This nonprofit is featured in the WALTER Guide to Giving 2026, a curated guide to Raleigh and Wake County organizations that depend on holiday-season support.

For over 30 years, the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center has told the story of Down East and NC’s working coast—connecting communities from Salter Path to Hatteras Island. From its home on Harkers Island, the museum preserves the region’s history while perpetuating commercial fishing, boatbuilding, decoy carving, and hunting traditions that underpin its culture.

The water, marshes, weather, and barrier islands have shaped how people worked, built, hunted, and lived. Through programs, demonstrations, and community events, the museum keeps people at the center of its work. Students encounter a coast unlike the one they know from a beach vacation. Families and neighbors gather in a place that belongs as much to them as to visitors.

From the observation tower, visitors can look across Core Sound toward Cape Lookout, explore the galleries, shop for work by local artists, or return for year-round events and programs.

Support from members and donors carries these traditions forward.

Sponsored by Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center. coresound.com

Keep exploring the Guide to Giving: Next up, Dix Park Conservancy — or see all 18 nonprofits.

A version of this article originally appeared in the November 2026 issue of WALTER Magazine.