Wildlife & Nature

  • Our Celestial Coast: Meteor Showers

    We’re offering a new monthly feature that gives us of glimpse of the month’s astronomical features. November is always good for meteor showers.

  • Our Coast: Burns Take Planning

    Prescribed burns, such as this one in Bladen County to restore a longleaf pine forest, take careful planning and keeping an eye on the weather.

  • Our Coast: The Coastal Fire Forest

    Just as water is important to a rain forest, fire is paradoxically the ingredient of life to our coastal forests and all the animals and plants that live there. We spend a couple of days explaining the importance of fire and describing our attempts to mimic it.

  • Woodpeckers Thrive at Rugged Preserve

    The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve is a rough wilderness, ill-suited to casual visitors, but it’s a surprisingly successful habitat for red-cockaded woodpeckers.

  • Unusual Blue Buttons Dot N.C. Beaches

    Blue buttons, small ocean dwellers that aren’t jellyfish but are related to the Portuguese man o’ war, have recently made rare appearances on N.C. beaches.

  • Respect, Don’t Fear N.C. Snakes

    Venomous or not, most people just don’t like snakes, but they’re magnificent creatures and their presence can mean there’s habitat for other wildlife.

  • The Birds of Raccoon Island

    Naturalist Sam Bland ventures out to explore Raccoon Island in Pamlico Sound, a haven and nursery for various coastal birds.

  • Exhibit Showcases Wildlife Corridor

    An exhibit at the N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher showcases images of 31 species captured by automatic cameras placed in the wild over a two-year period.

  • Wait! What Lurks in the Surf?

    Memorial Day this weekend is the traditional start of the tourist season. Some visitors may wonder if creatures lurk beneath the waves, waiting to bite or sting. There are some critters that can hurt you but you’re safer in the water than in you car.

  • A Quest for Birds’ Nests

    Naturalist Sam Bland kayaks down creeks in Pamlico County in search of the active nests of a great horned owl and a bald eagle.