News Release

Volunteers Needed for the Pony Patrol

Horses grazing near the west end of Shackleford Banks.

NPS/S.Godin

News Release Date: January 24, 2024

Contact: Nate Toering, [phone]

HARKERS ISLAND, NC – Cape Lookout National Seashore, the N.C. Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses, Inc., are partnering to create a volunteer opportunity, known as the Pony Patrol. These volunteers will help to raise community awareness, protect wild horses, and increase visitor compliance with regards to wild horse rules and guidelines at Shackleford Banks and Rachel Carson Reserve. In 2023, a pilot version of this program was successfully run on Shackleford Banks, with volunteers conducting 48 patrols and contacting over 2,000 visitors.

Prospective Pony Patrol volunteers will work three to four-hour shifts, walking Rachel Carson Reserve and/or Shackleford Banks and talking with visitors about how to best experience the beauty and natural behavior of the horses. Pony Patrol volunteers will receive training in effectively communicating with visitors; in understanding the importance of giving wild horses space to be ‘wild’; and in the knowledge and skills to protect both the visitors’ safety and the wild horses’ welfare, so that, ultimately, they can answer basic questions about the horses and their natural-barrier island homes.

Candidates must be at least 18 years old and a US Citizen / Permanent Resident and be physically able to walk the beach in a dynamic setting, consisting of sandy terrain, extreme sun, heat, humidity, wind, and buggy environments. Pony Patrol volunteers will be expected to work three to four-hour shifts, at least three times per month.

Interested candidates should apply on-line at: https://tinyurl.com/PonyPatrol2024

The application period is open and will close on Friday, February 23, 2024. Applicants must apply to both locations if they want to volunteer for Rachel Carson Reserve and Shackleford Banks. Selected candidates will be contacted for an interview in early March. For more information on Cape Lookout National Seashore, go to: www.nps.gov/calo, For more information on Rachel Carson Reserve, go to: www.deq.nc.gov/coastalreserve. For more information on the Foundation for Shackleford Horses, go to: www.shackleford-horses.org