UGA awarded $8M NOAA grant to restore salt marsh in the Southeast. The project will evaluate using dredged sediment, which is material removed from navigational waterways, to restore marshes. (Photo by Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA) The project is one of 16 selected from more than 300 nationwide proposals. The University of Georgia has been awarded an $8 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries to lead a three-year regional initiative to restore salt marsh habitat across the South Atlantic from North Carolina to Florida. The project is one of 16 habitat restoration projects selected by NOAA out of nearly 350 nationwide proposals. As salt marshes face threats from rising sea levels, coastal development and pollution, the project will evaluate using dredged sediment, which is material removed from navigational waterways, to restore marshes. Typically, dredge material is deposited in containment areas, dumped miles offshore or used for beach nourishment. Keeping dredged sediment in the system and applying it directly to nearby marshes will raise marsh elevation, facilitating plant growth and enhancing habitat. UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant proposed the effort as part of the South Atlantic Salt Marsh Initiative (SASMI), a regional collaborative of more than 300 partners seeking to protect and restore marsh along the South Atlantic coastline. Georgia contains 368,000 acres of the nearly 1 million acres of marsh in the region. "Working through SASMI allows UGA to bring science and multistate coordination together to restore these critical coastal ecosystems across state lines," said Mark Risse, primary investigator on the project and director of UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. "Salt marshes serve as vital nursery grounds and habitat for fish and wildlife. They filter pollutants and protect communities from storms and flooding by buffering wave energy." UGA will work with key partners, including Florida Atlantic University, Audubon South Carolina and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to lead teams in each state through a multiyear approach that involves planning, data collection, design, permitting and community outreach. At the end of the project, each state will have engineering designs for the proposed project sites, which include: * Bird-Long Island, Georgia * Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina * Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, South Carolina * Julia's Island, Florida Once implemented, these state-based projects have the potential to restore a total of 326 acres of salt marsh across the region. By developing standard marsh restoration practices using dredge material across multiple sites, UGA and SASMI partners aim to establish a reusable blueprint for this natural infrastructure approach to marsh restoration that can build resilience in coastal communities across the Southeast and nationally.

A front-row view: Montezuma's new accessible wildlife observation platform is open! Rochester Accessible Adventures is thrilled to share some wonderful news from the heart of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex! The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the National Audubon Society have officially opened a much-improved, accessible wildlife observation platform at the Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area in Wayne County, just steps from the Montezuma Audubon Center. The platform is part of a larger accessibility effort across the complex, and Rochester Accessible Adventures (RAA) is proud to be named alongside DEC and the National Audubon Society as a collaborator in that work. Rochester Accessible Adventures love this project because both hosts are RAA Inclusion Partners. Montezuma Audubon Center partners with RAA through the On the Canals Accessibility Education Program (AEP), its partnership with the New York Power Authority and the NYS Canal Corporation. NYS DEC Region 8 is an RAA Inclusion Partner as well. Seeing two of its partners come together to open something this meaningful is exactly what inclusion looks like when it takes root. On Friday, October 9, RAA's Executive Director, Anita O'Brien, Inclusion Specialist Peyton Sefick, and DirectConnect Coordinator Mary Anne Price joined partners on the platform to cut the ribbon and celebrate. RAA Staff members joined representatives from NYS DEC and Montezuma Audubon Center, as well as members of the community, for comments during the celebration event. Beyond the parking lot - and into the details of Nature. Accessibility here doesn't stop at the parking lot or the front door of the visitor center. It travels all the way out to where the wildlife is. From the Montezuma Audubon Center, visitors follow an accessible stone dust path about 750 feet through restored forest habitat to a gently graded ramp entrance onto the platform. That means a child who uses a wheelchair, a grandparent with a walker, a parent pushing a stroller, and a birder who has been coming to Montezuma for fifty years can all arrive at the same rail, at the same moment, and watch the same heron lift off the same water. DEC completed the platform with a $70,000 investment through the State Environmental Protection Fund, and the project complements Governor Kathy Hochul's "These Lands Are for Everyone" initiative, which invests in inclusive, sensory-friendly, and accessible outdoor experiences across New York State. This project is an example of both the complexity of the systems that must be navigated to ensure accessibility happens (e.g., land ownership, land management, finding appropriate funding, collaborative build) AND the simplicity of making inclusion happen when there is a strategic plan in place that all parties commit to and work from. RAA Staff members, Mary Anne and Peyton, spend time with Montezuma Audubon Center staff, Cassidy and Abby, during the celebration event. In their words. "Creating meaningful experiences beyond the parking lots is as easy as being intentional about who you expect to be there. We are excited that Montezuma Audubon Center and NYSDEC understand and are committed to ensuring people with disabilities and all of us across our lifespan can explore the absolute beauty of New York's lands - off roads, on trails, immersed in the smallest details of Nature." - Anita O'Brien, Founder and Executive Director, Rochester Accessible Adventures DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton highlighted the 50,000-acre Montezuma Wetlands Complex as one of the Northeast's best opportunities to protect and restore an extensive wetland system for both wildlife and public enjoyment - and noted that this project gives people of all abilities an opportunity to view bird migration and other wildlife. Montezuma Audubon Center Director Chris Lajewski described the new platform as an exciting part of a larger effort to improve accessibility at the center and across the complex, with timing that couldn't be better: fall migration is kicking in right now! RAA's Executive Director, Anita O'Brien, speaks from the podium at the ribbon-cutting event of the new viewing platform. Intentional inclusion is the whole point. The ribbon-cutting was the perfect time to remind Rochester Accessible Adventures all of the simple truth that is at the core of RAA's mission-driven work: So many curated spaces have built for those who can walk the trail or climb the stairs. Every one of Rochester Accessible Adventures is only ever one moment away from needing something different than that. Rochester Accessible Adventures age. Rochester Accessible Adventures get injured. Rochester Accessible Adventures heal slowly. Access to nature isn't a favor Rochester Accessible Adventures do for someone else. It's a promise Rochester Accessible Adventures make to all of Rochester Accessible Adventures, including its future selves. That's why Rochester Accessible Adventures is so grateful to DEC and the National Audubon Society. Inclusion here is being chosen. It is being built into the design. This platform was built on purpose. And the work doesn't end when the ribbon is cut. An accessible platform is a beginning. The real promise lives in what comes next: the programs, the invitations, and the welcoming atmosphere that turn a place people can reach into a place people actually come to, again and again, and feel that they belong. The view is absolutely stunning! Big sky, prairie, water, trees, and wildlife! A bald eagle was spotted gliding across the treetops during the ceremony. Plan your visit. Fall is a spectacular time to visit. The Montezuma Wetlands Complex sits along one of the most active flight lanes in the Atlantic Flyway, and species of note in the area include Bald Eagles, Sandhill Cranes, Ospreys, Northern Harriers, and Short-eared Owls. * Where: Montezuma Audubon Center, 2295 State Route 89 North, Savannah, NY 13146 * Trails: Open sunrise to sunset * Accessibility questions: Contact Cassidy Attanasio at Montezuma Audubon Center - [email protected] or 315-365-3588 ext. 201 * More platforms and maps: DEC's Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area page * More accessible recreation on DEC lands: DEC Accessible Recreation A view of the platform from the back side. This platform also features a gutter system under the top deck to eliminate rainfall under it so visitors can use it as shelter on rainy days. A heartfelt thank you to its Inclusion Partners at NYS DEC Region 8 and the Montezuma Audubon Center, and to the National Audubon Society, for leading with intention and for inviting RAA to be part of this work. Thank you as well to the New York Power Authority and the NYS Canal Corporation, whose support of the Accessibility Education Program helps make partnerships like this one possible. You didn't just build a platform. You built a doorway. Ready to explore? Montezuma Audubon Center and NYS DEC Region 8 are just two of RAA's Inclusion Partners ready and waiting to welcome you. Looking for more inclusive places to get outside, paddle, bird, and play? The DirectConnect Resource Guide connects you to Inclusion Partners and inclusive recreation opportunities across New York State. Want a hand finding the right fit? Its DirectConnect Coordinator, Mary Anne, is happy to help you plan your next adventure. #MakeInclusionHappen #TheseLandsAreForEveryone #AccessibleOutdoors #Birdability Read the coverage. In the news (October 8, 2026):

Audubon's Hog Island camp launches Maine's first fully electric passenger boat. * 24 September 2026 (Image credit: Island Institute) A new electric-powered boat at Hog Island Audubon Camp is putting coastal resilience into practice, demonstrating how clean energy can support the people, organizations, and ecosystems that make Maine's coast thrive. This vessel is the first fully electric passenger boat in National Audubon Society's fleet. The National Audubon Society's Seabird Institute, Island Institute, and ePropulsion, through its North American distributor Mack Boring & Parts, Co. have launched a refurbished pontoon boat powered by a 20-kilowatt ePropulsion X20 electric outboard motor at Hog Island Audubon Camp in Bremen. The vessel transports people and supplies between the mainland, Hog Island, and other coastal research operations from April through October. On busy operational days, the boat could make more than 25 round trips between Hog Island and the mainland. "Hog Island is becoming Audubon's model for understanding environmental change and developing adaptation and resilience solutions," said Laurie Bragg, Center Director for Audubon's Seabird Institute. "It takes partnerships, expertise, creativity, and a willingness to invest in climate-friendly solutions to achieve a more resilient future. This investment from Island Institute and ePropulsion not only allows us to reduce our footprint, but it provides an opportunity to educate campers from across the country about coastal resilience." For 90 years, Hog Island has been a place where people come to experience and learn about the Gulf of Maine. As the National Audubon Society's only residential camp facility, it brings together hundreds of campers, volunteers, researchers, and other visitors each year to learn about conservation, ornithology, ecology, and the natural world. Now visitors have the opportunity to experience the benefits of electric outboards firsthand. Electric propulsion is significantly quieter than a conventional gasoline-powered outboard, reducing engine noise in an area used for wildlife observation and research. For Hog Island, the transition is also expected to save thousands of dollars in gasoline and future maintenance costs, while also reducing carbon emissions. "For more than five years, we've worked alongside Maine's commercial boat operators to prove that electric propulsion can hold up on a working waterfront," said Lia Morris, Senior Community Development Officer at Island Institute. "Hog Island gives us a chance to bring that same work into a new setting and show just how many ways this technology can support coastal operations. The case for clean, quiet boats keeps getting stronger." As Maine's working waterfronts face rising costs, climate impacts, and aging infrastructure, electric propulsion offers an opportunity to make coastal operations more resilient. Since 2020, Island Institute has helped lead Maine's transition to marine electrification, working with commercial operators, technology companies, and other partners to test and put electric propulsion to work on the water. Island Institute has supported the transition of 23 vessels to electric power across aquaculture, fishing, and other coastal operations, using demonstration projects and real-world data to build confidence in the technology and identify opportunities for broader adoption. The Hog Island project expands that work into a new coastal application and demonstrates what cleaner, quieter marine operations can look like in Maine. "It has been a pleasure working with Island Institute to help bring awareness of the capabilities of electric propulsion to the State of Maine, both in recreational and commercial applications," said Tom Watson, President of ePropulsion Americas. "Our cutting-edge technology provides quiet, sustainable, and effective propulsion that allows visitors of Hog Island to enjoy the peaceful beauty of the region, without disturbing the natural habitat. We are grateful for this continued partnership with Island Institute and the trust of the National Audubon Society in allowing us to safeguard their guests and this fragile ecosystem." Island Institute's electric boat initiative is made possible with funding support from Builders Vision, Maine Technology Institute, the State of Maine, and corporate sponsors. On September 18, Island Institute and its partners brought together funders, state and local leaders, energy utilities, nonprofit organizations, and other stakeholders at Hog Island to see the boat in action, build awareness, and grow support for electric marine propulsion.