A while back, a visitor asked whether 1) sea oats were edible and 2) did indigenous people here eat them if they were? It’s taken a bit to finally answer this question because there’s not a lot of information focused on the edibility of them from reliable resources. But we’re […]
Natural History
15 posts
As many of you know by now, the snow storm that hit the east coast on January 22nd did not overlook the Outer Banks. While they predicted only up to about 3 inches at first, reports were between 7-9 by the end of the day from Nags Head to Ocracoke! […]
Happy National Bird Day! Bird Day was started to raise awareness of the role of birds in the ecosystem as well as their conservation. DID YOU KNOW… That most bird feathers are federally protected even if you just find them on the ground? In 1918, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act […]
We are working on several avenues to bring more native plants and pollinators to our museum grounds and Nature Trail to both support our native ecosystem and educate our visitors. In that spirit, we’d like to introduce Euphorbia cyathophora, also called Wild Poinsettia or Fire-on-the-Mountain. This unique looking plant makes […]
When we announced a GoFundMe to try and raise funds for a very large outdoor sign, we were delighted to reach our goal with mind-blowing speed! We sent it ASAP to Hatteras Island Vinyl Graphics in Buxton and waited patiently for the call. We knew it would be special but […]
A newly published paper on 22 new species of gall wasp may not be something you’d ever consider as having any connection to Native American culture. Most people have seen a gall before. A strange growth on a plant that makes the stem bumpy or puffed up. Sometimes little furry […]
If you’ve been to any of our amazing summer classes you’ve been able to see one of our latest accomplishments in person. Our Natural History Center was recently remodeled to provide a unique classroom experience of being out in nature without concerns like mosquito swarms. One of the things at […]
This week is Pollinator Week! From Pollinator.org: Pollinator Week 2024 is a celebration of the vital role that pollinators play in our ecosystems, economies, and agriculture. Under the inspiring theme “Vision 2040: Thriving ecosystems, economies, and agriculture,” this year’s event urges us to envision a future where pollinators not only […]
Did you know that today is a day to celebrate all of our wonderful native bee species? We have so many species that have been spotted on museum grounds and this is the perfect time of year to take a look! From little Colletes bees on our yaupon flowers to […]
While the yucca aren’t quite in bloom, we’ve been having some important discussions in the museum about plant identification. The recipe in the museum cookbook for fried yucca flowers was causing some confusion because folks were using yucca and yuca interchangeably when in fact they refer to two different types […]
We’ve got something super exciting going on in the back of our Nature Trail! Make sure to check back to see our progress and consider making plans to attend one of our classes next year so you can see it in person!
The past few weeks, our Facebook Page has been holding a contest. We have three lovely stone turtles inside the entrance to our Nature Trail and they needed names. The numbers are in and we’re happy to present the names that were submitted and then voted for by the public: […]