Many of North Carolina's most-visited tourist attractions are managed by the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Chimney Rock State Park, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and the North Carolina Zoo are included on this list.

Aside from being places for recreation, each state park is a natural laboratory of sorts and a place for aggressive natural resource management. Many have programs for prescribed burning, invasive species control and restoration of habitat for plants and animals. There is regular and serious research in almost every state park at various times, adding to cumulative knowledge about the state's resources. There are interesting natural history projects, large and small.

Interpretive programs in state parks have gone way beyond the simple nature hike with a ranger -- although that's still offered, too. Programs in parks are always being devised in such subjects as astronomy, storytelling, music, wilderness navigation, etc. And, there are new exhibit halls, self-guided nature trails and trailside displays in many parks that offer new ways to learn about nature.

Among all government employees, state park rangers may be among the most highly skilled. They're law enforcement officers and many have degrees in science or natural resource fields giving them qualifications as researchers. All have advanced skills in environmental education, search and rescue, public speaking/interpretation, wildfire control and emergency medical response. And, almost every park has a veteran ranger who's seen it all.

There's no better place for truly low-cost, family entertainment than a state park, whether it's an afternoon hiking or canoeing or a weekend camping trip. And, a park ranger can suggest ways to shave the costs further on a family outdoor excursion.

In every county where a state park is located, it is the single biggest draw for visitors. (The state parks system attendance represents more than three times the combined attendance for Lowe's Motor Speedway and Atlantic Coast Conference basketball in North Carolina). A recent state parks system study found that each visitor spends a minimum $23 a day. A look at historical attendance figures for any park can often reveal an interesting story.

How can you be a more environmentally conscious consumer? Follow some of the tips DENR offers for making your home eco-friendly.

Parts of the state are still experiencing the lasting effects of our state's worst drought in recorded history. Streamflows, reservoirs and groundwater supplies in many parts of the state reached record lows, and several communities had to look to their neighbors for water. The drought prompted legislators to act on a groundbreaking drought bill. But many people recognize the need for everyone to conserve water year-round so that water conservation becomes a habit in North Carolina, not just a fad. How can people conserve water to stretch our available supplies? Learn about a host of consumer and business water conservation tips by contacting Chris Frazier at the N.C. Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance at (919) 715-6515 or Jamie Kritzer at (919) 715-7357.

How can scientists and engineers keep busy in retirement, and help North Carolina businesses and organizations save money and help the environment? They can join the Waste Reduction Partners program, in Asheville and RTP. These teams of volunteers provide no-cost waste and energy reduction assessments and technical assistance to business, industry and government entities in their service areas.

How do kids learn about marine life when they can't go the beach? The beach comes to them. The N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher has a vehicle that allows experts to take marine invertebrates commonly found along the North Carolina coast and a number of reptile and amphibians to schools, libraries, camps and community groups. The children can see, touch and learn about sea stars, crabs, whelks and host of marine invertebrates as well as reptiles and amphibians. Is the outreach van coming to your area for a visit? Contact Amy Kilgore at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher, at (910) 458-8257, ext. 211.

North Carolina's unseasonably dry weather creates the possibility for much greater wildfire activity. Officials with the state agency that fights those blazes say there are things people can do to prevent a wildfire catastrophe. In addition to educating your families about fire prevention techniques, you can take steps around your home to keep a wildfire from destroying your property.

Trees in cities promote not only curb appeal. Trees also have been shown to keep cities cooler, filter pollution from automobiles and factories, prevent against erosion and pump much-needed oxygen into the environment. The state of North Carolina promotes the management of urban trees by providing information to groups looking to improve the environment and aesthetics of their communities. The state's Urban and Community Forest Program, in the N.C. Division of Forest Resources, assists municipal employees, professional associations, civic and volunteer organizations, state agencies, regional organizations, educational institutions, and businesses with technical and educational assistance.

Forests grown for any reason are an excellent investment. The N.C. Division of Forest Resources Pest Control Program protects forests from devastating insects and diseases. The program helps landowners in a number of ways including cost-share programs and grants aimed at preventing outbreaks of the southern pine beetle. Pest control experts are also available to advise and assist landowners on how to deal with a host of other disease and pest problems such as hemlock woolly adelgid and Oak Wilt.

Protecting state and private forestland from wildfires in North Carolina falls to the N.C. Division of Forest Resources. The fire control program is managed on a cooperative basis in each county with forest rangers that coordinate crews, fire engines, dozers, tractor-plows, aircraft, pumps and other resources to fight wildfires. Emphasis in the program includes fire prevention efforts, firefighting training and preparation, aggressive suppression of fires and law enforcement agents who investigate fires and an extensive prescribed fire program. To learn more about the N.C. Division of Forest Resources contact Brian R. Haines with the state Division of Forest Resources at (919) 857-4828.

The Division of Air Quality and the Climate Action Plan Advisory Group completed a report that analyzes ways to reduce and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in North Carolina. The report also evaluates the costs and economic benefits of reducing those emissions.

The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently developed a series of maps that are being used to help prioritize conservation funding decisions and inform land use planning efforts. The maps, known as the One N.C. Naturally Conservation Planning Tool, streamline the state's process of identifying and prioritizing the areas of North Carolina's landscape that are essential for conservation. Examples include areas near other environmentally-significant land under state protection, as well as farms, forests or habitat for rare plant and animal species. The maps can be found at www.oneNCnaturally.org.

Solar power is becoming an increasingly popular alternative as we seek more efficient forms of energy for the future. Last year, the North Carolina Zoo took strides toward energy efficiency when it launched the state's largest solar power project. The zoo constructed a 1-4-kilowatt, 9,600-square-foot grid-tied photovoltaic solar system mounted on three picnic pavilions, thanks to help from the Carolina Solar Energy and Randolph Electric Membership Corporation. The annual production is projected to be 130,000 kilowatt-hours per year, which is enough to power 13 average homes.

North Carolina has launched an innovative recycling program to collect oyster shells from individuals and businesses and place them back overboard to help turn the tide on declining oyster stocks. Baby oysters begin life as free-floating organisms but quickly settle to the bottom attaching themselves to hard surfaces. That's why oysters grow in clumps on pilings and concrete, but their favorite most productive place to grow is on other shells. A mound of oyster shells placed in brackish water with good tidal flow will quickly become colonized by a multitude of marine organisms, including oysters. This mound, also called an oyster reef, serves a number of purposes - first and foremost, it helps produce oysters. Secondly, it provides habitat for other beneficial organisms, such as algae, worms, barnacles, crabs, small minnows and fish. The small fish attract a diversity of larger fish and before you know it, you have a veritable metropolis of critters congregating at your reef and all you did was put the shells over - in the right spot. Oysters serve an additional important purpose - they clean water by feeding on plankton and waterborne detritus. One oyster can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, so the larger and healthier our oyster population, the cleaner the water.

How do human changes to the land such as development affect North Carolina's fisheries? Take a look at how all systems are connected, whether they are on land or in the water.

Shrimp may be the nation's favorite seafood. But in North Carolina, blue crab is still No. 1. Indeed blue crab supports the state's most valuable commercial fishery and is No. 1 in terms of overall pounds of fish harvested. Want to know why blue crabs are such an abundant fishery?

Do you cover fishing and want to know what's biting? Then, check out the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Web site, http://www.ncfisheries.net/ and click on the "Recreational Fishing" section, then on "Recreational Fishing Report." Port agents with the Division of Marine Fisheries interview anglers each week and post their findings on the division's Web site.

Why is the Albemarle-Pamlico estuary system home to some of the East Coast's richest fish habitats? Contact Patricia Smith with the Division of Marine Fisheries at (252) 726-7021.

The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program, in partnership with several other federal and state agencies, completed acquisition of aerial images along the entire coast of North Carolina and southeast Virginia. These digital orthographic, photo quarter-quadrangles will be used to map submerged aquatic vegetation and wetlands in the APNEP region, which includes 35 counties in southeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia.

Sea level rise and population growth will continue to impact people who live, work and play on North Carolina's coast. To better educate people about these two trends, the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program helped host seven listening sessions in the summer of 2008 for residents in areas vulnerable to sea level rise. The sessions enable community members to share their perceptions of changes occurring in their communities as well as what those changes could mean and how to respond to sea level rise and population growth. The results of those presentations were included in this report: http://www.apnep.org/pages/PublicListeningSessionsReport.pdf