Shoresides

Lately, the town of Southport, North Carolina has had some excitement, 20 alligator removals since May, setting a new record. For a resident named Bonner Herring and his trusty Labrador Strike, that almost ended in tragedy. In this episode, Shoresides catches up with them to hear their story and to wonder about the prospect of increased human-alligator conflict in coastal communities. Here are fiv...

In this episode of Shoreside , host Nicholas Merino explores the long-standing struggle for food access in Wilmington’s Northside neighborhood—classified by the USDA as a food desert. But as guest Sierra Washington, Executive Director of the Northside Food Co-Op, explains, “desert” doesn’t begin to capture the systemic inequality at play. Instead, she and many others call it “food apartheid”—the r...

In this final episode of Temperature Check: Coastal Edition , host Natalia Sanchez Loayza steps into one of North Carolina’s most cherished traditions: high school sports . But instead of focusing on touchdowns and rivalries, she takes us behind the scenes to examine how climate change is reshaping the very conditions under which student athletes train and compete. Natalia sits down with Jana Fons...

In this episode of Temperature Check: Coastal Edition , host Natalia Sanchez Loayza takes us on a journey into the heart of rural North Carolina alongside Jeanette Tapia , outreach coordinator for the North Carolina Farmworkers Project   in Harnett County. We spend the day in the field witnessing firsthand the dedication and determination of a team working to protect the health of the state’s most...

In this episode of Temperature Check: Coastal Edition , host Natalia Sanchez Loayza shifts the focus inland to explore the profound impact of climate change on North Carolina’s farm workers. She speaks with Mario Vargas , coordinator of the North Carolina offices of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) and the Campaign for Migrant Worker Justice (CMWJ) . Born in Tamaulipas, Mexico, Vargas be...

In this episode of Temperature Check: Coastal Edition , host Natalia Sanchez Loayza dives beneath the surface to explore how climate change is disrupting marine life and infrastructure along North Carolina’s coast. She’s joined by Dr. Jane Harrison , an environmental economist at NC State University, whose personal story and professional research illuminate the complex intersections of climate, ec...

In this introductory episode of Temperature Check: Coastal Edition , hosted by Natalia Sanchez Loayza, we explore the impacts of extreme heat in coastal North Carolina. Natalia speaks with Jordan Clark, a climatologist and senior policy associate at the Heat Policy Innovation Hub and the Water Policy Program at the Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability at Duke University,...

In Robeson County, North Carolina—home to some of the state’s highest youth violence rates—community-led prevention efforts were working. Until they weren’t. In this episode of Shoresides , host Nicolas Magrino speaks with Paul Smokowski , founding executive director of the North Carolina Youth Violence Prevention Center (NC-YVPC), and Leon Burden , lead violence interrupter and founder of the non...

In this episode of Shoresides , we follow a community-led effort to uncover chemical contamination, protect public health, and rethink how we communicate environmental risk in places where food insecurity runs deep. Read more about this issue: Subsistence Fish Consumption on the Lower Cape Fear Rive r (PDF)  Send us Fan Mail Support the show www.shoresides.org 

A New Series About Rising Temperatures in Coastal North Carolina hosted By Natalia Sanchez Loayza  According to a public records request submitted by Shoresides, at least three New Hanover High School student-athletes have experienced heat-related illnesses since 2022—none of which received the media attention that often follows when such events turn deadly. While these incidents were safely mitig...

On this episode of Shoreside, host Nicholas Merino speaks with Catherine Moore, director of the Health Professions Data System at the C ecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, about striking projections: by 2033, North Carolina may face shortages of 12,500 registered nurses and 5,000 licensed practical nurses if current trends continue....

This episode, Shoresides delves into the strange, ethically murky world of octopus aquaculture with scientist Dr. Jennifer Mather —to ask: Should North Carolina go ahead with banning Octopus farming? Does it need to? Links: My Octopus Teacher https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12888462/?ref_=ttawd_ov_i Octopus farming in NC? A bill was filed banning it https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2025/03/12/oc...

In this episode, Shoresides talks with Jessica Thai, who grew up with immigration, tradition, and economic shifts shaping daily life and collective identity in a place that rarely makes the headlines—but offers powerful lessons about family, perseverance, and belonging. Send us Fan Mail Support the show www.shoresides.org 

Cultural anthropologist Barbara Garrity-Blake takes us into the world of North Carolina’s menhaden fishery — a once-thriving industry built by coastal communities, African American crews, and the haunting work songs they sang. In this episode, we explore how this small but vital fish fed both the economy and the environment, and what was lost when machines replaced people and tourism replaced trad...

In Wilmington, North Carolina, the demand for healthcare workers is growing rapidly. Nurse Camp Academy, a program of the nonprofit Better is Possible based in New Hanover County, is stepping up to meet this need by inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals. One of the program’s most innovative aspects is its focus on workforce development starting with young teens, even before the...

In this episode of Shoreside , host Nicholas Magno explores the uncertain future of Eagle Island, a fragile stretch of wetlands that connects Wilmington to Belville, North Carolina. Once central to rice cultivation and shipbuilding, the island now sits at the intersection of climate vulnerability and development pressure. With sea levels rising and ghost forests replacing hardwood swamps, half a b...

On this episode of Shoresides , host Nicholas Magrino explores the challenges and realities of substance use disorder in coastal North Carolina. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, nearly 10 to 12 percent of North Carolinians struggled with substance use disorder in 2022. To better understand the journey of recovery, we speak with Megan Weber-Youssefi, Direc...

Rising seas. Dredged rivers. Dying forests. In this episode of Shoresides , we investigate one of North Carolina’s most subtle yet devastating climate threats: ghost forests. These vast expanses of standing dead trees are creeping inland, driven by rising sea levels and relentless dredging of the Cape Fear River. UNCW scientists Monica Rother and Andrea Hawkes join us to explain how their research...

In this episode of Shoresides , we hear from Charles Seaton, President of International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) Local 1766 in Wilmington, North Carolina, as he speaks on the fight to protect jobs from automation in the maritime industry. Historian David Cecelski connects the modern labor struggle to the long and often-overlooked legacy of African American maritime labor on the North...

Shoresides explores life in coastal North Carolina through the lens of resilience, justice, and community action. In this episode, host Nicolas Magrino examines the implications of President Trump’s second term, focusing on the private prison industry’s role in mass deportations and the human cost of immigration policies. Featuring insights from immigration defense lawyer Martin Rosenbluth and Pri...

In this episode of Shoresides , we explore the challenges faced by low-income and elderly homeowners in Carteret County, North Carolina—a place of vibrant coastal life but growing climate vulnerability. Host Nicholas Magrino speaks with Catissa Head, Executive Director of Coastal Community Action , whose organization supports those struggling to maintain safe and livable homes amid increasing fina...

On this episode of Shoresides, we dive into the hidden side of North Carolina’s senior housing crisis. Coastal North Carolina has long been a retirement hotspot, but the influx of wealthy retirees has made it harder for lifelong residents to remain in their communities. While some seniors receive critical services like meal delivery and in-home care, others compete for the few affordable housing o...

You Don’t Need a Home to Vote dives into the intersection of homelessness and democracy in America. In this episode, Donald Whitehead, Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, speaks candidly about the barriers unhoused individuals face in accessing their voting rights. Whitehead shares why this issue is vital, detailing the practical steps and advocacy efforts needed to ensu...

North Caroloina voter ID requirements. With the 2024 election underway, many voters are encountering ID rules for the first time, raising questions and concerns about how to vote without a hitch. Host Rend Smith shares his own experience of uncertainty at the polls and digs deeper with insights from experts, including Amy Campbell Bogie of You Can Vote and Karen Brinson-Bell of the NC State Board...

In this episode, we take you to Wilmington, North Carolina, where community members have gathered for Souls to the Polls, an event organized by local faith groups and the NAACP. We speak with Larry Dennis, the social action chair for St. Stephen's AME Church, on why supporting voting access is critical to democracy.  Tune in to witness democracy in action. Early Voting Dates and Sites The in-...