The idea behind a planned new portion of Mountains-to-Sea Trail through the Holly Shelter Game Land’s lush pocosin in Pender County is to lure hikers safely away from Highway 17 and most other signs of civilization.
Wildlife & Nature
October therapy: Grow your own ‘Little Shop of Horrors’
As Halloween nears, garden centers stock up on Venus flytraps, and a gardener of any skill level can attempt to cultivate their own tiny Audrey II.
Resident’s fight leads to balloon bans on 80 miles of beach
Debbie Swick of Southern Shores, who’s passionate about marine life, led an effort that has made it illegal to release balloons from Duck to Hatteras Village.
St. James folk bask among beauty, birds certification brings
The town of St. James in Brunswick County recently became the only coastal town to become a Certified Community Wildlife Habitat, a relatively easy-to-get distinction through a National Wildlife Foundation program.
State wildlife officials seek volunteers to tally terrapins
With a little training, a kayak and a smartphone app, coastal North Carolina residents can join the 10th annual “Terrapin Tally,” a count that helps researchers assess the elusive marsh dwellers’ status.
Land of the longleaf pine through a conservationist’s lens
Historian David Cecelski, using photos by his friend and conservationist Tom Earnhardt, illustrates the abundance and rich diversity of the photos of Green Swamp Preserve’s carnivorous plants and other wildlife.
Red knots make Outer Banks stopover on spring migration
Red knots, which stopover on Ocracoke during their spring migration, have been a source of concern due to the rapid decline of its population linked to a drastic decrease of their food source, horseshoe crab eggs.
Refuge exudes natural diversity, wonders of pocosin lakes
Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge may be “the Yellowstone of the East,” according to Wendy Stanton, who manages the refuge teeming with wildlife that welcomes more than 30,000 visitors annually.
Green Swamp now turning green again after burn, wildfire
Grasses are already popping up after a controlled burn earlier this year and a wildfire that swept through the Green Swamp Nature Preserve in June, and officials expect some plant species to recover where they had been crowded out by taller vegetation.
Symbol of Home: The Linnean Society’s Venus Flytrap
While spending a few days in London this fall, historian David Cecelski visited the Linnean Society, the oldest biological society, to get a glimpse of a 1759 letter with the first known written record of the Venus flytrap.
Neuse River Rising: Sound River paddlers cover 150 miles
In honor of the Clean Water Act’s 50th anniversary, river quality advocates recently paddled nearly 150 miles of the Neuse River, sharing their 11-day experience with Coastal Review.
‘Forest bathing’ or hiking a trail can make you feel better
Studies show that soaking up the forest environment reduces stress and promotes nervous system healing.
Ranger-guided paddles encourage ecosystem appreciation
Away from the bustling summer crowds, the Cape Hatteras National Seashore’s new “Kayak with a Ranger” program allows participants to get close to and appreciate nature during guided paddles of the salt marshes and waters of Pamlico Sound.
Red knots, northern gannets highlight Christmas bird count
The totals are now in from when dozens of birders flocked to Ocracoke in late December to join in the annual nationwide Christmas Bird Count.
The weary diamondback terrapin’s latest foe: phragmites
The diamond terrapin population, which has not fully recovered from the turtle soup trend of the late 19th century, faces a new challenge to its survival: phragmites.
NC Bird Atlas to help prioritize conservation efforts
Volunteers are helping with a five-year project known as the North Carolina Bird Atlas that began this past spring to catalog the size and distribution of the state’s bird populations.
