Features 



Coastal Tidings 



The Fate of a Fishery 



Shad and River Herring at the Turn of the 21 st Century 



The arrival of spring includes not only daffodils and dogwoods but 

 also the annual herring and shad runs on coastal rivers. Generations 

 of North Carolinians feasted on the bounty of these fisheries, but in 

 recent decades the catches have dwindled. Renee Wolcott Shannon 

 takes a look at prospects for the new century 6 



A Stitch in Time 



Netmaking is Becoming a Lost Art 



Only a few netmakers practice their time-honored profession in 

 coastal North Carolina. Ann Green visits with several generations of 

 netmakers to learn the history of the art and to assess the current 

 demand for nets 14 



Take a Walk on the Wild Side 



Step back in time to the dawn of life. The saga of eons and epochs 

 along the North Carolina coast are told in the treasure trove of fossils 

 at the new North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Pam Smith 

 takes you on a fantastic journey that includes a marine evolutionary 

 triumph: the whale 20 



Naturalist's Notebook 



Black Bears, Shy Giants of the Pocosin 



Once considered a species of "special concern," because of its 

 dwindling numbers, the black bear has made a comeback. Sightings 

 of this massive mammal are becoming more frequent in coastal 

 wilderness areas. Cynthia Henderson Vega shares insight on this 

 resident of the pocosin forests 26 



People & Places 



Swansboro, Quaint Village is Former Port 



In the rush to reach oceanfront rentals on Bogue Banks, many 

 tourists miss out on a chance to see restoration efforts in historic 

 Swansboro. Ann Green takes you on a walking tour of this 

 picturesque village in Onslow County 28 



COASTWATCH 



