North Carolina, Naturally: Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice, an entomologist and author of 10 books — each one about science and the natural world — views North Carolina through the lens of landscape, providing awe-inspiring explanations of our state’s creatures and creations while spotlighting the natural beauty along the way. Click here to read her story from the January 2025 issue.
Click below to hear Eleanor read her column aloud. Our Storytellers podcast brings the pages of the magazine to life, featuring the voices of six Our State writers.
Split-rail fences don’t shout “keep out.” They lean, they shift, they invite. And in western North Carolina, they remind us that some lines are meant to hold, not harden.
Each May, spring climbs nearly 3,000 feet to the seat of Alleghany County. Here, as the rhododendrons blush, a beloved mountain town welcomes visitors with its food, art, and flourish of color and creativity.
Brief but delicious, soft-shell crab season is cherished by diners as well as the folks who work around the clock to put these native pinchers on our plates.
When it comes to poultry, the best is raised close to home.
