Golden Rule
March 4, 3 p.m.
the first peace vessel Golden Rule gained fame in the 1950s as four Quakers sailed her out toward the Marshall Islands in an effort to halt the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. After a long hiatus as a private vessel and being neglected, she sank in a storm in Humboldt Bay, Calif., in 2010. Veterans For Peace raised her from the depths for a rebuild that was completed in 2015, and now she sails for peace once more, currently on the Great Loop around the Eastern US. The 37-foot wooden ketch built in 1958 in San Pedro, California, will be visiting Beaufort in early March. Join Dr. Arnold Oliver of Veterans for Peace in the museum auditorium March 4 at 3 p.m. for a free presentation on Golden Rule. The program is open to the public, and advance registration is not required.
North Atlantic Right Whale Aerial Surveys in North Carolina
March 10, 6 p.m.
An upcoming presentation at the museum will focus on the work by a team to document the existence and importance of right whales, as well as their plight, off our state’s coast.
North Atlantic Right Whale aerial observers with the Clearwater (Fla.) Marine Aquarium Research Institute will present the North Atlantic Right Whale Aerial Surveys in North Carolina program on March 10 at 6 p.m. in the museum auditorium. The program will address the need for right whale conservation, as well as highlight some special cases of right whales encountered in North Carolina waters. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session. Admission is free, and registration is not required.
North Carolina’s Oyster Boom
March 15, 11 a.m.
For generations, North Carolina’s oyster industry was underdeveloped. This changed in the late 19th century when North Carolina oyster beds attracted attention following overharvesting in the Chesapeake Bay and the nation’s insatiable appetite for oysters. By the late 1880s, North Carolina oystermen and fish dealers were benefiting from an expanding oyster industry. The incredible profits that oysters yielded motivated Baltimore and Norfolk capitalists to move their oyster canneries and packhouses to coastal North Carolina. Controversy quickly arose as North Carolina watermen felt that the state’s oyster fishery was being monopolized and overharvested by out-of-state businesses and oystermen. The North Carolina legislature stepped in to regulate the industry, however, it struggled to formulate policy that balanced both conservation and business. By the early 20th century, North Carolina’s oyster fishery became overharvested, and it has never fully recovered. Join Maritime Historian David Bennett for the free presentation held in the museum auditorium and livestreamed on Zoom. The program is presented in partnership with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries. The programs focus on the history of four different fisheries in North Carolina as part of the DMF celebration of 200 Years of State Marine Fisheries Management and Conservation in North Carolina.
Book launch: ‘Drought, Drought, Torrential’
March 18, 2 p.m.
Join Susan Schmidt, PhD, in the museum auditorium for the launch of her newest book, “Drought, Drought, Torrential.” The program will feature Schmidt reading some of the poems from her latest work, as well as a discussion of the poetry from this publication and her previous works. Following the presentation, attendees will have the chance to meet with the author and have their books signed. Book will be available for purchase at the program.
By Cyndi Brown, Public Information Officer, NC Maritime Museums