John Fussell's love for North Carolina's coastal environment began in his youth and lasted his whole life, from his days as zoology student and intern at Fort Macon State Park to recent years as he helped found the N.C. Sierra Club's Croatan Group, then led its members to "explore, enjoy and protect" the region's natural wonders.
Fussell passed away on Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, at the age of 75.

Until his health began to decline about a year ago, John was an active leader in the Croatan Group, serving on its Outings and Conservation committees, and as an outings leader. He was also a renowned birder and author of the respected "A Birder's Guide to Coastal North Carolina," first published in 1994.
"He was a good friend and mentor to me and of course to our Croatan Group," former group Chair Michael Murdoch said. "I have known John since he was in high school and talked with him often about environmental issues. I called him many times regarding some plant or animal that I could not identify."
One of John's significant contributions to the N.C. Sierra Club was as project advisor as we sued to block construction of the Havelock Bypass through the Croatan National Forest. Under a 2018 settlement, state and federal agencies were allowed to go ahead with the project in return for taking major steps to conserve habitat and protect wildlife. Read more about the settlement.
The agreement "has resulted in funding for N.C. Coastal Land Trust to do land preservation around the Croatan Forest," said Cassie Gavin, who was the N.C. Chapter's Director of Government Relations from 2013 to 2022. "His work on this lives on as land continues to be protected using that funding."
Harrison Marks, the land trust's Executive Director, echoed Cassie’s message: "John’s work that led to the 2018 settlement agreement was very significant. The funds from the Havelock Bypass settlement agreement have been key to the permanent protection of more than 3,950 acres in or adjacent to Croatan National Forest thus far, and additional land acquisitions are still in the works."
Read about N.C. Coastal Land Trust's most recent acquisitions with the settlement funds in March 2020 and February 2021.
Equally as enduring was John's unflagging desire to share the unique beauty of North Carolina's coastal swamps and forests, and the wildlife that take refuge within them. In addition to Croatan Group outings, he led many walks and events for Audubon North Carolina and other groups.
"In his youth he was an avid long-distance runner and surfer. Ironically, he became known for the slow pace of his nature walks, not because he couldn't go faster, but because he didn't want to miss some unique small plant or insects along the way," Murdoch recalled. "Of course, John was so much more than this. He cannot be replaced and this is a great loss to our coast and the environment. We can only try to follow in his footsteps."
Erin Carey, the Chapter's Wilmington-based State Conservation Policy Director, was the beneficiary of John's enthusiasm and knowledge when she joined the staff in 2017.
"John was kind enough to lead me on a walk through the Croatan when I was just starting out with the Club," she said. "His knowledge was unparalleled and his nature and bird walks were legendary."
Jesica Blake, Associate Director at the Coastal Land Trust, recalled many hours spent in the field with John and his many contributions to NCCLT.
"From his service on the Board of Directors leading discussions on the importance of a property to walking through dense forests looking for a rare butterfly, John was always the one to go 'just a bit further,'" Blake said. "His contributions to conservation might be measured in acres protected and hours spent, but his depth of knowledge and amount of passion were as uncommon as the Duke’s Skipper butterfly which John found along the Neuse River."
The knowledge and passion Fussell shared will endure, longtime Croatan Group leader Penny Hooper said.
"How many people did he touch with his field trips and bird counts over the years? Many more people than the birds he counted in North Carolina, which was right at 400 the last I heard," she said. "We have lost our dear friend, who was also a friend of the birds, plants, animals, forests and seashores of Eastern North Carolina. May he rest in peace."