It’s in our our blood, part of our very being. It connects us to our watery past. Here, on the edge of the sea, life adapts to it or perishes.
Our Coast
The Greening of Wilmington
Since 1925, the Cape Fear Garden Club has worked to make the city a prettier place. Its Azalea Festival provides the money for the club’s generous grant program to support education, beautification and stewardship.
The Scotch Bonnet’s 50th Anniversary
North Carolina was the first state to declare an official state shell 50 years ago this year. The elusive Scotch bonnet is, however, a rare find for beachcombers.
Our Coast’s Food: Fishermen’s Favorites
Tired of flounder and grilled mahi? Try the fish that fishermen and chefs prefer: bluefish, mackerel, sheepshead, mullet and croaker. We offer some recipes and cooking tips so you, too, can be an old salt.
The Mail Boat Aleta: Ocracoke’s Lifeline
Before email, before Instagram, mail to and from the islands of our coast went by boat. This is the story of one of those boats, the Aleta, which for almost 20 years was Ocracoke’s connection to the rest of the world.
The Bear Lady: Her Life and Mysterious Death
They called Kay Grayson the “Bear Lady” because of her passion for feeding and protecting bears near her home in Tyrrell County. While it appears a bear may have dragged the remains of her body into the woods, the cause of her death remains unknown.
Our Coast’s Food: Banana Pudding
Here’s a recipe for old-fashioned banana pudding. The soft, sweet custard full of banana flavor melts its typical Nilla Wafer crust as quickly as it does Southerners’ hearts.
Coastal Sketch: Colonel Kevin Landers
He takes over the command of the Army Corps of Engineers’ Wilmington District at a time when federal money for dredging the state’s shallow inlets is becoming increasingly harder to come by.
The Neusiok Trail — At a Jogger’s Pace
Naturalist Sam Bland spent a cold winter’s day jogging the entire 21-mile length of the trail. He sloshed through mud and cold water and was spooked by something big moving through the woods.
Coastal Sketch: Don Ensley
Meet the first board president of the N.C. Coastal Federation. His passion for community activism led the successful battle against peat mining in Eastern North Carolina.
Our Coast’s Food: Classic Pimento Cheese
Or “pamena” cheese, as true Southerners might say. The recipe has gotten downright uppity at some restaurants, but this one is a true N.C. classic.
Coastal Sketch: Earl O’Neal
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.”
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.
