Our Coast

  • Our Coast: Why Tar Heels Love Wilmington

    History, natural features and growing restaurant and brewing industries in Wilmington help explain why this coastal city was recently voted the state’s most favorable.

  • John Fussell: Bird Watcher, Bird Defender

    John Fussell turned his childhood fascination with birds into a career, defending and protecting their habitats, and after decades in the field, he still loves his “fine feathered friends.”

  • What’s In A Name? Pender County Places

    From Atkinson to Yamacraw, Beattys Bridge to Watha, examining the unusual place names in Pender County can help in understanding the history of the North Carolina coast.

  • Birding: Brave the Cold or Stock the Feeders

    Wintertime is peak season for viewing waterfowl at wildlife refuges and natural areas on the coast, but birders who prefer the view from indoors can also see a variety of species, if they offer the right food.

  • Bird Island ‘Mayor’ Frank Nesmith Looks Back

    Others now lead tours of the coastal reserve, but Frank Nesmith, 90, the man whose love for Bird Island sparked the effort to spare it from development, still enjoys connecting with kindred spirits.

  • Our Celestial Coast: New Year Nebula

    The new year begins with a good opportunity to look for the Orion Nebula, near the eastern horizon as the skies get dark and easy to see on a clear winter’s night.

  • Our Coast’s Food: Holiday Cheese Ball

    Cheese balls may not immediately come to mind when considering holiday food traditions, but the creamy spheres covered with nuts and served with crackers are a longtime favorite on the North Carolina coast.

  • Our Celestial Coast: December’s Supermoon

    The supermoon in December will make it super hard to get a look at the Geminids meteor shower, but stargazers should still be able to see about 10 to 20 meteors per hour when the shower peaks at mid-month.