[seagulls squawking] [slow relaxing music] - [Seraphim] One of North Carolina's many treasures is our coast in the winter.

[water babbling] The waters are cold, yet crisp and clear.

I'm an artist, and a culinarian, and I'm seeking to find out more a bout the history and culture of Harkers Island and Cape Lookout.

[slow relaxing music continues] My journey to Harkers Island actually began with this book.

It's a fascinating overview on their history and culinary traditions.

[uptempo dramatic music] Harkers Island is known for their waterfowl Festival and for the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center which details the history and culture of the people down east.

[uptempo dramatic music continues] If you're an avid reader, you'll find yourself in an ocean of literary joy at the book and gift shop.

While duck hunting has a long history on the island, there's been a resurgence in the craft of decoy carving.

I wanted to see how the decoys are made, and I spoke with master decoy carver, Corey Lawrence in his wood shop.

[saw screeching] - You can see when you do that, you're starting to get a round that bird up, and there's no such thing as anything square in nature, so you want, this is just one step in the process of getting it rounded up.

[saw screeching] - [Seraphim] Corey's Father, David, co-founded the Core Sound Decoy Festival, and the Decoy Carver's Guild.

[wood thudding] [file scraping] - There's not many people these days taking the time to make wood decoys to hunt over, but they're almost like heirlooms, and one of these days, maybe 50 years from now, someone will look back and be glad that I made these.

They're actually hunt over.

You know, when you really hunt over 'em, as they were intended, it makes 'em a real thing.

[slow relaxing music] This is some buffalo head decoys that I'm working on for my son, my oldest son.

He's really into hunting now, but he's decided he wants to collect buffalo-head decoys.

Those decoys over in the corner, that's some little dipper, or buffalo head decoys that my dad made for me, and he and I used to hunt over those, and when I look at those dippers, those buffalo heads over there that daddy carved, they mean the world to me.

When I'm sitting here carving these decoys, I'm thinking about the kind of hunts that my dad and I shared using those, and the kind of hunts that, hopefully, me and my son will share hunting over these, and I love that pretty soon these will be in the water and I'll be making those same kind of memories with my son.

[slow relaxing music] One of the things that I love about the Core Sound Waterfowl & Heritage Museum is the fact that we're trying to save who and what we are.

What we are is decoy carvers, we're boat builders and fishermen, we are gardeners, we're quilt makers, and crab pot makers, and net hangers, and a group of community that just really loves not only the area where we live, but we love each other, and we love who and what we are.

[slow dramatic music] [boat engine roaring] - [Seraphim] A trip to Harkers Island just is incomplete without a ferry ride to Cape Lookout.

- It's gonna be a real pretty day today, anybody getting off of Shackleford Banks?

- [Seraphim] Shackleford Banks once hosted a community of over 500 people, however devastating hurricanes in 1899 forced them to abandon their homes.

The banks are now only home to wild horses.

[people murmuring] [slow dramatic music] Incredibly, we were escorted to the lighthouse by a pod of friendly dolphins.

[boat engine roaring] I went to speak with a local historian at the Lighthouse about the people who once lived at the banks.

- It was a fishing community, and actually about 1706, or along there, whalers from New England came down here, so they introduced whaling to these people, and it was a very popular thing to whale, especially during the springtime when they were moving back and forth, you know, migration.

- [Seraphim] It has been said that the islander's ability to bear the torrential storms, coupled with their love for one another is what makes this community so remarkable.

There is so much to learn at Cape Lookout that, like me, you might get hooked on its unique history.

There is treasure to be found here, and I can't wait to return.

[uptempo dramatic music] - The Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center is at 1785 Island Road in Harkers Island, and they're open daily.

For more information, give them a call at [252] 728-1500, or visit coresound.org.