October 2019
When my husband and I merged households, one of my favorite pieces of art in our new home became a print of the Carolina parakeet. This colorful bird is extinct. And, although I was intrigued by the mystery of the Carolina parakeet’s story, I never took the time to google it to understand why.
 “Feathers, Fashion and Conservation,” with its accompanying black and white artwork, caught my eye as I flipped through the September edition of WALTER. This special event at Yates Mill County Park focused on the use of colorful bird feathers, mainly in the production of women’s hats in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In the late 1800s, it is estimated that as many as 5 million birds were being killed each year for the millinery trade. Alarmed by this burgeoning craze, George Bird Grinnell, editor of Forest and Stream, appealed to his readership to unite for bird preservation and protection.
Considered one of the founding fathers of the conservation movement along with Mr. Grinnell is T. Gilbert Pearson, a graduate of Guilford College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Pearson became one of the first professors at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and established the first Audubon Society chapter in North Carolina. He used the platform of the Audubon Society to lobby the legislature to pass what was known as the “Audubon Law” in 1902. The law gave the Audubon Society the power to enforce wildlife laws in North Carolina and authorized the Society to hire game wardens to carry out the enforcement. This law was North Carolina’s first step toward wildlife conservation, propelling Pearson on a path of influential work on both the state and national levels. In fact, Pearson went on to serve 14 years as President of the National Association of Audubon Societies.
 At the “Feathers, Fashion and Conversation” program, I learned that the Carolina parakeet was found throughout the Southeastern United States, not just in the Carolinas. Sir Walter Raleigh mentioned the bird in a 1596 book he authored. The bird’s body was a brilliant green and its head orange with a yellow neck. It was approximately 12.5 inches long, with a wingspan of about 22 inches. The only parrot native to North America, the last known wild specimen was killed in Florida in 1904. The last bird in captivity died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1918.
National Endangered Species Day, celebrated the third Friday of May, helps us remember and acknowledge endangered wildlife and humans’ impact on their survival. President Theodore Roosevelt established the first National Wildlife Refuge at Pelican Island, Florida to protect wood storks, brown pelicans, and other dwindling water birds. Set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife, and plants, today the extensive National Wildlife Refuge system has spread throughout our 50 states. North Carolina is home to ten National Wildlife Refuges. In 1916, the United States and Great Britain (on behalf of Canada), understanding the need to jointly collaborate in protecting certain species of birds that migrate between the two countries, adopted the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Many of these migratory birds - such as geese, snow geese, tundra swans, and numerous kinds of ducks - winter in eastern North Carolina Wildlife Refuges.
 Recognizing that our rich, natural heritage is of “esthetic, ecological, educational, recreational, and scientific value to our Nation and its people,” the U.S. Congress passed the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973. The purpose of the ESA is to protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. Administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service, currently there are 61 federally threatened and endangered species known to occur in North Carolina.
“When lawmakers passed the first bird conservation measures, the hat making industry lobbied hard against them, citing the loss of many jobs. And while millinery jobs were lost, many other jobs were created to fill the needs of birdwatchers and conservation tourists, now one of the largest economic engines in the world….We can look back and see how people stopped a destructive business, in the name of bird conservation – and how smaller businesses, when added together, prove much bigger than the original.” - John A. Gerwin
It’s tragic that the Carolina parakeet was lost forever in that process. But we do hope that our readers can be thankful for all the things – and creatures – that make North Carolina such a wonderful place.
Don't just see North Carolina -– experience it.
Cordially,
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Mark your calendars for the upcoming PBS program "Voices of North Carolina," Wednesday, October 16th at 9:30 pm. NC State professor and author of Talkin’ Tar Heel (the subject of the August newsletter), Walt Wolfram, examines North Carolina’s diverse dialects in this PBS program.
A follow up on Visit NC Concierge’s September “Country Music” Newsletter: Two North Carolinians were the first recipients of the inaugural Legacy of Americana Awards, presented by the Americana Music Association on September 11th. The award was created to honor those individuals who have “either made a lasting impression through music or inspired art to recognize the legacy of Americana music traditions.” Grammy-Award-winning folk singer and musician Rhiannon Giddens has spent her career exploring the history of African roots music. In 2011, she won a Grammy Award for best traditional folk album with the string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops. The other recipient was the late Frank Johnson, leader of a 19th century black brass band.
A follow up on Visit NC Concierge’s July “Space” Newsletter: Christina Koch, a native of Jacksonville, N.C. and NC State who we featured in our July newsletter, has been living on the International Space Station as a NASA flight engineer since March. She is set to make history as the first woman astronaut to stay in orbit for more than 300 days, and was also recognized as the August 2019 News and Observer “Tar Heel of the Month.” One of our readers shared that her father-in-law built the mill in Rhodhiss where the material for the flag that was planted on the moon was produced! I just love hearing readers' personal connections to the subjects I write about. Keep 'em coming!
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The Crawleys are coming to Biltmore on November 8th and will be in residence when we visit Asheville on our tour that runs November 19-21! Register now for visit NC concierge’s Asheville: Christmas at Biltmore and be amongst the first to experience Downton Abbey: The Exhibition.
There are only three spots left! Don't wait, book your tour today!
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Have you visited our Facebook page? There you'll find photos, travel tips, articles and other posts about all there is to discover in North Carolina. We might have some fun giveaways to come! Make sure to connect with us here: https://www.facebook.com/visitNCconcierge.
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What Our Guests are Saying About Us
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"I thought the trip to the Outer Banks was excellent. I learned so much about NC and that part of our state! I was especially impressed with the Coastal Studies Institute. You planned to the last detail. Needless to say, I'd like to go on more trips because they are so educational."
"The trip to the North Carolina High Country provided an opportunity for us to learn about the Ben Long frescoes, Grandfather Mountain beauty, Elliott Daingerfield art and Eseeola Lodge’s history. Mary Esther’s planning and attention to detail provided us an incredible experience."
"I am a frequent traveler with Mary Esther and Visit NC Concierge. Each trip is well planned, very organized and provides experiences I could never create on my own. I highly recommend Visit NC Concierge if you seek to experience, learn and have all the planning done for you while visiting sites in North Carolina."
"Mary Esther is always available to answer any questions you may have and with great patience. She also is very willing to help solve any problem you may have. She is an excellent planner, director and tour guide. Her trips have been super!"
"Just a short note to tell you how much we enjoyed our curated trip to the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit yesterday. It was truly first class ... It was our first trip with you and certainly will not be our last."
"We were very well educated as to what we would be doing and what we needed to do to make it all happen. Everything flowed as expected."
"We loved the carriage tour through the historic district. The homes and buildings were beautiful. We loved everything we did and thought each stop was delightful. Exceeded expectations."
"What I appreciate is that you provide guests an opportunity to learn and experience a part of NC while you take care of all the logistics and details!"
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Contact us to book your tour today!
919-302-0574
info@visitncconcierge.com
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