Articles in regional publications that pertain to a wide range of North Carolina-related topics.
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38 results
for "Ellis, Marshall"
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3722
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Quick action by Nag's Head citizens in 1973 saved Jockey's Ridge from development. Today it is a 414-acre state park and National Natural Landmark. The sand dune, which is ninety feet tall and a mile long, is moving south at a foot a year.
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4340
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The Gorges is the state's newest park and the first created west of Asheville. The 6,800-acre park in Transylvania County, established in April 1999, boasts spectacular gorges, breathtaking waterfalls, and deep forests. Over 1,000 plant species, 80 of them rare, flourish in this environment. Ecologists consider the protection of this area as significant as the creation of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park in 1926.
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4138
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Merchants Millpond State Park in Gates County is a 3,200-acre wildlife refuge that includes almost 200 bird species, beavers, otters, and 12 species of turtles. It is also home to some of the oldest trees on the east coast. Bald cypress and water tupelo between 700 and 1,000 years old tower over 100 feet on trunks 20 feet in diameter.
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4205
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The state's mountains have some of the most spectacular waterfalls on the East Coast, including Looking Glass Falls, Whitewater Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Linville Falls.
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3829
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Stone Mountain, sitting astride the Wilkes-Alleghany county border, is an immense granite dome, the largest in the state. Four mining companies planned to mine it. None succeeded. In 1969, it became a state park of 13,700 acres, second largest in the state. Climbers come from all over the world to challenge the mountain's south face.
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Record #:
3998
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The South Fork of the New River flows through Ashe and Allegheny Counties in an unusual western, instead of eastern, direction. Saving it from a hydroelectric project was a fourteen-year struggle; designation as a national Wild and Scenic River assured it.
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4316
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Scheduled to open April 7, 2000, the new North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh will be the largest natural science museum in the Southeast. The seven- story, 200,000-square-foot structure quadruples the old museum's exhibit space. The museum's focus will be serving as an indoor field guide to the natural diversity of the state. A featured attraction is the 112-million-year-old skeleton of a predatory Arcocanthosaurus, which is displayed nowhere else in the world.
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Record #:
4686
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Raptors are birds of prey, including eagles, owls, and hawks. These predators sit at the top of the ornithological food chain, and their health is important to the chain's overall health. Each year thousands of these injured birds are rehabilitated and released through raptor centers across the country. The Carolina Raptor Center, one of the nation's finest facilities, is located on the Latta Plantation Nature Center near Charlotte.
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Record #:
4919
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Open lands are falling to urban sprawl. Between 1992 and 1997, almost 160,000 acres per year of farms, forests, and rural lands were lost to urban development. Half of the state's natural areas remain unprotected. Standing against these encroachments are the state's almost two dozen land trusts. Mostly voluntary, these groups provide services and assistance, including conservation easements, strategic estate planning, and land transfers to private landowners who seek to protect open spaces.
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Record #:
4781
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Four hundred million years ago Pilot Mountain existed as an ocean beach before upheavals created its mountain chain. First surveyed in 1751, the mountain passed through several interesting owners before the state purchased it in 1968. It became North Carolina's fourteenth state park. Each year over 400,000 visitors enjoy its spectacular views and stunning quartz pinnacle that rises 1,400 feet above the valley floor.
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Record #:
5367
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Most people remember George Vanderbilt as the builder of Biltmore Estate near Asheville. Less well-known is his influence on forest management in the nation. Surrounding his home were 125,000 acres of forest which he named Pisgah. Vanderbilt was determined that his woods would not be subject to a \"cut down and move on\" policy prevalent in the nation at that time. Ellis discusses Vanderbilt's vision of well-managed forests.
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Record #:
4871
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The park rangers of the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation are fewer than 200 in number. Since 1916, they have had care of the park system - rivers, lakes, recreation areas, and almost four dozen state parks. Ellis discusses the history of the park system, a ranger's duties, and why park rangers are so passionate about their jobs.
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Record #:
3681
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Reynolda House, the Winston-Salem home of tobacco baron Richard and Katherine Reynolds, houses an outstanding collection of American art. The 44,000-square-foot house, built between 1906 and 1917, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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Record #:
4813
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The Pee Dee Indians vanished from the Sandhills in the 1400s and their culture lay buried beneath cornfields in Montgomery County until 1937, when the state recognized the value of the site and purchased it. Excavated for nearly fifty years by Joffre Coe, the Town Creek Indian Mound is the only North Carolina Historic Site devoted exclusively to Native American history. The site was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1965.
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3873
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Just minutes from downtown Raleigh, William B. Umstead State Park is 5,000 acres of woodland sanctuary surrounded by hectic urban living. Created during the Great Depression, it is one of the most popular recreational areas near the city.
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