Mountains - Blue Ghost Fireflies
No matter how delightful and wondrous a flying, twinkling creature may be, the southeastern United States is rife with lightning bugs (or fireflies, depending on your dialectic predilections). But ranking high among the family's black sheep is the Phausis reticulata, more commonly known as the blue ghost firefly.
Piedmont - Reed Gold Mine
Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented gold find in the United States. From this discovery, gold mining spread gradually to nearby counties and eventually into other southern states. During its peak years gold mining was second only to farming in the number of North Carolinians it employed. The estimated value of gold recovered reached over one million dollars a year. North Carolina led the nation in gold production until 1848, when it was eclipsed by the great rush to California.
Coastal Plain - Oldest Tree in Eastern US
Ancient bald cypress trees tower along the Black River in the state of North Carolina in the United States. Many of these living trees are over a thousand years old, researchers had estimated in the late 1980s. But there are much older trees still growing tall.
Tidewater - Wild Horses of the Outer Banks
“Hold on to your hat,” the tour driver said with a laugh. He wasn't kidding. Hats take flight during the excursion and are part of the experience. Even with good-natured warning, all 13 of us in the oversized Hummer were giddy with anticipation. Sitting in the back row proved to be a bit of a roller-coaster “high,” but the ride was worth every jubilant minute.