Educational Resources and Outreach

Crabby, a shy ghost crab, lives peacefully in the dunes of the Outer Banks. One day, two children, Clara and Ted, accidentally step on his burrow while playing. Surprised and feeling bad, they learn from their mom that dunes are homes for animals like Crabby. From then on, they stay on the paths and watch
from afar, careful not to disturb nature.

Message: Stay off the dunes—it's where animals like Crabby live. Let nature be.

Buzz the bee and Bloom the butterfly notice that something is wrong—lawns and flowers are being sprayed with harmful chemicals. It makes them dizzy and hard to find nectar. A boy named Eli realizes the sprays may be hurting helpful insects like them. He and his mom stop using chemicals and plant pollinator-friendly flowers. Buzz and Bloom return, happy and healthy.

Message: Avoid using harmful sprays—plant pollinator-friendly gardens to help bees, butterflies, and nature thrive.

Jan and Jake visit the Outer Banks and are thrilled to see wild horses near the beach. As they get too close, a park ranger stops them and explains the importance of respecting these animals. The horses have lived there for over 400 years and must be admired from a distance. The ranger teaches them not to feed, touch, or chase the horses, and to always protect their habitat. The children learn to enjoy the horses safely and respectfully.

Message: Wild horses deserve space andprotection—observe from afar and never feed or disturb them.

Tally, a sea turtle from the Outer Banks, gets tangled in fishing line while swimming. She struggles to escape but can’t free herself. Thankfully, a beachgoer sees her and calls a rescue team. They carefully cut the line and help her recover. Tally swims off happily, reminding readers to keep the ocean clean.

Message: Trash like fishing line harms ocean animals. Help protect wildlife by keeping beaches and oceans clean.

Champ and the Moonlight Hole is a children's story created by the Outer Banks Coastal Conservation to promote environmental awareness. It follows three siblings—Jimmy, Suzie, and Tommy—who vacation every summer at the Outer Banks, North Carolina. One day, they dig a giant hole in the sand but forget to fill it in before leaving. That night, their tiny dog, Champ, falls into the hole while enjoying the moonlight and gets stuck.

Thankfully, a woman walking her dog hears Champ’s barks and rescues him. The next morning, the children find a note reminding them to fill in beach holes to protect animals and people. They feel remorseful and commit to filling in holes from then on. The story ends with a message encouraging everyone to fill beach holes for the safety of wildlife, pets, and people.

Message: Always fill in holes on the beach—it helps protect animals and people.

Sandy the ghost crab and her animal friends discover their beach home is being harmed by trash, holes, and disturbed habitats. When a group of children arrives and unknowingly adds to the damage, the critters draw attention to a “Leave No Trace” sign. The kids quickly learn to respect nature, clean up their mess, and become “Beach Heroes.” The story teaches the importance of caring for coastal wildlife and leaving no trace behind.

Message: The story teaches the importance of caring for coastal wildlife and leaving no trace behind.

Luna, a clam living on the Outer Banks, notices the shoreline disappearing. She asks her friend Oscar the Oyster for help. He explains that instead of seawalls, the Outer Banks uses living shorelines—natural barriers made of oysters and marsh grasses that protect the coast and provide habitat.

Luna joins the effort and teaches others: “We don’t need walls. We build with life.”

Message: Living shorelines are a nature-based solution that preserves coastal ecosystems and supports wildlife—just the way Luna likes it.

Percy the Pelican mistakes a fishing line for food and gets a hook stuck in his beak. Hurt and frightened, he flies to shore where a girl named Mary and her grandpa, a retired wildlife rescuer, spot him. They call a wildlife rescue center, and a trained rescuer named Jamie safely removes the hook. The story teaches children not to chase or touch injured birds but to call an adult and a wildlife rescue center instead. It also emphasizes the importance of cleaning up fishing gear to protect coastal wildlife.

Key Messages:

• Never leave behind fishing line or hooks.
• Don’t approach injured birds—get help from trained rescuers.
• Kindness includes being careful and responsible.

Sunny the sandpiper notices changes on her beach in the Outer Banks. Her friend Turtle Tom explains that climate change is causing sea levels to rise and storms to worsen. Sunny and her friends make a list of ways to help—like planting grass, saving energy, and cleaning up trash. Together, the animals work to protect their home, showing that small actions can make a big difference.

Piper the Piping Plover finds a balloon on the beach that gets tangled around her leg. Her friend Clawdia explains how balloons and plastic straws harm wildlife. Wise Old Heron teaches them safer ways to celebrate—like using reusable items and picking up litter.

Piper and her friends throw a pollution-free beach party and spread the message:

• “Skip the balloon. Save a loon.”
• “Say ‘no straw, hoorah!’”
• “A clean coast is the best party of all.”

The story encourages children to protect the shore with eco-friendly choices.

Marina the mermaid enjoys swimming through her beautiful ocean home until she discovers that sea creatures are getting hurt by trash—plastic rings, bags, and bottles—floating in the water. Realizing the pollution is coming from humans on the beach, Marina gathers her ocean friends to help clean up. After restoring the sea, she leaves a message onshore asking people to take care of the ocean. A young girl named Lily finds the message and inspires her family to help. Soon, both sea creatures and humans are working together to keep the ocean clean, proving that everyone can be a hero for the sea.

Diane and Jack visit Cape Hatteras and notice the beach is smaller and the water closer. Their mom explains climate change—how greenhouse gases warm the Earth, melt ice, raise sea levels, cause erosion, and make storms stronger. She shares ways kids can help, like saving energy, walking or biking, reducing plastic, cleaning up trash, and planting dune grass. Inspired, the children clean the beach and teach others. The book ends with Outer Banks facts and a quiz showing why eco-friendly choices help protect the planet.

Bandit, a curious raccoon, discovers overflowing trash cans on a windy day in the Outer Banks. With help from Shells the gull and other animal friends, he secures lids, tucks trash inside, and posts friendly reminders to humans about keeping cans closed and bags tied. Their teamwork stops trash from blowing into marshes, the sound, and the ocean—protecting wildlife and keeping the coast clean. The story ends with a “Did You Know?” section explaining how wind carries litter and offering simple “Trash Hero” tips to keep the shore safe.

This Outer Banks Coastal Conservation children’s storybook follows Piper the pelican, who finds her friend Gulliver the gull trapped in plastic soda rings. A park ranger named Mia explains that soda rings can injure or kill animals if not cut before disposal. She cuts the rings, freeing Gulliver, and together they spread the message: “Cut the Rings – Save a Wing!”

The book also includes an educational note explaining that birds, crabs, sea turtles, and fish can become trapped in soda rings, preventing them from moving or eating. Thousands of animals die each year from such looped litter. The solution is simple—cut all rings before throwing them away to help protect wildlife.

Hazel the hummingbird learns that red dye in nectar and dirty feeders can make birds sick. With help from her friend Benny and a kind human named Mia, she discovers the safe recipe—1 part sugar to 4 parts water, no dye—and the importance of cleaning feeders every 2–3 days. Hazel now shares four rules: clear nectar only, fresh nectar often, clean feeders, and use the 1:4 recipe.

This children’s story, “Grandpa’s Ocean-Safe Fishing Lesson”, teaches safe, gentle fishing in the Outer Banks. Max learns from his grandpa how to catch and release fish without harming them—using circle or barbless hooks, wetting hands before handling, keeping fish in the water, removing hooks gently, cutting the line if the hook is too deep, and helping the fish breathe before release.

The book includes:

• Step-by-step hook removal tips using safe gear and minimal handling.
• Outer Banks–specific notes on fishing licenses, size limits, and catch-and-release species.
• A message that fishing responsibly helps keep the ocean healthy.

In the Outer Banks, Lila learns from park ranger Ms. June that lawn sprays—fertilizers and pesticides—wash into the ocean, causing algae blooms, low oxygen, and harm to sea life. With her friend Finn, she encourages neighbors to switch to eco-friendly yard care like planting native plants, pulling weeds by hand, using compost, and building rain gardens. Soon, the water clears and wildlife returns—proving that healthy yards mean healthy oceans.

Message: Healthy yards without chemicals help keep oceans and coastal wildlife thriving.

Finn the Dolphin enjoys swimming and playing in the ocean. One day, a large, noisy boat comes too close, making Finn nervous, so he swims away. Later, a kayak keeps a safe distance, allowing Finn to feel safe and happy. To show his gratitude, Finn blows a bubble ring. The story’s message is that good friends keep their distance from dolphins, seals, whales, and other marine animals.

A “Did You Know?” section explains that getting too close to sea animals can scare, injure, or disrupt them. Fast boats may hit them, and chasing them can cause exhaustion or illness. The best practice is to watch from afar, go slow, and never touch or feed wild animals, so they can live safely in their ocean home.

This children’s storybook follows Ollie the barred owl, who enjoys hunting mice in the marshes of the Outer Banks. One night, Ollie spots an easy catch near a cottage, but his friend Finn the fox warns him not to eat it—it may have consumed rat poison. Finn explains that poisoned rodents can pass the toxin to predators and pets, causing serious harm or death. Their friend Piper the piping plover joins in, adding that poison can also hurt other wildlife like crabs, turtles, and scavenger birds if it enters the environment. Together, they share safer alternatives for rodent control: sealing entry holes, storing food in sturdy containers, cleaning up crumbs, and using snap or live traps instead of poison.

Ollie pledges to spread the message: “No poison, more life!”—protecting wildlife and keeping the Outer Banks wild and beautiful.

A children’s story about Sandy the Seagrass and Wally the Seaweed, showing how both provide food, shelter, and clean water for ocean life, help fight climate change, and protect shorelines. Despite being different — plant vs. algae — they’re both vital and need protection from pollution and climate change.

Tally and her turtle friends searched for a safe place to nest. Bright lights from houses and flashlights made it dangerous, but finally they found a dark beach lit only by the moon. Tally laid her eggs, and weeks later the baby turtles safely scurried to the ocean.