Masonboro Island, Photography by Joshua McClure The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) appointed avid waterman and Masonboro.org board member Haywood Newkirk of Wilmington to its Advisory Committee for the Masonboro Island component of the NC National Estuarine Research Reserve. Masonboro Island is a 5,000 acre, 8.4 mile-long undeveloped barrier island