Conservation is about more than protecting land. It is about people who recognize the value of our natural landscapes, commit to their protection, and ensure they remain treasured for generations to come.
That spirit was at the heart of the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust’s Annual Celebration and inaugural Flytrap Awards, held at Everett Creek Preserve in Sneads Ferry on September 26, 2026. Nearly 200 supporters, partners, and friends gathered to celebrate the individuals, families, and businesses whose dedication makes our mission possible.
The first-ever Flytrap Awards recognized seven outstanding conservation champions, each representing a different but essential part of protecting coastal North Carolina. Read about the awards and recipients below!
2026 Flytrap Award - Land Conservation
Sometimes conservation comes down to a choice, when we recognize that a piece of land, a stretch of shoreline, a long leaf pine forest or a family property has value that goes far beyond what can be measured on paper. The Conservation Award honors those who have made a meaningful choice to permanently protect coastal land with great conservation qualities. important to coastal North Carolina. Every conservation story is different, but each one begins with someone willing to see the bigger picture and make a commitment beyond a lifetime. This award honors those who chose to act when an opportunity of conservation was before them, creating a legacy that spans generations.
Samuel L. Whitehurst Dynasty Trust, Carolyn Whitehurst and the Whitehurst Family
The late Samuel L. Whitehurst was willing to see the bigger picture, and he and his family made a lasting conservation commitment. In fact, Samuel Whitehurst, his wife Carolyn Whitehurst, and the Whitehurst Family made multiple conservation commitments and created a lasting legacy of permanently protected lands.
The late Samuel L. Whitehurst, a former North Carolina State Representative and Senator, grew up on an approximately 2,000-acre Craven County farm that had been in Mr. Whitehurst’s father’s family (the Latham Family) since the early 1800s. Mr. Whitehurst was passionate about conserving portions of the family property. In 2007, Mr. Whitehurst placed a permanent working forest conservation easement on 182 acres of the property lying along Upper Broad Creek. The following year, Mr. Whitehurst sold 132 acres located further downstream to North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, which later transferred this property – now the popular Latham-Whitehurst Nature Park – to Craven County. Mr. Whitehurst also sold more than 600 acres to the State of North Carolina to expand and become a part of the 5,600-acre Neuse River Game Land.
This year, Mrs. Carolyn Whitehurst and the Whitehurst Family worked with the Coastal Land Trust to honor Mr. Whitehurst’s legacy and conserved an additional 190 acres of family land through two conservation easements – one purchased and one donated – each permanently conserving different portions of the family property.
The late Samuel L. Whitehurst, Carolyn Whitehurst, and the Whitehurst Family have repeatedly chosen to act when conservation opportunities were before them and have now placed nearly 1,000 acres of historic family land in permanent conservation and created a lasting legacy.
2026 Flytrap Award – Land Conservation
Sometimes conservation comes down to a choice, when we recognize that a piece of land, a stretch of shoreline, a long leaf pine forest or a family property has value that goes far beyond what can be measured on paper. The Conservation Award honors those who have made a meaningful choice to permanently protect coastal land with great conservation qualities. important to coastal North Carolina. Every conservation story is different, but each one begins with someone willing to see the bigger picture and make a commitment beyond a lifetime. This award honors those who chose to act when an opportunity of conservation was before them, creating a legacy that extends far beyond their own lifetime.
Dr. Kenneth Klein
Dr. Klein has repeatedly made the choice at the heart of this award: to recognize that the lasting value of his land reaches far beyond what can be measured on paper, and to protect it for generations he will never know. What began in 1993, when Dr. Klein joined the Coastal Land Trust family, has blossomed into a legacy of conservation through four transactions permanently protecting more than 550 acres in the Upper Broad Creek drainage in Craven County, a tributary of the Neuse River. In a letter to the Coastal Land Trust, Dr. Klein described his commitment to conservation: “I view my role merely as a temporary steward of the land, and am doing my best to enhance, preserve, and protect our natural home, habitat and space.” Dr. Klein’s actions speak even louder than his words. The first two transactions initiated by Dr. Klein were donations of conservation easements, the first donation in 2002 protecting 29 acres, and the second donation in 2023 protected another 71 acres. Dr. Klein continued his commitment to land protection with two more conservation easements, the first in 2024 protected 268 acres. Then on September 17th, 2026, a fourth conservation easement covering an additional 223 acres was put in place. In total, over a span of 24 years, Dr. Klein has conserved more than 550 acres of his land, gradually expanding conservation protection across contiguous land over time. a commitment shared by the Coastal Land Trust.
Unfortunately, there are limited resources for land conservation and, when conservation dollars are few, landowners are often asked to sacrifice full compensation for the value of the rights they are giving up through a conservation easement. For Dr. Klein, the choice was as clear as a sunny summer day: Cleaner water, healthier forests, an abundance of wildlife habitat for the health of North Carolina’s coastal ecosystem was worth the sacrifice.
2026 Flytrap Award – Land Stewardship
Land stewardship entails a lasting commitment to care for a special place once the promise of conservation has been made. This award honors those who understand that conservation is not an inheritance of land. It is an enduring legacy to cultivate, nurture, and cherish. This relationship with the land is built through thoughtful management and a willingness to make decisions with the future in mind. This award recognizes those who have taken that responsibility to heart and have been diligent caretakers of places worth conserving.
Walker and Marjorie Rayburn
Walker and Marjorie Rayburn clearly understand that conservation is not an inheritance of the land but rather an enduring legacy to cultivate, nurture, and cherish the land. The Rayburn Farm, located in Perquimans County, has been in the Rayburn Family since the 1600s and was part of an original King’s grant. Large waterfront properties like the Rayburn Farm, which lies along Yeopim and Barrows Creeks a short distance from the Albemarle Sound, are extremely valuable for the development of residential waterfront golfing and boating communities.
The Rayburns, who take great pride in their farming heritage, were concerned by the imminent threat posed by a large neighboring development. They decided to work with the Coastal Land Trust to explore options to protect their farm, woodland and agrarian way of life – raising sheep, row crops, and timber. The Rayburns ultimately decided to place two portions of their working family farm under conservation easement with the Coastal Land Trust in 2002 and 2007 to ensure that their legacy farm would remain undeveloped in perpetuity.
The farm features cultivated land with high-quality soil, well-managed woodlands, bottomland hardwood swamp forest, valuable open space, and wildlife habitat. The Rayburns have consistently used the utmost care in the management of their land – ensuring that only no-till farming is utilized to prevent soil erosion, protect soil health, and benefit the environment, promoting the use of low-nitrogen fertilization to decrease eutrophication, employing careful thinning techniques, and personally and meticulously selecting saplings for woodland regeneration. All decisions the Rayburns make for their farm exemplify thoughtful management and decision making – with the health of the land and the future in mind.
Walker and Marjorie Rayburn are truly exemplary stewards and faithful caretakers preserving their land and cultural farming heritage.
2026 Flytrap Award – Corporate Conservation Partner
Conserving the North Carolina coast takes partners from every part of the communities we serve, including the business community. The Corporate Conservation Partner Award recognizes a company that has chosen to invest its resources, expertise and influence in protecting the places that make coastal North Carolina special. It celebrates corporate leadership that looks beyond the bottom line and recognizes that healthy lands, clean water, and thriving communities are deeply connected. This award honors a company that understands an investment in the land and waters around us is also an investment in the future of coastal North Carolina.
PMG – Carolinas
When Holt C-Stores first sponsored a small golf tournament in 2003 to benefit the Coastal Land Trust, little did we imagine that the golf tournament would continue to grow year after year for more than 20 years. By 2022, the golf tournament had become a significant source of revenue, and it was with some concern and trepidation we learned the Virginia-based Petroleum Marketing Group (PMG) had purchased Holt C-Stores.
What happened next demonstrated the kind of corporate leadership this award was created to recognize. PMG chose not simply to inherit a longstanding partnership, but to invest in its future, recognizing that supporting conservation is an investment in the communities and landscapes of coastal North Carolina. Not only did PMG Carolinas decide to continue the Golf Tournament, but they also committed to making it bigger and better than ever! The 2026 PMG – Carolinas Coastal Land Trust Golf Tournament raised $168,000, including in-kind contributions and a $17,000 corporate gift from PMG!
PMG has an impressive history. The owner, Hossein Ejtemai, bought his first gas station in the early 70’s and today the company employs over 600 people and serves more than 1,200 gas stations from Maine to Florida and supports multiple charities. PMG Carolinas is led by Adnan Tariq, known to all as AT. AT grew up in Pakistan where he earned his MBA and worked for Proctor and Gamble and pharmaceutical firms. A serious medical diagnosis affecting his son brought AT and his family to the US to seek treatment. He joined PMG as a cashier and quickly rose through management ranks and was given the opportunity to run PMG Carolinas with the original purchase of Holt Oil with 19 sites and now operates 80 stores.
AT’s enthusiastic support and commitment to conservation is an inspiration. In his own words: “Land conservation is especially important along the NC coast because it helps protect sensitive ecosystems, preserve wildlife habitats, and maintain the natural beauty that attracts residents and visitors alike. Conserved lands act as natural buffers against storms, flooding, and coastal erosion, helping communities become more resilient to the impacts of severe weather and rising sea levels.
“For our company, supporting land conservation reflects a commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable growth. By protecting coastal landscapes today, we help ensure future generations can continue to benefit from healthy ecosystems, clean water, thriving wildlife, and the economic opportunities that depend on a resilient and vibrant coastline.”
2026 Flytrap Award for Lifetime Achievement
Conservation is rarely the opus of a single moment. More often, its arrangement requires a lifetime of paying attention. The Conservation Lifetime Achievement Award honors someone who has spent a career doing just that. It is the Coastal Land Trust’s highest recognition of a life devoted to understanding, protecting and advocating for the natural places that define coastal North Carolina. It honors someone whose knowledge, leadership and commitment have helped create a plan to care for our coast in perpetuity. This award recognizes a lifetime of service that leaves the spirit of conservation for the generations that follow.
Dr. Stanley R. Riggs
Few people have done more to help North Carolinians understand and appreciate our coast than Stanley R. Riggs, PhD. For over six decades, Stan has studied barrier islands, estuaries, and shorelines, speaking not just to scientists but to policymakers, communities, and everyday people. His life’s work reflects what this award means by a lifetime of paying attention, using his knowledge to understand a changing coast and to help generations of North Carolinians understand how and why we must care for it.
In 1967, he joined the faculty at East Carolina University, establishing ECU’s geology and marine science programs. He rose to become a distinguished professor and professor emeritus. Many of the generations of ECU students who studied under Stan have gone on to professional careers in geology, marine science, and other environmental fields, and all his students gained an appreciation of the importance and complexity of our eastern North Carolina ecosystems.
In addition to his foundational work at ECU, Stan has lectured and collaborated broadly in coastal science as an adjunct professor at NC State, Duke, and UNC Chapel Hill. He is a noted co-author of numerous books and scientific papers in coastal dynamics and policy and has long worked in close collaboration with other prominent North Carolinians such as naturalist Tom Earnhardt and fellow coastal scientist Orrin Pilkey.
In 2012, Stan created the non-profit NC Land of Water (NC-LOW) to help share his lifetime learnings with the public. Stan is continuing to share his learnings of a lifetime through the auspices of NC-LOW with a series of books intended for the general public. Stan’s core message has always been clear: barrier islands are not fixed; they are living systems in motion. A sustainable future for the barrier islands and how we live on them depends upon learning to live with that change.
Dr. Riggs earned a B.S. from Beloit College, an M.A. from Dartmouth, and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Montana.
2026 Flytrap Award for Volunteering
Though he has volunteered with the Coastal Land Trust over the years, 2026 brought a deeper level of involvement for John Leahy, our 2026 Volunteer of the Year. After planting trees at Reaves Chapel in January, he teamed up with Trish Farnham (Volunteer of the Year ‘25) to develop and fulfill a twice-weekly watering schedule.
Since approaching Lauren (our Volunteer and Trail Coordinator) with their plan, they have carried out their watering schedule for the past 5 months, and plan for the foreseeable future! The best volunteers truly care about their community—enough to keep an eye on the rain forecast and stop by Reaves Chapel every week to ensure the successful establishment of a handful of live oak saplings.
Our inaugural Flytrap Awards were more than a celebration of individual accomplishments. They were a reminder that conservation is a collective achievement. Landowners, scientists, professional partners, businesses, volunteers, and supporters each bring something indispensable to our mission.
We simply could not protect the lands and waters of coastal North Carolina without them – and you. And together, we are building a conservation legacy that will endure for generations.
Photos thanks to Boot Scrap.
