Eastern Shore Master Naturalists celebrate re-opening of the Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve

December 15, 2020
 |
Master Gardeners

 

The ES of Virginia Master Naturalists are pleased to announce that the Cape Charles Natural Preserve (NAP) is open once again.  The wheel-chair accessible boardwalk meandering through the maritime forest and dune scrub habitat to the Chesapeake Bay has been repaired and overhanging vegetation has been pruned. The overlook at the Chesapeake Bay has been re-configured to preserve the dune edge and prevent further erosion of the dunes.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) acquired a new addition, east of the original NAP, which sports a second boardwalk over a fresh water wetland and a short path to a small, open meadow-like area, welcoming to pollinators.

Dot Field, Natural Area Research Coordinator, Eastern Shore Region Steward and Richard Ayers, Coastal Operations Steward of the DCR organized several crews of Master Naturalists to remove a number of fallen trees, repair, replace missing and damaged boards on the boardwalk as well as to prune over- grown vegetation.

Take the Virginia Young Adults Survey, for Virginians age 18-25.

Even as they exercised their carpentry and pruning skills, Master Naturalists practiced safety against COVID-19—wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.

The NAP provides a peacful area for leisurely hiking and oberving nature, both plants and wildlife. The NAP is full of birds all year— in fall migratory  songbirds stop to feed in the woods, in winter  gannets,  loons and scoters  are seen out in the Bay, and in spring and summer  pine warblers, wrens and chickadees among other native birds fill the woods. There is no access to the beach as it is home to the federally protected northeastern beach tiger beetle.

.

Listen Live!

WESR 103.3FM PLAY BUTTON
COASTAL COUNTRY PLAY BUTTON

Local Weather

March 28, 2024, 10:40 pm
Overcast clouds
NNW
Overcast clouds
45°F
18 mph
Apparent: 38°F
Pressure: 1013 mb
Humidity: 90%
Winds: 18 mph NNW
Windgusts: 34 mph
UV-Index: 0
Sunrise: 6:53 am
Sunset: 7:21 pm
 

Visit our sponsors

FOLLOW US

OUR ADVERTISERS

Hardees 2 Wraps for $5
Throwback Thursday WESR Programming

Member of the

esva chamber