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.