Jennette’s Pier – North Carolina Aquarium
Along the Outer Banks, there is a building movement to reduce artificial lighting that negatively impacts wildlife and enhances environmental stewardship.
Jennette’s Pier recently transformed its nighttime outline with 200 new shielded amber lighting fixtures, which ultimately creates less light pollution. “This specific color temperature is far less disruptive to insects, bats, birds, and most importantly along the oceanfront, sea turtles,” notes Mike Remige, Director at Jennette’s Pier and a member of the Dare County Tourism Board’s LRTMP Special Committee. “It also reduces eye strain for people, better preserving our night vision.” Phase 2 of the project will include the replacement of the 29 tall parking lot lights as more funds become available.
The Town of Duck’s Dark Sky Ordinance is another example of a commitment to preserving the natural environment as it strives to enhance the quality of life for its residents and protect local wildlife by reducing light pollution. Other towns, including Nags Head, have also taken steps to adjust lights at several beach accesses in recent years that limits disturbances to sea turtle hatchlings and other beach dwelling animals. The National Park Service has also retrofitted approximately 400 outdoor lights over the past several years along Cape Hatteras National Seashore to reduce light pollution and has taken initial steps of a rigorous process to be designated an International Dark Sky Place.
Adopting an integrated approach to improving environmental stewardship is one of the four key goals of the Outer Banks Long-Range Tourism Management Plan (LRTMP). The LRTMP was published in May 2023, following an 18-month process begun by the Dare County Tourism Board and executed by the staff of the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau and partners at MMGY NextFactor and Tourism Economics. The comprehensive plan, which included creating a special task force and curating the input of hundreds of tourism community stakeholders and thousands of Dare County residents, provides a roadmap for the future to ensure that tourism preserves – and even benefits – the environment, culture and quality of life for residents while enhancing visitor experiences.
Jeff Schwartzenberg
Community Engagement Manager
Outer Banks Visitors Bureau
One Visitors Center Circle | Manteo, NC 27954
[email protected]
252-473-2138 (office) | 252-473-7155 (mobile)