File:Coast watch (1979) (20665603041).jpg

Title: Coast watch
Identifier: coastwatch00uncs_3 (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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Outside the forest, Brooks spends most of his time tracking turtles. In 1981, naturalists from the Wildlife Resources Commis- sion and the N.C. Heritage Program discovered that Bald Head hosted the state's largest population of nesting logger- head turtles. They soon realized, however, that 90 percent of the eggs were eaten by foxes and raccoons. To remedy the problem, naturalists Debbie Crouse and Joe Newman founded the sea turtle conservation project. They devised a wire screen to protect the nests and began monitoring them closely. Interns from the N.C. Nature Conservancy helped out in the summer, but by 1983 the project had become too big for the inland agency to supervise. In November, the Bald Head Island property owners' association passed a charter creating the the island's own non-profit conservancy. And they employed a naturalist to keep watch over the loggerheads. Today 95 percent of the turtle eggs hatch. Like the beach and the forest, each ecosystem on Bald Head supports a unique collection of plants and animals. Together they seem to form an open-air natural history museum. Maintaining the museum takes effort. The developers must build. Buyers and renters want peace and tranquility. Naturalists need to preserve the in- tegrity of the island. Harmony is sometimes elusive. During the first stage of building in the 1970s, developers cut down large portions of the maritime forest, weakening the canopy, says Cindy Meekins, board member of the Bald Head Conservancy Inc. and former island naturalist. Their mistake was evident, Meekins says, when Hurricane Diana swept through Bald Head in 1984 and damaged 70 percent of the forest and most of the golf course fairways. "It took them months to fix that," Meekins adds. The current developers, Bald Head Island Limited, took a different approach. After working with conservationists, the group devised a blueprint for construction that left much of the environment intact and did not include another golf course. They also compiled a 62-page book outlining specific landscaping recommendations and standards for prospec- tive Bald Head residents. And they contributed 100 percent matching funds to the Bald Head Island Conservancy in its first two years. They still match half of the group's contributions. "They want to make sure our efforts succeed," Meekins says. "They realize that if we work together we'll get a lot more done." So far, so good, according to Brooks. "Overall, people are happy with how it's been developed," he says. And the effects of building haven't been all bad in regard to plants and animals. For small animals, development increases habitat, because it creates more diversity around the forest edges, he adds. But for animals that use the deep forest, develop- ment decreases living room.
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Saving habitat is one of the conservancy's priorities. The sea turtle project is another. But the group also offers educa- tional programs, landscaping advice, a day camp and nature hikes. And Brooks hopes that in the next two years the conser- vancy can expand its role as landscape consultant, helping residents pinpoint important vegetation on their property and relocating any rare or endangered plants. Homeowners are receptive to the idea, as many share an appreciation for nature. About 250 of the 900 property owners are members of the Bald Head Conservancy. Like the three-branches of government, the conservancy, the property owners' association and the development organization operate their own informal system of checks and balances. Each appoints members to sit on the boards of the other groups. The state keeps a watchful eye on Bald Head's unique en- vironment, too. The Museum of Natural Sciences, Zoological Park, Wildlife Resources Commission, Nature Conservancy and divisions of Marine Fisheries and Parks and Recreation monitor many of the natural areas. â

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