Michael Schafale with the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program provides detailed descriptions of the state’s 343 natural communities, including those on the coast.
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Insurance Commissioner Causey, specialists visit Down East
State Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey and insurance industry officials joined an all-day community roundtable on Harkers Island Wednesday, encouraging coastal residents to be their own advocates.
Where war looks lost, Mother Nature fights climate change
Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and other, nearby refuges and state lands especially vulnerable to climate change are getting $27.5 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for nature-based solutions.
Civilian Conservation Corps workers of Bell Island
Historian David Cecelski gives a glimpse of the North Carolina coast during the Great Depression from the perspective of the young men in Roosevelt’s Civilian Conservation Corps.
Emergency coastal rules draw little notice during hearings
Few turned out for hearings the Division of Coastal Management held in Dare, Carteret and Onslow counties for the temporary replacements for “critical” protections Codifier of Rules Ashley B. Snyder — Sen. Phil Berger’s daughter — stripped from the books last year.
BeBot beach sweeper sifts surface sands for small debris
Keep New Hanover Beautiful’s BeBot, the first and only solar- and battery-powered, robotic beach sweeper in the state, is to supplement human-led beach cleanups and raise awareness about smaller trash and plastics that tend to get overlooked on beaches.
‘Rich Lands of New River’: Town retains ‘postcard’ charm
Though references to Richlands can be found in the early Colonial period, the Onslow County community began to grow in the early 1900s when it gained a railroad connection.
Agencies acknowledge confusion fisheries conflict creates
Officials agree that the public is caught in the middle of inconsistent state fisheries regulations enacted by the state Wildlife Resources Commission and Marine Fisheries Commission for inland and coastal waters, respectively.
Dolan, Godfrey: Scientists proved Outer Banks are moving
Findings more than 50 years ago by coastal geologist Robert Dolan and husband-and-wife researchers Paul and Melinda Godfrey changed barrier island understanding and led the National Park Service to reverse longstanding policy.
North Topsail Beach empowers police to remove junk boats
Aldermen have adopted an ordinance giving the police department authority to rid the town’s navigable waters of abandoned or derelict vessels.
Foundation maps journey of its Lost Colony research
“Excavating the Lost Colony Mystery: The Map, the Search, the Discovery” is a compilation of essays and writings by historians, archaeologists and other experts on the last 20 years of research on Sir Walter Raleigh’s settlement.
Mattamuskeet carp numbers likely to be ‘a continual issue’
Refuge Manager Kendall Smith says the $1 million project to remove invasive common carp from the state’s largest freshwater lake will also require regular maintenance to restore vegetation and improve water quality.
Live Christmas trees can go back to nature after holidays
Now that the holidays are wrapping up, natural Christmas trees can find a new purpose, from restoring dunes to becoming mulch.
Excerpt: Conflict Over Water Access from ‘Time And Tide’
Outer Banks resident and author Tim Hatcher examines the long history of conflicts over water access on the North Carolina coast in this selected chapter from his 2023 book, “Time and Tide: The Vanishing Culture of the North Carolina Coast.”
Student study shines light on Outer Banks sea turtle nesting
Outer Banks Field Site undergrads who conducted a four-month study of how artificial light at night affects sea turtle nesting have presented their findings, which indicate conservation efforts may be working.
State Parks to ring in new year with First Day Hikes for all
More than 50 ranger-led First Day Hikes of varying degrees of length and difficultly are planned for New Year’s Day across the state, including here on the coast.
