CONTRIBUTED | TRENT TETTERTON

 

RIVER ROVER: Washington Noon Rotary guest speaker Capt. Richard Andrews, owner/operator of Tar-Pam Guide Service in Washington, shares his knowledge of our rivers, estuaries and coastal ecosystems. He stresses the importance of developing the eco-tourism industry in the Tar-Pam area while being environmentally conscience of its natural habitat and the beauty of the waterfront. Andrews received his undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and his master’s degree in Natural Resources from N.C. State University where his graduate research focused on stream and wetland ecology. He has over 11 years of experience in North Carolina’s charter fishing industry. His love and enthusiasm for what he does is contagious. Capt. Andrews’ is an active supporter of the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation (PTRF) and its mission to monitor, protect and enhance the Tar-Pamlico River and watershed while promoting environmental justice. Among other things, he has been instrumental in building the Tar-Pamlico River Camping Platforms, owned and operated by PTRF. These camping platforms provide overnight camping facilities to recreational users of the Tar and Pamlico rivers. PTRF’s goal is to build a continuous system of platforms approximately 8 to 15 miles apart spanning from the headwaters of the Tar River in Granville County to the wide open estuarine waters of the Pamlico River in Beaufort, Hyde, and Pamlico Counties.