File:Coast watch (1979) (20039265533).jpg

Title: Coast watch
Identifier: coastwatch00uncs_13 (find matches)
Year: 1979 (1970s)
Authors: UNC Sea Grant College Program
Subjects: Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology
Publisher: (Raleigh, N. C. : UNC Sea Grant College Program)
Contributing Library: State Library of North Carolina
Digitizing Sponsor: North Carolina Digital Heritage Center

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NATURALIST'S NOTEBOOK Maritime forests still take visitors by surprise, says Kelmer, a tree surgeon and volunteer at Buxton Woods. "They are not what people expect to find at the beach." The 825-acre Buxton Woods Reserve is a maritime evergreen forest dominated by loblolly pine, live and laurel oak and red cedar. Its fresh water "sedge" — a pond some three miles long — is the source for the largest aquifer on the state's barrier islands. The ocean-to-sound hiking trail Kelmer helped construct is a variation of his early Hatteras Island vacation adventures. He remembers Buxton Woods as a retreat from sun, sand and relentless ocean breeze, and as a place of great beauty and endless natural discoveries. Relatively few studies have been published about the rare and slowly disappearing maritime forests, which are unique to barrier island strands from Maine to Florida. Though scientists still ponder their origins, there is consensus that maritime forest systems provide storage for ground- water and refuge for wildlife, and help stabilize the soil. Occupying the more stable portions of the islands and coastal dune ridges, their plant and animal life are well adapted to survive constant exposure to salt water spray, limited availability of fresh water, soil erosion, dune migration, periodic seawater inundation, wind damage and frequent ocean storms. Along with Buxton Woods, North Carolina's narrow barrier islands offer uniquely diverse maritime forests, including Currituck Banks, Kitty Hawk Woods, Nags Head Woods, Shackleford Banks, Emerald Isle, Zeke's Island and Bald Head Woods. Vegetation varies because of the gradual climate transition from south to north along the Outer Banks, explains John Taggart, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Reserve Program. This explains why cabbage palmettos trees are in evidence at Bald Head Woods, the most southern site. Currituck Banks, the most
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Lush maritime forests take beach visitors by surprise. northern site, displays a greater proportion of deciduous canopy trees. Each has special characteristics and beauty, Taggart says. For example, Nags Head Woods is noted for its 60-foot dunes and 500-year old pine and hardwood trees; Buxton, for its windswept live oaks; and Kitty Hawk, for its old dune ridges, deep swales and wetlands where cypress thrive. Shackleford Banks, part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore, is haunted by its "ghost forests" — the result of migrating sand dunes filling the forest floor Taggart points out that protecting the critical biological and ecological functions of North Carolina's maritime forests has become a collaborative effort among environmental organizations, local munici- palities, state and federal agencies. For example, the Coastal Reserve Program partners with The Nature Conservancy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife at Currituck Banks, with the National Park Service at Buxton Woods, and with the town of Kitty Hawk at Kitty Hawk Woods. He credits the North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy for leading the way for the acquisition of much of the state's remaining maritime forests. The Nature Conservancy manages Nags Head Woods, which Congress Barbara Blonder, northern sites manager, checks on a water quality project. designated as a National Natural Landmark in 1974. When the conservancy chapter was established in 1979, protecting the forest was one of its first projects, an effort initiated by the local garden club. Working with the towns of Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills and the Friends of Nags Head Woods, The Nature Conservancy has helped preserve 1,200 acres of this threat- ened ecosystem over the years. Janet Owen, development director for Nags Head Woods, attributes that success to a community that understands the impor- tance of biodiversity — from rare orchids that appear seasonally on the forest floor to water violets on its fresh water ponds. The wealth of wildlife includes river otters and migratory waterfowl. Importantly, the freshwater aquifer is the community's source of water. And, oh yes, Owen asks, how many places can you find Spanish moss hanging from a holly tree? Nags Head Woods boasts public education programs that include summer ecology camps for kids and adults. A well- marked, five-mile trail is easy to navigate and features a short-cut loop for the less experienced hiker. From early spring through late fall, volunteers lead interpretive walks. 28 EARLY SUMMER 2000

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