The unique environmental features of our coastal community require specific care and understanding. Whether it’s monitoring shoreline erosion, addressing stormwater issues or ensuring land disturbance is in alignment with local, state and federal law, New Hanover County Engineering works each day to make sure work in our community adheres to the required rules and regulations.

In truth, this department does so much more.

For almost two decades, Bambie Karabin has been a crucial member of the Engineering team, working as a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Specialist, helping with a wide array of important projects. As part of her role, she focuses on preserving the local history associated with abandoned cemeteries in our community.

For February’s Public Service Profile, I spoke with Bambie about her unique role in the Engineering department and what it means to provide this service. That conversation is below …

Bambie, you’ve been with New Hanover County Engineering for more than 18 years and I know you’re classified as an Engineering CAD Specialist, but you have a special focus in cemetery preservation. Tell me a little bit about your role and what has kept you coming back all these years?

I wear many hats in my role, from Geographic Information System (GIS) editing and deed/title research, to stormwater calculations and certified stormwater inspections.

My GIS skills have proven especially valuable in maintaining accurate records and mapping for all cemeteries within the county. Because I also map Land Disturbing Permits, I’m always aware of development activities and can ensure that cemeteries are protected before any nearby construction takes place. I really enjoy my job but protecting more than 130 cemeteries throughout the community is my true love and I’m thankful to oversee their preservation.

Obviously, you have a wealth of knowledge on the community and I’m sure some interesting experiences from your time helping these sometimes forgotten places be preserved. Is there an example or a situation that sticks out as your favorite? A time when a partnership with a community member helped transform a cemetery that was almost lost?

I have had so many wonderful experiences with some truly amazing people, civic groups, students and Eagle Scouts over the years. Recently, I worked with a graduate student on a restoration project at the Rice Road Cemetery. I taught her some things about cleaning and repairing headstones and she just ran with it. It was an old, abandoned church graveyard. The church was washed away in a nor’easter in the early 1940’s. We found many headstones that were buried and worked to repair all the broken ones. It’s nice that we restored some of its former glory to save it for future generations.

But one of my favorite stories was from about eight years ago. I ran across a map with a cemetery on it that was not in our database. I ended up having to take a canoe to reach it because it was surrounded by water from various ponds and creeks. Years later, I ended up meeting the descendants of people who were buried in that cemetery. They hadn’t been able to visit the site in almost 50 years. 

The county addressed some stormwater issues, but it was still quite a hike to get to the gravesite and it was not accessible to the older members of the family. I worked with the owner of the land, and they cleared a path making it possible to drive to the cemetery. We still had to use 4 wheel-drive to get there, but after almost half a century, in November 2025, the family was finally able to visit their loved ones that were buried there. It was a really special moment.

This work is ongoing and I’m sure you’re always excited to have people get involved. Share with our readers a little about the Adopt A Cemetery Program – what does it entail and how can they get involved?

The county has an Adopt a Cemetery Program, which you can learn more about online here. This mostly involves clearing brush and cleaning up the landscape as many unattended cemeteries are overgrown. I will help them do some headstone cleaning and repair if I can and I’m happy to help get them started. In my opinion, it’s a great way to give back and protect local history.

I want to thank Bambie for her commitment to this important endeavor. We live in a very historic area of the country and having people passionate about preserving a piece of that history is so important.

As Bambie noted, you can help in these efforts by signing up for the Adopt a Cemetery Program, which offers a unique way to give back and do some good in the community.