The farm boy became deputy manager in Brunswick County, one of the fastest-growing in the country, and championed low-impact development to improve water quality.
Our Coast
Our Coast’s Food: The Seafood Bible
For more than 30 years, Joyce Taylor taught North Carolinians how to buy, cook and store N.C. seafood. Her book remains as indispensable to seafood cooks as a shrimp peeler.
A White Christmas at Hatteras
The unusual appearance of a snowy owl has excited birders flocking to Cape Hatteras. Our naturalist, Sam Bland, joined them.
A Coastal Christmas Icon
Nick Harvey of Davis had an idea several years ago about making Christmas trees from crab pots. They’re everywhere now, even in Hawaii and Alaska.
Reviving the Heartbeat of Sunset
The rhythmic, thumping sound that cars made crossing the old pontoon bridge was called the heartbeat of Sunset Beach. Though the old bridge has been replaced, the heartbeat remains.
Sunset Beach
North Carolina’s southern-most beach town celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Even the sand seems to like the place.
Our Coast’s Food: Sweet Potato Pie
The rich, spicy treat these days may pop up most often at the end of holiday meals, but in years past sweet potato pie was the start of a hard-working fisherman’s day.
Flounder Gigging
Each fall, flounder begin to find their way to the ocean, with fishermen in pursuit. Some use hook and some use net. Sam Bland, our intrepid naturalist, explains the age-old art of gigging for them.
Saving the Soul of Ocracoke
The Ocracoke Foundation has closed on the half-acre Ocracoke Community Square and its docks, shops and views of postcard-pretty Silver Lake harbor. The acquisition is a vital step toward protection of the vibrant heart of the village.
Glimpse Behind the Fish Tanks
The state aquarium at Fort Fisher offers behind-the-scenes tours that bring you nose-to-nose with all kinds of sea critters, like this porcupine puffer.
A Gathering of Keepers’ Descendants
More than 250 direct descendants of the men who manned the Bodie Island Lighthouse came together in Dare County to take part in a homecoming.
The Resiliency of Jellies
Moon jelly fish stranded on an autumn beach seemed like a sad story of dislocation and abandonment, but they were also testaments to the resiliency of nature.
Pelican Award: Bob High
Chat with Bob High for five minutes and you will discover the two things he is truly passionate about: craft beer and coastal North Carolina. Chat with him a little longer and you’ll understand what a natural pairing that is.
Our Coast’s Food: Charcoal Mullet
Fall’s first chilly nips trigger a smoky scent along North Carolina’s coastal back roads where embers in barbecue pits and grills coax the savory smell of an old-fashioned dish locals lovingly call “charcoal mullet.”
Insect Safari in the Dismal Swamp
A visit to the Dismal Swamp State Park yields many stories and sights, including a myriad of six- and eight-legged critters, as seen during a recent state park’s “Insect Safari.”
Sandie Cecelski: Pelican Award Winner for Education
E.H. Ashley High School science teacher Sandie Cecelski exemplifies great teaching, getting students up close and personal with all that marine science has to offer. We gave her a Pelican Award, to thank her for her invaluable service to children.
