Amspacher, Saltwater Connections鈥 lead coordinator and executive director of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center on Harkers Island. 鈥淲e want people to realize there鈥檚 more to this place than just sun and sand.鈥

Guides to the four new driving trails and the new kayak trail can be downloaded from the Saltwater Connections website, . Print brochures are available at many Outer Banks and Down East businesses and visitor information locations.

The new driving trails follow the 138-mile Outer Banks National Scenic Byway, beginning just south of Nags Head at Whalebone Junction in Dare County and ending at the North River in Carteret County, just north of Beaufort.

Each of the four driving tours has a different theme:

  • 鈥淭raditions, Trades and Treasures鈥 highlights sites in working waterfront villages where visitors can learn about the area鈥檚 fishing heritage and traditional way of life. 
  • 鈥淟and, Sea and Lighthouses鈥 connects sites that played pivotal roles in the region鈥檚 history from early settlement through World War II.
  • 鈥淢arsh, Sound and Maritime Forest Discoveries鈥 leads to outdoor recreation sites.
  • 鈥淔rom Dock to Table鈥 highlights restaurants, shops and festivals featuring 鈥淣.C. Catch鈥 seafood from North Carolinas鈥 central coast. The N.C. Catch marketing program was developed by Saltwater Connections.

For visitors who want to leave the land behind, the new Down East Paddle Trails network includes 16 kayak trails, ranging in length from 2.3 miles to 13.7 miles, in the coastal creeks, marshes, sounds and shoals of Carteret County鈥檚 remote Down East area, the southern arm of the national scenic byway.

Saltwater Connections has received funding from N.C. Sea Grant, the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. In-kind support is provided by community members and the Duke Marine Lab.

In addition to the new trails, Saltwater Connections maintains a website, , which features oral histories, historic photos and documents collected from the 21 communities.

Lisa Campbell is the Rachel Carson Associate Professor of Marine Affairs and Policy at the Duke Marine Lab. She and her students worked with Karen Amspacher and other community leaders to establish Saltwater Connections in 2010 as an offshoot of a two-year research project, funded by NC Sea Grant, which studied community attitudes to changing environments, cultures and economies in the Down East region. The project included public meetings at which community members discussed how they might use the results of the research to spur sustainable economic development in the region. 

鈥淪altwater Connections has allowed leaders in all 21 communities to realize the value of regional work that focuses on the character of our individual communities and the strengths of our collective efforts," Amspacher said. "These regional projects 鈥 the Outer Banks Heritage Trails, Coastal Voices, NC Catch 鈥 are evidence as to how we are truly 鈥榮tronger communities together鈥 working to support local businesses, protect our resources, share our culture and sustain our community spirit.鈥  

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