Our Lower Neuse RIVERKEEPER®, R. Mitchell Blake or "Mitch," came to the NRF with a wealth of experience dealing with eastern North Carolina water quality, fisheries and wildlife issues. The territory he covers extends from Goldsboro to the sound, including the widest mouth of a river in the United States!
Before becoming the Lower Neuse RIVERKEEPER®, Mitch worked with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Division of Marine Fisheries. He focused on data collection and assessment for the purpose of evaluating the environmental conditions, biological impacts of health and disease and impacts of coexisting species of finfish fisheries in the Neuse, Pamlico and Pungo Rivers and the Pamlico Sound. He also worked closely with the DENR Division of Water Quality to relay information regarding evidence of pollutants obtained through water sampling, information concerning fish kills and data regarding disease within fish populations.
Prior to Mitch’s employment with DENR, he worked with the North Carolina Waterfowl Association as the project leader for the Mallard Restoration and Research Program which required creating wildlife management plans and banding, releasing and tracking waterfowl to better understand waterfowl stocks and environmental influences and impacts. Mitch was instrumental in communicating program work and outcomes to stakeholders and recruited volunteers and members to provide ongoing support for local chapters.
Mitch holds an Associates of Applied Science in Fish and Wildlife Management and in Turf Grass Management from Wayne Community College. He also has a U.S. Coast Guard issued Captain’s License and has worked with and operated small businesses that are impacted by the condition of the Neuse River. He is a North Carolina native with a strong connection to the Neuse River basin and the communities of the Lower Neuse where he resides with his wife and two children.
