Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro, N.C.: leave it better than you found it.The thousands of people who annually tour Bear Island off the coast of North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. can now have a better understanding of the barrier island's vibrant ecology, thanks to an exhibit gallery at the recently opened Visitor's Center at Hammocks Beach State Park Hammocks Beach State Park is a North Carolina state park in Onslow County, North Carolina in the United States. Located near Swansboro, it covers 1,145 acres[1] and consists mainly of Bear Island, but also nearby Huggins Island, along the Southern Outer Banks, or Crystal . The gallery's interpretative exhibits highlight the marine life, flora and fauna of Bear Island, which is the principal natural resource area of Hammocks Beach State Park and is accessible only by ferry or private boat. The central theme of the exhibits is the park's role as a nesting site for rare, loggerhead sea turtles, endangered species endangered species, any plant or animal species whose ability to survive and reproduce has been jeopardized by human activities. In 1999 the U.S. government, in accordance with the U.S. that nest at night on the island from mid May through late August. The island also serves as a natural haven for migratory herons and egrets, and is a native habitat for gray fox, white-tailed deer white-tailed deer or Virginia deer Common reddish brown deer (Odocoileus virginianus), an important game animal found alone or in small groups from southern Canada to South America. and raccoon raccoon, nocturnal New World mammal of the genus Procyon. The common raccoon of North America, Procyon lotor, also called coon, is found from S Canada to South America, except in parts of the Rocky Mts. and in deserts. , whose lives also are detailed within the gallery. "The Visitor's Center is a great way to prepare people for the actual experience of visiting Bear Island," says Siobahn O'Neal, exhibits coordinator for the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. "We host many educational and environmental workshops, and these exhibits help our staff convey lots of information in a creative and memorable way." For more information on Bear Island, see www.ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/habe/home.html. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion