"Barren" Island no more! Last years SCA's service project

There is only a few remaining islands in the Chesapeake Bay, In addition to providing storm buffers they also provide habitat for local shellfish, waterfowl and nesting colonial waterbirds. Barren Island is one of these. There is a long term planting project there. The cordgrass helps keep the sediments from eroding away.


The program that I'm in actually came to Blackwater last year for their orientation week , as a part of it they have to complete one service project together. They replanted a portion of Barren Island, Today I checked up on how things looked from a planting that took place last May and last year.

Last years SCA's, image~ Lamar Gore

last years sca planting , image~ Lamar Gore

Last years SCA's at Barren Island, image~ Lamar Gore

 

So Here I am going to check if the replanted grasses became established . "This multi-agency partnership addresses the issues of dredge material placement, island erosion, resource protection, and innovative shoreline protection in one tidal marsh/island restoration project. The island was severely eroded from a combination of high wave energy, rising sea levels, land submersion, ship wakes, and the natural ebb and fl ow of barrier islands. In fact, it was eroding at the rate of 15 feet per year. Without the island, it’s likely that waves would eventually destroy the underwater vegetation and erode the shoreline of Southern Dorchester County, especially during storms"- read more here.

"There be land!"

look at all that spartina