PEOPLE & 



Charles Kuralt Tj 



I CLL, 



Exploring Sites and Sounds 



F 



or - 



By P am Smith 



-or years, the late Charles Kuralt 

 introduced millions of viewers to magnifi- 

 cent sights and sounds of our National 

 Wildlife Refuges in what became the 

 trademark closing segment of his "Sunday 

 Morning" program on CBS television. 



To recognize the North Carolina 

 native's dedication to sharing these living 

 treasures, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 

 has established the Charles Kuralt Trail, 

 linking a dozen sites in the mid-Atlantic 

 coastal plain of North Carolina and 

 Virginia. The 1 1 national wildlife refuges 

 and one national fish hatchery on the trail 

 are within the Roanoke-Tar-Neuse-Cape 

 Fear Ecosystem, underscoring the 

 service's ecosystem approach to wildlife 

 management. 



"This meeting of the rivers and the 

 sea creates an incredibly productive and 

 important place for fish and wildlife," says 

 Bonnie W. Strawser, wildlife interpretive 

 specialist at the Alligator River and Pea 

 Island National Wildlife refuges. The 

 public can explore some of the wildest 

 lands in the mid- Atlantic all year long, she 

 says. 



The Charles Kuralt Trail was 

 conceived by Marvin Cook, proprietor of 

 Wilderness Graphics, Inc., of Tallahassee, 

 Fla. Cook was recognized as a "refuge 

 hero" by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 

 the same year Kuralt was honored 

 posthumously. 



"He (Cook) wanted to do something 

 lasting, that would reflect Charles' effort 

 to get the public to recognize the value of 

 our natural heritage," Strawser says. 



Cook's "awesome idea" received 

 support from federal officials, the Coastal 

 Wildlife Refuge Society and the Kuralt 

 family. By October 1999, nine of the 12 

 sites were dedicated; the detailed brochure 

 "On the Refuge Road: Charles Kuralt 

 Trail" was distributed; and an audio tour 

 (cassette tape and compact disk) was 

 recorded for purchase. Wallace Kuralt of 

 Chapel Hill, brother of the late journalist, 

 narrates the tour and introduces experts 

 who talk about the unique features of each 

 site. 



The beauty of the Charles Kuralt Trail, 

 Strawser adds, is that visitors are not locked 

 in to a set route. They may plan travels 

 according to time, interest and season. And, 

 it's all free and open to the public 365 days 

 a year — 366 this year. 



At each site, visitors will find a red- 

 roofed kiosk with information about the 

 special attractions. Designated stops on the 

 Charles Kuralt Trail include: 



IN VIRGINIA 



Back Bay National Wildlife Refnge, 

 Virginia Beach 



The Great Dismal Swamp National 

 Wildlife Refuge, Suffolk 



IN NORTH CAROLINA 



Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge, 



Knotts Island 

 ♦ Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, 



Manteo 



Edenton National Fish Hatchery, 

 Edenton 



Roanoke River National Wildlife Refuge, 

 Windsor 



Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, 

 Creswell 



Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, 

 Hatteras Island 



Mattamuskeet National Wildlife 



Refuge, Hyde County 



Sites are being de\ 7 eloped at Swan 



Quarter, Cedar Island and Currituck 



refuges 



The cost of the CD is $10. the tape is 

 $6, including tax and shipping. The 

 brochures, which feature a map and 

 description of each site, are free. Contact 

 Bonnie W. Strawser, Pea Island/Alligator 

 River NWR, P.O. Box 1969, Manteo, N.C. 

 27954, or call 252/473-1 131, ext. 19. On the 

 web, check www. outerhanks.com. 



COASTWATCH 



