On the easternmost edge of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, the waves off Hatteras hold their power longer than anywhere else on the East Coast. In this episode, Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice meets surfer and waterman Pat O’Neal, who helps her understand this natural phenomenon and the fun and fury the tides bring.
North Carolina is home to more than half of the nation’s meat-hungry plants. In the Sandhills Gameland, Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice learns more about how these green assassins survive — and thrive — across our state’s landscapes.
While nature might seem competitive, mature pine forests offer a lesson in coexistence — a natural phenomenon known as crown shyness.
Tendrils of Spanish moss may evoke Southern Gothic allure, but in their habitats, the epiphyte shares a symbiotic relationship with its fellow flora and fauna.
Join Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice as she travels to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to explore how the region’s rocks and coastline reveal secrets about the ancient lives of prehistoric creatures.
Birds find utility in the most unassuming bits around them — from moss and lichen to snake skin — using these pieces to construct intricate nests. Join Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice as she speaks with Frank Harmon about nature’s very own architects.
Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice explores how North Carolina’s “tree thief” nourishes a surprising community of wildlife, from cedar waxwings to great purple hairstreaks, during the winter months.
From the pocosins to the hollows, black bears shape wild spaces with persistence, silence, and strength. Learn more about these quiet giants with Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice as she travels to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to meet with the Head of Mammalogy Mike Cove.
Entomologist Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice travels to Asheville to learn about the endangered gray bats species as the local population recovers after Hurricane Helene.
