. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. are folded for the last time, nature's own glorious colors unfurl. Although summer's fun (and sunburn) may be fading, the yearly rustle of fall approaches. Many feel it's the best time to be at the North Carolina coast. "Along the shore, summer's frenzy of living activity matures to a season of storms, wildflower colors and the coming and goings of familiar seaside animals," writes naturalist Todd Ballantine in "Tideland Trea- ; "As October breezes 'thru, and November nudges e
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. are folded for the last time, nature's own glorious colors unfurl. Although summer's fun (and sunburn) may be fading, the yearly rustle of fall approaches. Many feel it's the best time to be at the North Carolina coast. "Along the shore, summer's frenzy of living activity matures to a season of storms, wildflower colors and the coming and goings of familiar seaside animals," writes naturalist Todd Ballantine in "Tideland Trea- ; "As October breezes 'thru, and November nudges ever-nearer, the salt marshes explode with a frenzy of animal travel and the harvest of golden ; Jeannie Kraus often leads groups of schoolchildren on nature walks during this season. "The fall is really the best time to see plants and animals on the coast," says Kraus, an educator at the Maritime Museum in Beaufort. "There's more variety, and there's a little more color. Many animals have reached adulthood and By Rachel Wharton have had their young. It's kind of like the marsh comes to ; Every fall, lavender, glasswort, asters and goldenrod flower, tinting the marsh purple, red, pink and gold. In the maritime forests, deer, squirrels and foxes feed on the shiny berries of the ^ yaupon. Raccoon tracks lead to the marsh, where there are plenty of crabs and mussels to eat. Birdwatchers spy ducks, hawks, sandpipers and others as they migrate south down the coast. Hunters take aim at geese on Lake Mattamuskeet, and fishermen wrangle with drum and speckled trout that feed in schools. Thousands of fish migrate south, passing by on their way to Florida or South America. Others leave the estuaries for warmer waters. Croaker and spot that matured in the estuaries grow large enough to head for the surf. These changes are all part of the cycles of nature — cycles that still control our lives. Every year, winter melts to spring, spring warms u
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
