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Since the spring of 1994, this East Carolina University field station,
administered by the College of Arts and Sciences, has been housed in the
east wing of The Lodge at Lake Mattamuskeet.
The Lodge is a national
landmark - originally built in 1914-1915 as the world's largest pumping
station to drain Lake Mattamuskeet
for agriculture use, and then
completely renovated in the 1930s to become an internationally famous
destination for hunters. With so many different habitats and natural areas, the region is a showcase for environmental education. When renovations are finished, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service will use the Lodge as its headquarters for the three federal refuges under its jurisdiction including Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. In addition, the Lodge will be used by the Partnership for the Sounds, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing sustainable economic development into the region through both environmental education and eco-tourism. The field station, as the third entity using the Lodge, will provide college and adult education programs. These three groups working very closely together will bring unique opportunities to the Albemarle-Pamlico peninsula. A fourth group, the public, will also be able to use the main portions of the Lodge for a variety of activities, including charity and fund-raising events, public meetings, and other community functions. With five national wildlife refuges in the area and two state parks not far away, the Lodge is the perfect place for students in a wide variety of academic disciplines to conduct research. The long-term vision for the facility involves its use by most academic departments of the university, such as anthropology, biology, business, coastal ecology, English, environmental art, history, hospitality management, leisure studies, and sociology. Initially, the greatest use of the facility by ECU will be for the student field trips and as a base of operation for research in areas of wetland ecology, archaeology, colonial and maritime history, geography, and anthropology. In time, additional uses may include a writer's retreat, academic workshops, departmental retreats, conferences, summer field station programs, and public university programs such as elderhostel and continuing education. With all that the field station has, much remains to be developed. State funding covers only the very basic costs of university operations and does not pay for the maintenance and upkeep of special projects such as the Field Station for Coastal Studies at Mattamuskeet. Private funding is essential for the success of the program. LOCATION Eastern North Carolina. On mainland Hyde County's Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge. NC Highway 264 is the east/west main thoroughfare, with access from the North via NC Highways 45 & 94. Refuge entrance is on Hwy 94, approximately 1 mile North of the intersection of Hwys 264 & 94. Ferry service (schedule) available from Ocracoke Island to Swan Quarter on the mainland. Further information is available from: FIELD STATION DIRECTOR EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY MAMIE JENKINS BUILDING GREENVILLE, NC 27858-4353 PH: 
328-1757 |
