Artist Matthew Mahler stands beside the Cow Store cow, which he is in the process of restoring. The fiberglass cow, an officially designated historic landmark, stands atop the Taqueria La Vaquita at 2700 Chapel Hill Road.

Originally advertising a drive-up convenience store, the cow has been in place since 1963 and had begun to show its age. Neighbor Mary Wible began a campaign earlier this year to have it restored and by late November had raised enough money to contract with Mahler to do the job.

Mahler is being paid $1,175 for his labor and supplies. Restoration involves sanding away peeling paint, patching holes with new fiberglass, repainting the cow and applying three coats of weather-resistant varnish.

Photo courtesy Mary Wible

If you're heading to the coast this summer, think about adding an eco-experience to your vacation plans. The North Carolina Coastal Federation, based in Ocean in between Morehead City and Swansboro, is offering visitors the chance to work alongside scientists and restoration and education specialists.

The federation and Hammocks Beach State Park will be restoring salt marshes and oyster reefs on Jones Island, a small uninhabited island in the White Oak River, every Tuesday starting in June and running through August.

Volunteers will travel to the island by boat, where they will fill bags with oyster shells to create reefs, plant wetland grasses along the shoreline or pick up litter. If you're looking for something that requires less energy, check out the federation's educational offerings, including Marsh Cruises and the Bear Island Ecology Program.

Details can be found on their Web site or call the federation at 252-393-8185.

See photos of how far the historic Glencoe Mill Village in Burlington, N.C. has come.