Destiny Raines showcases Beaufort County conservation work and animal ambassador at Earth Day

At an Earth Day event held at the Beaufort County Administration Building, Destiny Raines of the Beaufort County Land Preservation Department described the department’s public outreach and land-management work while introducing an animal ambassador, Houdini.

Raines said she hosts a county table, brings live animals to programs and promotes free environmental education offerings on the county’s website. “I bring these guys out to a bunch of different programs throughout the county,” she said, describing visits to school groups, garden clubs and reptile and amphibian programs at Crystal Lake Park.

Why it matters: The Land Preservation Department manages open space and public programs that connect residents to local habitats and the county’s stewardship activities. Raines noted the department oversees more than 40,000 acres in Beaufort County and operates with a small staff that combines education and on-the-ground maintenance work.

Raines described the department as “a very small department, a department of 4. I do all the environmental education, and then the boys are park rangers. They are the ones that take care of our properties. They do park maintenance. And then occasionally, we do some land management activities as well like prescribed fires.”

The outreach emphasis is largely educational: Raines said the animal ambassadors — including Houdini — help draw interest from children and community groups, while staff and rangers handle routine maintenance and occasional prescribed burns to manage county properties.

On Earth Day’s meaning, Raines said, “I think Earth Day should be celebrated every day,” adding that she sees “the wonders of nature every single day” around Beaufort County.

The host closed the segment by thanking Raines and viewers and noting the Beaufort County Report will return with more coverage.