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Across Taylor’s Creek from the Beaufort waterfront is a complex of islands that compose the Rachel Carson site. The islands at the western end of the site – Carrot Island, Town Marsh, Bird Shoal, and Horse Island- are more than three miles long and less than a mile wide, covering 2,025 acres. Middle Marsh, separated from the rest of the site by the North River Channel, is almost two miles long and less than a mile wide, covering nearly 650 acres. The Rachel Carson site is in the midst of one of the state’s fastest growing areas. The area is also a center of marine research and education. The marine laboratories of Duke University, University of North Carolina, and North Carolina State University are located here, as is a regional office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Services and the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. The islands and estuarine waters at the Rachel Carson site are strongly influenced by river and inlet dynamics and the twice-daily tides. The range of tidal changes at Middle Marsh, the low-salinity variation of the western section, and topography of the entire site have created a diverse and productive estuarine system. Habitats found within the site are tidal flats, flooded salt marshes, ocean beach, subtidal soft bottoms, hard surfaces, dredge spoil areas, sand dunes, shrub thicket and maritime forest. More than 200 species of birds have been observed at the site, which is located within the Atlantic Flyway. Twenty-three species are considered rare or decreasing in number. The site is an important feeding area for Wilson’s plovers in the summer and piping plovers in the winter. The shrub thicket of Middle Marsh supports an egret and heron rookery. In addition to feral horses, the river otter, gray fox, raccoon and marsh rabbit inhabit the islands. The American bottlenose dolphin swims in the deep waters around the islands, along with fifty-two species of fish. Forty-seven invertebrate species common to the site include mollusks and worms.
Getting to the site The Rachel Carson site can only be visited by boat. Visitors may use their own boat or contact the local boating concessions. Visitors usually land on the sandy beach at the west end of Town Marsh and cross over to Bird Shoals on foot.
Visiting the site A trail guide for the Rachel Carson site is available free of charge over the Internet or at the Reserve education office. Town Marsh, Carrot Island and Bird Shoal receive the most use because of their easy access by boat. Marsh communities, like those of Horse Island, are quite vulnerable to effects of use, and should be avoided. Small groups on a limited basis for collecting and interpretive purposes may use selected areas if permission is received from the NCNERR. Special habitat areas, such as the horses’ watering holes and the shorebird nesting sites are off limits to visitors. |
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