This month, Three Pines Project, formerly known as Nature Connect NC, celebrates ten years of outdoor education, community and connection to nature. While the name and programs have grown and evolved over time, the core of this work has remained the same: creating opportunities for children to learn about the environment, with the hope that they will care for it and protect it as they grow. This work began in 2016, when Brinkley Hutchings, after graduating from University of North Carolina...

The Nature Explorers had the chance to meet Elizabeth and Zach, with Pender Parks and Recreation, to share ideas and help imagine what the Abbey Trail-head project could become. Our Thursday Nature Explorers group had the opportunity to take part in something truly special and meaningful for our community this past Thursday, March 19. At the invitation of Pender Parks and Recreation, participants shared ideas and input on the future of the wide open space at the entrance of Abbey Nature...

Celebrating nineteen of our thirty-two inaugural members as they officially join the Young Eco-Illustrators Guild! New members were welcomed with their own field guide and a certificate to honor this milestone. Written by: Oana Duma, February 2026 The idea of a kid-made field guide didn’t begin as a big project, but simply as part of the seasonal curriculum for our most popular program, Nature Explorers, in 2022. Each participant chose a bird species to observe and journal about, following...