North Carolina Coastal Plains
from OBX Chamber of Commerce
North Carolina’s eastern coast is known for its pristine and clean beaches, as well as its distinct endemic wildlife. Along the coast of North Carolina delicately hang the Outer Banks, a series of narrow barrier islands made almost entirely of sand that stretch approximately 200 miles, separating the Pamlico, Currituck, and Albemarle Sounds from the Atlantic Ocean. This unique stretch of coastline is in major danger at the mercy of rising sea levels, coastal erosion, poor coastline management, and more frequent and stronger hurricanes. (1) While the Outer Banks feature their own natural protections, e.g. sand dunes, grasses, and shrublands, those features alone can no longer protect and preserve the delicate ecosystem harbored on the islands. Between 2011 and 2015, some sea levels at the Outer Banks rose five inches. Considering that at its narrowest the Outer Banks is only 150 yards wide, five more inches of water is a major problem. At its widest, the Outer Banks are just about one mile wide. Portions of Hatteras Island, the second longest island in the contiguous United States, the first National Seashore (1953), and home of the famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, have eroded by over 25% of its original width.
A distinct factor that contributes to both the changing landscape and climate is colonization. During the 16th century the Outer Banks saw the arrival of white colonizers from Europe. As one of the very first colonies in North America (2), North Carolina has endured a couple hundred more years of development and destruction than the remainder of the United States, further contributing to the instability of the immensely important biodiversity of the region. In the early 1760s George Washington visited the Great Dismal Swamp, now the largest state park in the Coastal Plains. When he was there he called the place a “glorious paradise.” In 1763 he started the Dismal Swamp Land Company and began logging and draining the swamp. The Great Dismal Swamp is one of the most fragile ecosystems on Earth today, a pocosin. Almost all pocosins are found in North Carolina, making it particularly special. This type of wetland is fire-dependent. As fire crosses the land burning whatever is in its path, it releases carbon into the soil, fertilizing it and allowing for heat sensitive seeds to germinate and grow, helping to regenerate tree, shrub, and other plant loss caused by fire. While this is a natural process that happens on its own in some cases, the Indigenous practice of controlled burning is a method of starting these wildfires for regenerative purposes, and is used throughout the world to aid in rewilding cleared land. Without controlled fires in North Carolina’s forests, wetlands, and grass/shrublands, the native ecological structures begin to crumble, beginning with the smallest organisms.
Great Dismal Swamp, from Smithsonian Mag
Through the process of colonization in NC, across the entire Eastern Seaboard, and throughout the rest of America, Indigenous peoples were removed from their lands, murdered, and exposed to a myriad of European diseases. This mistreatment of America’s native Indigenous population directly correlates to the climate crisis. As they were pushed out of their land, their knowledge and traditions were pushed out with them.
Saving our coasts is about more than using a metal straw and nixing single use plastics. While those are ways you can make an individual difference, and perhaps lead by example, it is going to take much more than that. Restoring equilibrium on our coasts starts with hazard mitigation and reinforcing the natural protections our coastline offers. As individuals, there is only so much we can do. It is up to corporations and international governments to get carbon emissions under control. By lowering emissions, less carbon will be released into the atmosphere. As a result, water temperatures will lower, creating a chain reaction that protects our coastlines, marine lives, and lowering the danger involved in seasonal storms.
One Girl’s Fantasy, Allison Maria Rodriguez
Corn Wagon Thunder
(1) Every year since 1979 hurricanes have gotten stronger and stronger. The last three years have been the hottest years ever recorded, each year hotter than the last. 2020 marked only the second time in history that the NOAA cycled through an entire list of chosen storm names, then cycled through another storm name list just in one hurricane season. There were 30 named storms in 2020.
(2) America is the name given to this land by colonizers. Before it was called America the Indigenous people that populated the pre-colonized country identified the land with many names. Indigenous names for America include Turtle Island.