{"id":6334,"date":"2002-12-01T12:28:00","date_gmt":"2002-12-01T17:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/?page_id=6334"},"modified":"2024-11-22T13:19:09","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T18:19:09","slug":"naturalists-notebook-field-notes-from-bear-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ncseagrant.ncsu.edu\/coastwatch\/naturalists-notebook-field-notes-from-bear-island\/","title":{"rendered":"NATURALIST’S NOTEBOOK: Field Notes from Bear Island"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
When it comes to learning about the coast, there’s no substitute for experience. So it is that North Carolina State University students embark upon Bear Island at Hammocks Beach State Park for a first-hand view of the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The field study is part of the semester-long Multidisciplinary Studies course, “Coastal and Ocean Frontiers,” otherwise known as MDS 220. The class is taught by North Carolina Sea Grant’s Lundie Spence, a marine education specialist, and Walter Clark, a coastal policy specialist. Experiencing nature is the best way to judge the value of public trust lands, barrier islands or water quality, they say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Come along and share the students’ discoveries and observations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I found the nip to be a very important feature that helped tie together the lectures in class. The real world experience showed the impact that nature can have on one of its own islands. I had never really witnessed firsthand the erosion that occurs due to hurricanes, smaller storms and waves on an island that was not inhabited. It was very impressive to see the amount of sand that had been taken away from the shore all around the island and how it was really changing right in front of our eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After marking off the amount of distance that a homebuilder would have to allow from the first line of sable and natural vegetation (according to the construction set-back rules established by the state’s Coastal Area Management Act), I found that I did not think it was far enough away from the shoreline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I was impressed with the many different species that lived on such a small island, and how they all adapted to the rough life. Plants adapt to environment by aggressive root systems, wind resistance, bending, and resistance to salt spray, drought and heat tolerance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The high tide and storm tide are quite different from each other. I can tell the storm tide by some of the debris that has washed up and been caught on vegetation. The storm tide looks even worse in some places that seem to wash away and carry on water during large surges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CARRINGTON EDMUNDS, a senior from Davidson majoring in chemical engineering<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n