In the 19th early 20th centuries hunters reported flights of ducks and geese in eastern North Carolina so dense that they blocked the light of the sun. The great clouds of waterfowl of that era attracted hunt clubs that built ornate lodges on the Outer Banks. They also lured market hunters who shipped vast quantities of wild duck and geese to restaurants & markets of the Northeast.
Take a 120-mile river trip from the salt water of the Albemarle Sound through a largely intact “primeval forest” to the “fall line” where the Coastal Plain ends and the Piedmont begins. The Roanoke River was a major corridor for Native Americans and European settlers. This adventure, by powerboat and canoe, will take you through the “navigable” length of North Carolina’s Roanoke.
When Conrad Reed skipped church one Sunday morning to go fishing, he stubbed his toe on a very heavy rock in Little Meadow Creek (near present day Concord). The year was 1799. He carried the heavy, yellow rock home where it served as a doorstop for over two years. The heavy rock turned out to be a 17-pound gold nugget. Soon, gold mines---some extremely productive---popped up all over Piedmont NC.
When one thinks of the great fossil fields of the world, the arid parts of Mongolia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Wyoming probably come to mind. In North Carolina one can only find sharks teeth or perhaps a few fossil shells, right? Wrong! Parts of North Carolina and the Southeast are actually very rich in fossils.
Much of the life on the North Carolina Coast has its beginning in vast spartina marshes. The birds, turtles, mollusks, finfish, and crustaceans that depend on marshes will be your hosts in this shallow, quiet world of beauty and productivity. The salt marsh is a place where North meets South, in that many plants and animals are at their southern-most or northern-most range here in North Carolina.
In 1902 a dynamic young speaker explained to a Greensboro audience that many of North Carolina's most beautiful birds were being slaughtered for their plumes (used in hats) and that a number of other bird species needed protection. Following the meeting, 148 people signed up to form the Audubon Society of North Carolina.
Children and adults are often surprised to learn that the first human inhabitants of North Carolina and the Southeast were well established thousands of years before the construction of the Parthenon in Greece (2,500 years ago), the rule of Egypt's King Tut (3,300 years ago), or the building of the famous Stonehenge monument in England (5,200 years ago).
Exploring North Carolina will introduce viewers to the people living in North Carolina from the end of the last Ice Age (approximately 10,000 years ago) to the arrival of the first Europeans. We will visit several locations, including Barber Creek near Greenville, the Warren Wilson Site near Asheville, and the Hardaway Site near Albemarle. ENC will examine technological and social change.
Exploring North Carolina tries very hard to communicate to its viewers the state of North Carolina's natural wonders. It this episode, however, ENC will review the official "natural things of the State" as chosen by the North Carolina General Assembly. Like most states North Carolina has a State Flag, State Song, State Seal, State Motto, State Nickname, and State Toast.
Perhaps the best know is Linville Gorge, often called the Grand Canyon of North Carolina. The rim of the Gorge is 2,000 to 3,000 feet above the Linville River that falls almost 2,000 feet in just twelve miles. Fifteen miles east of Asheville Hickory Nut Gorge drops 1,800 feet in less than 10 miles. Bat Cave is in this gorge, the longest granite fissure cave in North America.
After sailing between two land masses (the present site of Ocracoke Inlet), he was certain he had found the long sought passage to China. In reality he had found an inland sea separated from the Atlantic by the barrier islands known today as the Outer Banks. To him the Pamlico Sound looked like another ocean.
Red clay is as much a part of our state's heritage as pine tar and basketball. Those who try to grow crops in red clay often have a distinctly different view from those who make pottery or bricks. Whether you are a fan or a detractor, the clays of North Carolina are an important part of our heritage.
With the help of experts from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and from Duke University, visit the world of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). Learn why the 180 species of butterflies and more than 2000 moths fluttering around throughout the state are among our most important neighbors.
In the mid 1970s, almost 30 miles of the beautiful New River and numerous farms along its course were almost lost to an ill-conceived hydro-electric project. Follow the story of the New River and the struggle for its salvation. It's an epic political and conservation struggle that ended in its designation as a “Wild and Scenic River” by President Gerald Ford in 1976.
The endless flights of migratory waterfowl that “blocked the sun” are now gone, but North Carolina still has large numbers and varieties of ducks, geese, and other waterfowl. In this episode of Exploring North Carolina, see these large, but graceful, “Birds of Winter” in action as they make their way around their seasonal southern home.
Many common plants and animals in North Carolina are alien, or non-native. Some, including kudzu, are classified as invasive. In this episode of Exploring North Carolina, get to know your invasive neighbors with the help of experts from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and the North Carolina Botanical Gardens at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Eastern North Carolina has numerous oval-shaped, shallow lakes. Most are natural lakes and many are rimmed by swamps and cypress trees containing incredible biodiversity. This episode Exploring North Carolina explores the mysteries found deep in two of these lakes (Waccamaw and Phelps) and one Tar Heel pond (Merchants Millpond)—each of which is the site of a unique state park.
The only constant in North Carolina’s climate for the last 2 million years has been change. With the help of experts from Duke University, East Carolina University, and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Exploring North Carolina looks at the factors that have affected climate change in the past and will assess factors that will influence our climate and sea level in the future.
Numerous birds, marine creatures, and insects travel thousands of miles each year to spend summers or winters in the Tar Heel State. Some part-time creatures, including the chimney swift, thrive in urban settings, while others require pristine wilderness.
John Lawson (1674-1711) was one of the most important historical figures in North and South Carolina. Considered the "Lewis and Clark" of his day, Lawson was a writer, explorer, surveyor, and collector of fauna and flora who made an epic voyage through the Carolinas in the winter of 1701. Lawson eventually co-founded and led the colonies of Bath (1705) and New Bern (1710).
Why do some fish have teeth and others “suckers?” How can some aquatic animals swim so much faster than others? How do beavers “sharpen” their teeth? In this episode of Exploring North Carolina, these fascinating questions, and more, are answered as engineers and biologists look to common animals in order to understand the “form and function” of nature.
A behind-the-scenes tour of some of the most ecologically and historically significant locations at Fort Bragg with the archeologists and scientists who know it best.
Meet some of North Carolina’s best known naturalists/scientists alongside “The North Carolina Collection” at UNC-Chapel Hill. Where artwork and manuscripts of many early explorers and scientists are preserved. This intriguing half-hour also contains a personal appearance from, and remarkable interview with, a well-preserved, 250-year old explorer.
Take a 120-mile river trip from the salt water of the Albemarle Sound through a largely intact “primeval forest” to the “fall line” where the Coastal Plain ends and the Piedmont begins. The Roanoke River was a major corridor for Native Americans and European settlers. In this adventure we take you through the “navigable” length of North Carolina’s Roanoke.
To help restore the land, plant trees and build parks, President Franklin Roosevelt established the CCC or Civilian Conservation Corps. The men of the CCC were sometimes called the “Tree Army” and “Roosevelt’s Woodsmen.”In this episode of Exploring North Carolina, meet the men whose lives were changed forever by the CCC - men who gave nature a helping hand.
Join Archeologists David Moore, Robin Beck and Chris Rodning and an extraordinary team, as they reveal numerous, unearthed artifacts demonstrating the presence of Spanish soldiers on a tributary of the Catawba River. Exploring North Carolina is privileged to visit the archeologists on-site and interview them at the location of Fort San Juan.
Parts of North Carolina and the Southeast are actually very rich in fossils. Coastal fossil beds do produce large shark’s teeth and whale bones, but they can also produce the skeletons of walrus and giant sloth. Much of the research relating to North Carolina’s fossil past is being carried out at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
Show host Tom Earnhardt examines the social impact, geology, and geography of ancient river crossings and mill sites across the state.
Tom Earnhardt examines natural basins and their self-contained ecosystems that often hold fish, mussels, crayfish and other creatures endemic to only one basin. Also Tom visits with state and municipal water experts and biologists to learn “basin basics.”
Much of the life on the North Carolina Coast has its beginning in vast spartina marshes. In this episode of Exploring North Carolina, the birds, turtles, mollusks, finfish, and crustaceans that depend on marshes will be your hosts in this shallow, quiet world of beauty and productivity.
Today, children know more corporate logos than leaves, more product jingles than bird sounds, and catch more computer viruses than fish. Exploring North Carolina examines American children's need for more time in wild, wide open spaces and with educators, scientists, and children as our guide, the episode demonstrates why children may be better off knowing more leaves than logos.
The North Carolina we know today was formed in part by volcanoes, collisions of continents, and the sea floor of ancient oceans. Some rock formations in this state are known to date back almost 1.5 billion years. Museum geologist examine the geologic processes that helped create the mountains, Piedmont and coastal plain of North Carolina and the precious stones thereon.
In this episode, experts from the USDA Forest Service, School of Forestry at NCSU and the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources (DENR) share forestry's important story as the series looks at the ways we can best manage local forests for our state's economy and critical ecosystems.
The sliver of land where Virginia, North Carolina and the Atlantic Ocean meet is a place called Currituck. Over the centuries the Currituck Sound has been opened and closed to the Atlantic as inlets have opened and closed. In this episode we examine how the area is still home to extreme biological diversity -- a place where “change” is the norm.
Scientists and naturalists have long known that the Southern Appalachians hold an extreme diversity of fauna and flora. This diversity became even more astonishing recently when a new "inventory" of biodiversity, conducted in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, revealed thousands of species new to the Park and hundreds of species new to science.
Red clay is as much a part of our state’s heritage as pine tar and basketball. Those who try to grow crops in clay often have a distinctly different view from those who make pottery or bricks. The clays of North Carolina are an important part of our heritage. From where does clay come? How does it get its color? In this episode, we will visit geologists who can answer these questions.
These extraordinary living organisms, which incidentally are genetically more like animals than plants, remove debris from our forests, cure disease (think penicillin), make bread rise, allow us to make wine, and give flavor to our best cheeses. Exploring North Carolina viewers learn that in the future, fungi may also make biofuels and help us make paper without harsh chemicals.
12,000 years ago, the people who first lived in what is now known as North Carolina, shared the land with some very large animals -- elephants, big cats, wolves, elk and bison. Most of these animals are gone from our state today, but we still see big game around the state. In this episode we take a look at deer, bear and wild turkey.
Take a look at the various theories of how the ancestors of today's American Indians came to the Western Hemisphere, and eventually to the Carolinas. We examine the evolution of stone tools, and how they were made and used. We will at look the climate, geology, and plants of this region following the last Ice Age.
This episode introduces viewers to the people living in North Carolina from the end of the last Ice Age (approximately 10,000 years ago) to the arrival of the first Europeans. We visit several locations, including Barber Creek near Greenville, the Warren Wilson Site near Asheville, and the Hardaway Site near Albemarle.
With the help of some of two of this county’s most accomplished coastal geologists, we examine the dynamic ribbons of sand that serve as buffers between the mainland and the Atlantic Ocean. Viewers will learn the geologic history of the Outer Banks and about the factors that allow these lands to move and grow.
Hugh Morton had a passion for the land we call North Carolina. Although he's best known for his work on Grandfather Mountain, his photography and tireless advocacy, also helped to protect and preserve vistas and natural resources across much of North Carolina’s mountain region. In this episode, we will visit some of the people who knew Hugh Morton--the photographer, naturalist, and advocate--best.
In this beautifully-illustrated episode, Exploring North Carolina takes viewers on a tour of these ancient hills that can tower over 2000 feet above the Piedmont Plateau. Just like the mountains in the west, these mountain ranges also have names, the Uwharries and the Sauratowns. We examine the geology, unique plants and animals, and social history of these "little mountains."
In the episode, we examine the extraordinary lives and legacy of Gilbert Pearson and the brothers' Brimley. Today, this trio is recognized in the pantheon of the most important naturalists of their time, and their influence still extends far beyond North Carolina. Theirs was a life "for the birds."
In North Carolina, both commercial fishermen and recreational anglers are supported by a talented group of fishery biologists who work to maintain quality habitat and abundant fish stocks. Whether you fish for trout in the mountains, largemouth bass in inland reservoirs, or anadromous fish in coastal rivers, you are being helped by "fishy science."
Over 60 years ago, a Harvard professor was quoted as saying that North Carolinians were among the most "astronomically ignorant" people in the America. To prove him wrong, John Motley Morehead built his famous planetarium in Chapel Hill. Learn why the people of North Carolina are now among the most "astronomically intelligent" in the nation.
In 1701, an English adventurer and scientist named John Lawson left Charleston, South Carolina, on a journey of discovery that would eventually take him to the North Carolina coast near present-day Bath. Historians from North and South Carolina discuss why John Lawson may be the least known, and yet, most important, of our early citizens.
One of the best classrooms doesn't have desks they have trees. Explore the magic of "Nature's Classroom". We'll take you to an innovative program in the mountains of North Carolina.
Scientist and author Rachel Carson is considered by many to be the founder of the modern environmental movement. Her book, Silent Spring, sounded the trumpet for the regulation of pesticides and was the impetus for important legislation relating to clean air and water. Today, all fields of science and science education in North Carolina and across the nation are occupied by talented women.
Nature is filled with beauty in many forms, both plant and animal. Many of us are awed by spring wildflowers and the birds of the Carolinas, but beauty also comes with six legs--the butterflies and moths of the order Lepidoptera. In this episode enjoy a rare introduction to many beautiful moths and butterflies, and learn why they are important players in the ecosystem.
State and national parks are important to North Carolina and the quality of life we enjoy. Many of us, however, do not have easy access to large parks and wild places. Join us as we explore North Carolina’s urban parks and greenways—"wilderness next door."
Some seeds are carried by birds, while others are carried by the wind on tiny parachutes. Some seeds have wings like a helicopter, and others hitch a ride on passing animals. After this episode of Exploring North Carolina you will have a new appreciation of those acorns feeding squirrels and blue jays in your yard, and for the popcorn you eat at the movie theatre.
North Carolina has 17 river basins and was blessed with abundant fresh water. All too often, however, we have all heard stories about sediment and contaminants in our streams and lakes. The city of Asheville has given us a clean water model all cities and landowners should study carefully.
If you have always thought that Roanoke Island was the site of the first European colony, or settlement, in North America, think again. Led by Dr. David Moore, a talented team of archeologists has located the probable location of "Fort San Juan" in the foothills of the Appalachians near Morganton, NC. Exploring NC was privileged to visit the archeologists at the location of Fort San Juan.
For too many years some of our best neighbors have been given a bad rap. We have told untrue stories about them, feared them, and even worse, tried to harm them. There are 38 species of snakes found our state. Learn how to identify the relatively few venomous snakes in our ecosystems, and discover why all “long bellied friends” are important.
When we think of sources of energy in North Carolina most of us probably think of rows of gas pumps along our highways. In our homes and businesses power is only the length of an extension cord away. As world energy prices have continued to rise, all of us have begun to look at power sources close to home. Nature has given us many sources of energy right here in North Carolina.
To hunters and guides, decoys, often crude, of wood and canvas were simply tools to attract birds. As fewer birds came to coastal waters the decoys got more elaborate, but still no one called them art. As we look at skills of decoy makers of the past, we now know they were both artists and biologists. By any standard they created “Art in the Wild.”
One of the best classrooms doesn't have desks, they have trees. Explore the magic of "Nature's Classroom". We'll take you to an innovative program in the mountains of North Carolina.
North Carolina’s borders took years to become permanent. Our first map with boundaries was created in 1733 by Edward Moseley. Often, boundaries were dictated by natural borders like rivers and mountains. Lines were also drawn for political reasons. Early surveyors struggled with finding and staying on invisible boundary lines.
The Haw River serves an important role in North Carolina’s history. Native people and early settlers were drawn to its clean water and fish. Over time however, the Haw was severely contaminated by intensive farming, mill manufacturing and sewage from municipalities. Learn about the healing of the Haw River watershed.
Tree canopies are hot spots for biodiversity. They contain a completely different species composition from forest bottoms. Treetops are like salad bars for insects, which attracts birds and other animals. Old growth forests are especially rich in diversity, and are a genetic library of insect, bird and animal species.
A tour of ancient hills that tower over 2000 feet above the North Carolina Piedmont Plateau. Just like the mountains in the west, these mountain ranges also have names, the Uwharries and the Sauratowns. Examine the geology, unique plants and animals, and social history of these "little mountains."
Scientist and author Rachel Carson is considered by many to be the founder of the modern environmental movement. Her book, Silent Spring, sounded the trumpet for the regulation of pesticides and was the impetus for important legislation relating to clean air and water. Meet scientists and educators on the front lines of discovery in the field, laboratory, and classroom.
Almost all North Carolinians know the names Michael Jordan, Charles Kuralt, and John Motley Morehead. All are synonymous with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There are, however, two other names--Morgan and Mason--without whom the University would not be the same. Both men provided an extraordinary "Green Gift"--including the North Carolina Botanical Gardens.
It is possible for Tar Heels to drive from Maine to Florida in one day without ever passing through a town or city, but you will go through dozens of communities. Within the borders of North Carolina, from our 6000 foot peaks to our southeastern coast, there are dozens of "natural communities" similar to the natural communities found from the sub-arctic (Maine) to the sub-tropics (Florida).
Just a few generations ago, North Carolinians lived in small towns and on farms. Many Tar Heels owned a piece of land, and a few even owned grand estates. Today, more and more of us live in urban apartments and condos, without a yard. No matter where you live in North Carolina, you are still the owner of a great estate, our 40 State Parks...or "estate parks."
Fort Bragg covers over 160,00 acres and is home to over 57,000 military personnel. If you think extraordinary training and military readiness are incompatible with a environmental protection and sustainability, think again. At Fort Bragg, the longleaf pine forests are flourishing and the training has never been better.
The facilities at Camp Lejeune include beaches, pine forests, and wetlands. This legendary Marine Corps training facility is also home to a corps of conservation professionals who oversee natural resources on the base, and improve lands outside the base.
With 17 river basins, all with an average of more than 40 inches of rain per year, North Carolina is extremely fortunate. Yet until the last half of the 20th century, many of our rivers were badly polluted and waterborne illnesses were once common. In this episode, some of this state's preeminent authorities on water quality and policy will look at Tar Heel water, past and future.
Coal miners once carried caged canaries to detect detect dangerous gases deep underground. The small caged birds--environmental indicators--served as an early warning of problems. North Carolina is fortunate to have its own state-wide environmental indicator, salamanders. No place on the planet has a greater variety of these beautiful amphibians than the Tar Heel State.
Wherever you go in North Carolina you will find a blanket of greenery – trees, shrubs, flowers, and grasses. Much of the greenery, especially in our urban areas, is comprised of ornamental alien species. This increasing use of non-native plant material seems to defy logic, since we live in one of the "hotbeds" of biodiversity in the temperate world.
North Carolina has its own version of the Appalachian Trail – the Mountains to the Sea Trail. It offers hikers a magnificent 1,000-mile adventure beginning at the Tennessee border and then passes through state, federal, and private lands before reaching its eastern terminus on North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Brownwater rivers are those that begin in the mountains and Piedmont and transport silt and clay particles. Blackwater rivers are generally short, slow-moving rivers that emerge from pocossins in our eastern-most counties, and transport carry acidic, tea-colored water.
At the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences there are year-round collections of living things...20-year old snakes, 12-year old salamanders, rare turtles, seldom-seen fish, native moths, and giant grasshoppers. This collection is often the first contact with living, native animals for visiting school children. Each has to be cared for & feed just the right foods within the right conditions.
Spartina marshes behind our barrier islands--once considered wastelands--are now believed to be the most valuable and productive lands in North Carolinas. The marshes are nursery, storm buffer, and the beginning of the "cafeteria line" for most of the finfish and shellfish found on the North Carolina coast. ENC takes you on an unforgettable visit to Tar Heel salt marshes with the people who know.
A two-part episode which probes the natural forces that created our state’s coastline and the human impact on its future. Tom's interviews coastal specialists Dorothea Ames & Stan Riggs.
Within the borders of North Carolina there are two "long parks" operated by the National Park Service. Each is different and tells a different story. Cape Lookout National Seashore has no roads, yet the Blue Ridge Parkway is a park where a road is the centerpiece. Both long parks--one coastal and the other mountainous--preserve and display some of the best wilderness left in Eastern America.
Across the lowlands of eastern North Carolina, we can still see canal systems constructed between the American Revolution and the American Civil War. The earliest canals, dug by enslaved African people, drained vast wetlands and changed the natural landscape. In this episode, some very special guests will tell story of the slavery during the creation our state's eastern agricultural base.
On ENC we have told you many times that North Carolina is a birders paradise. With more than 450 resident and migratory species, birds are far more than just creatures of beauty and grace. They are visible report cards of our stewardship of this place we call home. With the help of our friends from Audubon North Carolina we will visit coastal islands, where pelicans and other avian treasures thrive.
Compared to most other parts of the world, water is predictable and abundant in North Carolina. With 17 river basins, each with more than 40 inches of annual rainfall, water has shaped our coast, Piedmont and mountains and is the source of our economic prosperity. In this episode Exploring North Carolina, will look at early industry, land use practices and the “Great Flood of 1916.”
Streams and rivers form North Carolina’s circulatory system. Almost every major town in North Carolina owes its existence to a river. For most North Carolinians, rivers are essential to the generation of power (by cooling of turbines), provide recreation, and contribute immeasurably to quality of life.
The Tar Heel coast is shallow and beautiful. Our coastal region also includes one of the largest and most productive estuarine systems in America. With increased development pressures and a changing climate, both the tourism industry and people who fish for a living face new challenges. Maintaining clean water and protecting coastal assets are important, not just to coastal residents, but to all.
n the last 40 years almost 1/5 of North Carolina’s fields and forest have been converted to urban use. Jobs and growth are important, but a growing economy is putting increasing pressure on water resources. The Is good news, however; there is much we can do to protect our water resources and the quality of life made possible by clean, abundant water.
Whether you live in the middle of Charlotte, deep in the mountains, or near a coastal swamp you have heard sounds in the night. These sounds are often the strange “voices” of unseen mammals and birds, or the clanging of the trashcan lids in the middle of the night.
ENC will examine two forgotten chapters in our economic and geological past, which are both exciting and painful. NC was a gold mining state, and in the first quarter of the 1800s produced some of the largest gold nuggets ever found in the continental U.S. Coal mining was a very dangerous occupation and in the mid-1920s over 50 miners lost their lives in a single mining accident.
ENC takes the viewer to 10 locations that celebrate North Carolina’s natural heritage. Each of these locations is an example of rich ecosystems that once thrived across much of the state. We believe such locations as Linville Gorge, the Green Swamp, and Pocosin Lakes NRW are visual reminders of what once was… and what can still be in North Carolina’s future.