On September 28 I accompanied many other members of the Earth, Life, and Time Scholars program to Brownie Beach and the Jug Bay Wetlands sanctuary. This trip started a series of five field trips that the program will be taking this fall. At both sites we learned about the present environments as well as the environments of the past. We did this by observing geologic features, hunting for fossils, reading information, and listening to information given by our professors and conservation employees. Additionally, we learned about what environments could be present at these locations in the future, due to human impacts as well as natural cycles. This information was supplied mostly by our professors, but also by other informative materials.
We began our trip by traveling to Brownie Beach. When we arrived, Dr. Holtz gave a short lecture about some features of the beach. The sediments of the beach were once part of the Appalachians, during the Miocene Epoch (about 12 million years ago). During this era the beach would have been below sea level. Therefore, the beach contains a relatively abundant amount of marine fossils, especially shark teeth. I personally discovered some teeth, which included those of a Hemipristis serra (extinct snaggletooth shark), and a Galeocerdo (extinct tiger shark).
After cleaning the sand from between our toes and eating lunch nearby, we traveled to the Jug Bay Wetlands sanctuary. Upon our arrival, a volunteer gave us an introduction about the sanctuary, after which we traveled the sanctuary with our professors to learn about the environments of the area, the human impacts, and the conservation efforts of the staff. First of all, the term wetland is applied simply to an area of land that is saturated with water, and is usually made up of swamps and marshes. Swamps are comparatively more tree-covered than marshes, which are characterized as more open and contain grasses.
After learning about the wetland environment, we discussed the impacts of humans on the wetlands. Humans have had several impacts on the Jug Bay wetlands, mostly dealing with erosion. Where humans live, there are impermeable surfaces (such as a Target parking lot). This means that chemicals form on the concrete and are not filtered through soils. When rain comes these chemicals are washed into the wetlands. There can also be chemicals from farmland runoff such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). When these chemicals get into the water supply, eutrophication occurs and algae are "well-fed." The algae deplete the oxygen and create dead zones. These are just some of the impacts that humans have on the wetlands.
While these impacts are difficult to deal with, there are volunteers who work to combat the destructive habits of the local populace. One specific example includes the purchase of land where are a Target store was intended to be built. This prevented the creation of impermeable surfaces which would have increased water pollution.
In addition to conservation efforts, the sanctuary supplies information about the Jug Bay wetlands in some exhibits. One exhibit that I examined was the "Critters of Jug Bay: Birds, Fish, Insects, and other Animals." It obviously intends to display the biodiversity of the wetlands, as well as the habitats of the region. Additionally, there was information about the relationship of dissolved oxygen and nutrient loads in the water supply. Some of the techniques that were employed included a chart of "critters," as well as labyrinth game about the challenges of a bird's life. There were also binders with information on dissolved oxygen and habitats. The habitat binder was called "guess the habitat", so it was somewhat entertaining and interactive. This was the same for the labyrinth game. Also, the other binder and the chart where visually intriguing, so it was a generally effective exhibit. The only downside is that the binders were not exciting until they were opened.
The field trip to Brownie Beach and the Jug Bay Wetlands was highly eventful, and informative. It was a very interactive exploration of different environments and wildlife, and provided powerful insights into the past a future of these local locations.