This writer and historian of Ocracoke Island tells what it was like growing up there as a boy. “What a story,” he says, “if only the live oaks could talk.”
Our Coast
New Clues Lead Westward
The search for the Lost Colony moved to the western reaches of Albermarle Sound where archeologists came across what one termed an “extraordinary discovery.”
Our Coast’s Food: ‘Old Christmas’ on the Banks
Descendants of North Carolina’s barrier island communities celebrate this Christmastime holiday on Jan. 6 or 7, with traditional foods, homemade gifts and visits with neighbors.
Coastal Sketch: Sandie Cecelski
Meet Sandie Cecelski, a N.C. Coastal Federation board member. This marine science teacher from Carolina Beach is passionate about getting her students outdoors and hands-on.
This N.C. Christmas Went Down in History
The blizzard of 1989 created the only coastal white Christmas on record for North Carolina. Our naturalist, Sam Bland, recalls Hammocks Beach State Park that day.
Sand Waves: Juggernauts of the Outer Banks
Large, moving mountains of sand helped shape the northern Outer Banks. Whole communities slowly disappeared beneath them. Two bicycle makers from Ohio made history atop one of the them.
Coastal Sketch: Paul Sykes
You may not know the name, but the guy’s a rock star in the world of birds. No one — probably on the planet — has done more Christmas Bird Counts. 475 and, yes, counting. The 77-year-old will add another to the tally this month when he leads a count on the Outer Banks.
The Yaupon Holly Tradition
Almost as soon as Europeans arrived on our coast, they were taught by the Native Americans how to brew this coastal shrub into a caffeinated tea.
Beaver Moon Doesn’t Disappoint
The cloud cover lifted and the hearts on the boat soared. A full moon hung over Bogue Sound, inspiring the artistic souls of the nature photographers on board.
A Ringside Seat to an Ancient Ritual
Bird watchers gather on Ocracoke each fall to scan the skies for migrating kestrels, hawks and other raptors.
Buxton Woods
Twenty-five years ago, when the state acquired its first parcel of Buxton Woods on Hatteras Island, the ultimate fate of the magnificent maritime forest was far from secured.
Coastal Sketch: Joe Ramus
Learn how the kid surrounded by walnuts in the hills of California who wanted to be an engineer ended up spending most of his life by the sea in North Carolina where he is a respected marine scientist and a N.C. Coastal Federation board member.
Our Coast’s Food: Oyster Stuffing
Hardly a cook on the N.C. coast gets through the Thanksgiving season without thinking about oyster stuffing, a dish so luxurious it begs a silver dish rather than a place inside the holiday turkey.
African Roots in Brunswick County
Southeast North Carolina’s heritage is infused with the culture of West African descendants. The Gullah or Geechee people are known for their story-telling, rice-based cuisine and fishing traditions.
Coastal Sketch: Peggy Birkemeier
For someone who says she’s not a “beach person,” Peggy Birkemeier, a N.C. Coastal Federation board member from the Outer Banks, has caught on nicely.
The Starriest Sky on the East Coast
Cape Hatteras National Seashore could become the first “dark sky park” in the world that’s on a coastline. Its brilliant nightscape of stars is an environmental, economic and scientific resource.
