Cycle-logical Tours

Guided E-Bike Tours in Oak Island & Southport, NC!

Pedaling Toward a Stronger Shoreline

A Community Win for the Cape Fear River

At Cycle-logical Tours, we believe the best way to protect a place is to experience it together. This winter, our community did exactly that — and it made a real impact on the Cape Fear River.

Last fall, Audubon North Carolina began raising funds to build living shorelines at two critical nesting bird habitats: Battery Island and Shellbed Island. These marsh islands help protect coastal birds, reduce erosion, and strengthen our shoreline against storms and rising seas. We were proud to support this work and help spread the word through movement, education, and connection.

🚴‍♀️ Community Support in Action

Thanks to an incredible show of generosity, the project reached its $11,500 fundraising goal for Battery Island and raised an additional $7,100 for Shellbed Island, bringing the total to $18,600 — nearly halfway to the overall $36,000 goal.

Because of this momentum:

  • The Battery Island living shoreline is being installed
  • Two of the four planned installations at Shellbed Island are moving forward
  • Work continues to fully fund and complete the remaining shoreline installations

This is what community-powered conservation looks like.

🌿 Gratitude for Meaningful Partnerships

Projects like this don’t happen in isolation. We’re deeply grateful to:

  • Audubon North Carolina, for leading this important work
  • NC Coastal Federation, for support through a NOAA cost-share program
  • Sandbar Oyster Company, a local business that donated shoreline designs and constructed installation components at no cost
  • And everyone in our community who donated, shared, rode, and showed up

Seeing local businesses, conservation leaders, and community members working together reminds us why we do what we do.

🚲 The Ride That Brought It All Together

As part of this effort, we hosted a community bike ride benefiting the Cape Fear Shoreline Project, and it was everything we love about riding together.

Riders of all experience levels — on both e-bikes and traditional bikes — joined us for an approximately 18-mile, community-paced ride highlighting some of Oak Island’s most beautiful and meaningful natural spaces. Along the route, we visited the living shoreline at Veterans Park, crossed the 9th Street Scenic Walkway (a favorite spot for ibis and other coastal birds), and took in views across the river toward Battery Island.

There was no racing — just steady movement, shared purpose, and conversations about why protecting these places matters. The ride raised both funds and awareness, helping move this shoreline project from vision to reality.

🌊 Why Living Shorelines Matter

Living shorelines use natural materials to stabilize coasts while supporting wildlife, improving water quality, and building resilience in the face of climate change. They’re a powerful reminder that protecting nature doesn’t mean fencing it off — it means working with it.

🌱 What’s Next

With installations underway, Audubon NC continues fundraising to complete the remaining work at Shellbed Island. Once construction is finished, there are plans to offer opportunities for the community to see the Battery Island shoreline by boat, giving supporters a firsthand look at the impact they helped create.

We’re proud to have pedaled alongside so many of you in support of this project. Thank you for riding with purpose, supporting conservation, and helping protect the coastal places that make this area so special.

💚 Want to Get Involved?

If this project inspires you, there are plenty of ways to stay connected and support coastal conservation:

Whether you ride, volunteer, donate, or simply share the story, you’re helping protect the coastal places we all love. Thanks for being part of this journey — on two wheels and beyond. 💙

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