News

Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper Katey Zimmerman pulled out the trash bags and pickers and got to work last Saturday for Sound Rivers’ Earth Day Pamlico Cleanup.

From the meeting point at Havens Gardens, volunteers armed with trash-picking gear fanned out across the area, in search of garbage.

“I told everyone to grab their supplies, go wherever was calling them,” Katey said. “We had people at the playground, under the Runyon Creek bridge and along Jacks Creek. There were a lot of people who came who said it was their first time volunteering with Sound Rivers, and it was really good to see new faces.”

The cleanup became a rescue mission when Katey found an injured turtle.

“He was down under the bridge, and we think maybe he got hit by a boat propeller,” she said.

Katey’s partner, Andrew Feliton, a coral and jellyfish aquarist at North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, drove the turtle down to New Bern where it was passed off to Andrew’s coworkers for the trip to CMAST (Center for Marine Sciences and Technology) in Morehead City.

“Sad to report, the turtle didn’t make it. His injuries were too extensive, but he didn’t suffer as much as he would have if we hadn’t found him,” Katey said.

Like the work your Riverkeeper is doing to clean up the Pamlico … and save injured turtles? We do. Donate to Sound Rivers today!