North Carolina Guardian ad Litem (GAL) equips community volunteers to serve abused and neglected children by advocating for their best interests in court. A GAL advocate is a trained community volunteer who is appointed, along with a Guardian ad Litem attorney and staff member, by a district court judge to investigate and determine the needs of abused and neglected children petitioned into the court system by the Department of Social Services. Their role is mandated by North Carolina General Statute 7B-601. The main GAL qualification is having a sincere concern for the well-being of children and a willingness to commit to serving on a child's case until permanence is achieved. Throughout NC the GAL Program seeks to serve the best interests of thoursand of children who find themselves the subjects of court cases by assigning them a GAL volunteer. Our program exists in every county throughout the state, and with the help of more than 5,300 volunteers, we serve more than 18,000 children per year. 

Our Mission is to inspire the appreciation and conservation of our aquatic resources.

The N.C. Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is situated in the Theodore Roosevelt Natural Area, which is mostly maritime forest. Descendants of President Theodore Roosevelt donated 298 acres of maritime forest to the state in 1971. They stipulated the acreage be maintained as a nature preserve and used for nature and wildlife education and estuarine studies. Acres surrounding the aquarium dedicated as natural area commemorate President Roosevelt’s commitment to conservation

On September 17, 1976, the state opened three North Carolina Marine Resources Centers – one at Fort Fisher, one at Pine Knoll Shores and one on Roanoke Island. The centers were launched as research and education facilities, which also offered small exhibits that were open to the public.

The centers quickly became popular, and in 1986, they were renamed the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, and the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. That same year, a group of dedicated citizens incorporated a membership-based support group, the North Carolina Aquarium Society.

Attendance continued to soar. In 1996, the State launched a plan to triple the size of the crowded and aging facilities. The Pine Knoll Shores expansion began in the early 2000s and reopened in 2006.

The North Carolina Coastal Federation is a member-supported 501(c)3 that focuses on protecting and restoring the North Carolina coast.

Since 1982, the Federation has been in the field restoring miles of coastline; training and educating students, adults, and communities to take actions that result in cleaner coastal waters and advocating for an accessible, healthy, productive coast.

Created to give a united voice to the need for long-term coastal management, the Federation remains a collaborative, grassroots organization at its heart and brings together traditional and nontraditional organizations, government agencies, and businesses in order to achieve what is best for the North Carolina coast and to leave a legacy of clean water for future generations.

The Federation has 16,000 supporters and reaches almost 300,000 people directly each year.