PEOPLE & 



PLACES 



"The boardwalk is a good place for people who 

 are scared of snakes to see them and get comfortable 

 with them," she says. "It is a great place to learn 

 about a wetland environment." 



The hardwood swamp isn't the only wetland at 

 Goose Creek State Park, which stretches over 1,596 

 acres. Located near Washington, the park also is 

 home to a cypress swamp and brackish marsh. A 

 375-acre brackish marsh along the Pamlico River has 

 been designated a national natural landmark. It also is 

 the longest segment of publicly-owned, undevel- 

 oped, low-salinity estuarine shoreline in the state. 



"It is not a park where you just ride through," 

 says park superintendent Scott Kershner. "You need 

 to get out and explore the seven miles of trails. A lot 

 of animals make their home here in the wetlands 

 because it is isolated." 



North Carolina Sea Grant acting extension 

 director Jack Thigpen agrees. 



'The diverse ecosystem of Goose Creek makes 

 it a great place to see many different types of plants 

 and animals." Thigpen adds. 



Goose Creek also has an environmental 

 education center. Interactive exhibits showcase the 

 cypress and hardwood swamps and marsh. In the 

 cypress swamp, you can hear sounds of wildlife — 

 from a frog croaking to a screech owl hooting. 



Nearby, specimens of animals peer from the wall and ceilings of 

 the Discovery Room. A black bear has its mouth open like it is getting 

 ready to take a bite out of a plant. A beaver is poised to slap the water 

 with its tail. 



"We look at taxidermy mounts as a teaching tool," says Wahab. 

 "It helps students and adults understand wetlands." 



From the center, you can walk down a trail to the hardwood 

 swamp where many species of plants and trees flourish. On the edge 

 of the swamp, towering loblolly pines line the path. Many have 

 charred tree trunks from burning. 



The park runs a controlled-burn program to slowly bring back 

 the forest to its natural state, says Kershner. Frequent fires remove 

 undesirable hardwood species that otherwise would crowd out 

 desirable species, such as the long leaf pine. The bum program also 

 restores the open long leaf pine savannas that existed prior to 

 European settlement and subsequent extensive logging, he adds. 



The park's forest benefits in other ways — from disease control 

 and improved accessibility to enhanced appearance and release of 

 valuable nutrients back into the environment. 



Burning also helps the park's wildlife by reducing the amount of 

 hazardous fuels from hurricane debris and leaf litter in the forest — 

 which could build up and pose a serious wildfire threat, he says. In 



Scott Kershner shares his knowledge of the various habitats in the park. 



addition, Kershner says that wildlife such as deer, turkey, quail and 

 dove benefit from fires, which increase yields of legumes and 

 hardwood spouts, and provide open areas for feeding and travel. 



Near the edge of the swamp, transition species — holly, yellow 

 poplar, river cane and sweet bay — dominate the forest. 



Throughout the swamp, many dead trees adorn the water. 

 Some are stacked like a wall. Others look like pieces of sculpture. 



"Dead trees can be useful for the environment" says Kershner. 

 "Animals such as wood ducks and flying squirrels nest in the cavities 

 of the dead trees." 



Further down on the boardwalk, more wet-tolerant species, 

 including black gum and green ash, provide a canopy for the swamp. 

 Ferns and the dwarf palmetto palms create a tropical feeling. The 

 swamp water also changes color from tea-colored to a mossy green. 



To get a close-up of the brackish marsh, you have to drive or 

 walk to another area of the park. The mile-long Ratty Creek Trail 

 leads to the brackish marsh. 



Along the way, you can see a variety of flora including wax 

 myrtles that beautify the forest. Loblolly pines also line the trail. 



As you get to marsh filled with tall grasses and rushes and a 

 seashore mallow, an osprey screeches like a tea kettle. A butterfly 

 flutters across the path, and several dragon flys create a blue 

 reflection on the marsh. 



28 WINTER 2001 



