WILMINGTON – Peter Karl Meyer, noted naturalist and author of several books about the North Carolina coast, died April 12. He was 63.
Meyer, a self-described inquisitive coastal naturalist and N.C. Coastal Federation supporter, wrote books including Nature Guide to the Carolina Coast: Common Birds, Crabs, Shells, Fish, and other Entities of the Coastal Environment and Blue Crabs: Catch ’em, Cook ’em, Eat ’em.”The Columbus, Ohio, native was a retired emergency room doctor in Wilmington and former medical director of student health at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He retired from medicine in 2011 and made his passion for exploring the coast his full-time job.
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Since retiring from medicine, Meyer and his wife Cathy were coast-walkers, hiking every coastal beach of North Carolina and many more beyond. The couple wrote about their travels and captured photos for a series of books released only in digital form. Through his writing and fieldwork, Meyer hoped to instill in others respect and concern for the environment.
A memorial service is planned for June 6 at The Tides neighborhood marina in Wilmington. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the N.C. Coastal Federation.
