Hammocks Beach State Park, Swansboro, N.C.: leave it better than you found it

The thousands of people who annually tour Bear Island off the coast of North Carolina can now have a better understanding of the barrier island's vibrant ecology, thanks to an exhibit gallery at the recently opened Visitor's Center at Hammocks Beach State Park.

The gallery's interpretative exhibits highlight the marine life, flora and fauna of Bear Island, which is the principal natural resource area of Hammocks Beach State Park and is accessible only by ferry or private boat. The central theme of the exhibits is the park's role as a nesting site for rare, loggerhead sea turtles, endangered species that nest at night on the island from mid May through late August. The island also serves as a natural haven for migratory herons and egrets, and is a native habitat for gray fox, white-tailed deer and raccoon, whose lives also are detailed within the gallery.

"The Visitor's Center is a great way to prepare people for the actual experience of visiting Bear Island," says Siobahn O'Neal, exhibits coordinator for the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. "We host many educational and environmental workshops, and these exhibits help our staff convey lots of information in a creative and memorable way."

For more information on Bear Island, see www.ils.unc.edu/parkproject/visit/habe/home.html.>