Wildlife & Nature

  • 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.

  • Outer Bankers Helping Sea Turtles

    In the second of two stories celebrating the beginning of sea turtle nesting season in May, we take a look at how the NEST volunteer group is helping endangered sea turtles’ chances of survival and inspiring kids to care for the ocean.

  • In Celebration of Turtle Time

    In the first of two stories about the beginning of turtle-nesting season next month, we look at the successful efforts at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area to control predators of sea turtle eggs.

  • A Humdinger Winter for Hummers

    The number of hummingbirds wintering in North Carolina is dramatically increasing. These hummers seem to prefer coastal North Carolina where the Gulf Stream keeps temperatures warmer.