DOCSLIB.ORG

North Carolina to Become Lighthouse Climbers' Mecca

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
North Carolina to Become Lighthouse Climbers' Mecca Information on all North Carolina Lighthouses can be found at http://www.outerbankslighthousesociety.org and http://www.outer-banks.com/lighthouse-society OBLHS Volunteers Make BILH Fresnel Lens Shine – Page 2 - 4 Lighthouse Updates – Page 12-13 The Roanoke River Lighthouse in Edenton Received $1.2 million for restoration – Page 15 Volume XV Number 4 Winter 2009 North Carolina to Become Lighthouse Climbers’ Mecca Six towers will be open to the public by 2011 Bodie Island n October 16, 2009, in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., Lighthouse the Outer Banks Scenic Byway was named to the distinctive O and diverse collection of America’s byways. The nationally A $3 million restoration will designated highway traverses one of the nation’s and North Carolina’s render this historic site as one of great coastal landscapes through Dare, Hyde, and Carteret Counties. the most beautiful lighthouses The timing is perfectly in synch with ongoing restoration projects at in America to visit. The 344 Bodie Island, Cape Lookout, and Ocracoke Lighthouses. Within two Fresnel glass prisms that have years, the maritime trail from Currituck Beach Lighthouse all the way been cleaned by OBLHS to Old Baldy and Oak Island will offer up six climbable towers and volunteers are now in storage an assortment of other sound, river, and harbor lights to visit. Mixed and will be re-assembled by the into this trail of historic sites are life-saving stations, bird-watching lens conservators and replaced areas, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, and several maritime in the lantern room after tower museums. repairs are completed. The The Outer Banks National Scenic Byway’s nomination emphasizes the Bodie Island Life-Saving and unique maritime culture shared by 21 coastal villages that punctuate Coast Guard Stations have been relocated to the entrance of the the byway route. That culture, says the nomination, is thoroughly light station. Story page 5 linked to the byway’s natural environment of barrier islands, capes and shallow sounds as well as nationally significant historic places. Add the beautiful southern areas that include Oak Island and Old Cape Lookout Baldy Lighthouses, and anyone seeking a memorable coastal tour will Lighthouse be in heaven. Stimulus monies coming out of Washington, D.C., are helping $487,000 has been appropriated at Bodie Island, Ocracoke, and Cape Lookout Lighthouses. It is to open this lighthouse for reminiscent of make-work projects during the Great Depression that climbing, An anniversary program celebrated 150 years brought improvements to roadways and coastal areas that proved a of light at Cape Lookout in boon for tourism; indeed, it created the great Blue Ridge Parkway October. The original Fresnel and its classic rock walls and overpasses. Since a large part of North lens may be coming home. See Carolina’s economy is based on tourism, stimulus monies couldn’t pages 6 - 8 have come at a better time. Bodie Island Lighthouse has been literally falling to pieces for decades. Ocracoke Lighthouse has needed stairs repairs for as long while the interior brick was deteriorating back into the original clay form. Cape Lookout’s 150-year-old stairs are in dire need of restoration. It alone commands one of the most beautiful coastal wilderness areas in the world. Visitors will soon enjoy the view from the top, arguably one of life’s greatest experiences. A Lighthouse Enthusiast’s Dream by Cheryl Shelton-Roberts or three exciting days in late October, Outer Banks Lighthouse Society (OBLHS) volunteers had the honor of cleaning and polishing the Bodie Island Lighthouse first-order Fresnel lens after it had been disassembled Fand brought to ground level while tower restoration is ongoing. A wooden “stage” was built around the lens so Lighthouse Lamp Shop members Joe Cocking, Nick Johnston and their assistants Logan and Nick Johnston, Jr. and machinist Randall Cox could work on the upper catadioptric lenses. In an effort to keep the historic lens in place and prevent it from being taken out by then stewards US Coast Guard, OBLHS invited lens conservator Nick Johnston to inspect the 1871 lens as a volunteer project. Nick demonstrated to park staff that the floor of the lens room has continued to be pulled downward over 140 years by gravity; however, the lens remained bolted to the top of the lantern. In other words, the lens was being stretched by opposing forces, which has caused stress cracks in some of the prisms. If this condition were to continue, the lens would literally be pulled apart slowly over time. After being freed of these opposing forces, pressure on the lens has been released and it will receive conservation treatment. After tower restoration is completed, the lens will go back atop the lighthouse, planned to be less than two years. Alex Klahm will take care of extensive ironwork and Cullen Chambers, director of Tybee Island Light Station and experienced lighthouse restoration expert, will coordinate and inspect work quality. OBLHS applauds NPS efforts to keep the lens “in situ” (preservation term meaning to “keep in place”). The Society has supported the concept that each Fresnel lens should remain in its own lantern room wherever possible; after all, the purpose of each lighthouse is to raise the light so mariners can see it. As lens conservator Joe Cocking believes, a lens is in its own museum when it is in its own lantern room at the top of the lighthouse. Thanks go to Doug Stover, NPS Cape Hatteras Group Cultural Resources Specialist, for arranging for this event to happen for volunteers. I would like to personally thank the following people for getting to the scene on short notice and for giving of personal time and expense to help in this project: Dawn Beacham, Josh Lambert, Meghan Agresto, Diana Chappell, Janice Thomas, Bett Padgett, Sue Kelly, Frank Bamonte, Judy Moon, and Courtney Whisler. Thanks also to Judy and Ebb Rosson and Dawn Beacham for providing housing for volunteers. Diana and Janice served up great lunches each day, which was always a special time for us to relax and chat. See you all again in 2011 to clean the prisms and their frame before the lens is re-assembled in the lantern room of the lighthouse! In the future, OBLHS volunteers will be responsible to keep the lens sparkling. At lower left, in the foreground, a central panel of prisms awaits care while one of the upper catadioptric panels (background) is braced to have its underside cleaned and polished. Randall Cox is at left, Logan Johnston at right, Joe Cocking is in the right background. Janice Thomas waits until the central panel is situated and she can then work on it. At right foreground is Kim Fahlen, photographer for Lighthouse Lamp Shop, who is working with BILH volunteer Sue Kelly. The big panels weigh about 150 pounds each. Total weight of the lens and frame is about 2,800. As you can see, there was quite a bit of bending and applying of elbow grease. Every phase of lens restoration is physically challenging. Picture by Diana Chappell 2 LIGHTHOUSE NEWS • Wi n t e r 2009 Care for an Irreplaceable Fresnel Lens Photos and information by Kim Fahlen for Lighthouse Lamp Shop, Inc. early two weeks of preparation were required before any actual lens removal happened. The central Ndioptric (refracting) panels were the first to come away followed by the lower catadioptric panels (“cats” refract and reflect) and finally the upper cats. At right, manhandling these upper cats takes four men with a rigged line to carry much of the weight—the larger, upper cats weigh about 150 pounds. What followed is the most difficult part of all maneuvers: getting the upper catadioptric panels from the lens room to the lantern level below. There are all sorts of obstacles made of metal that can cause severe damage to the crown-glass prisms being moved: the lens frame guides, doorknobs, iron railings. But the entire lens was disassembled, moved, wrapped, crated, and lowered to ground level by its own weight (below) without incidence. The lens panels were then transported to a site where OBLHS volunteers unpacked, cleaned, wrapped, and re-crated the panels for storage with the help and supervision of the Lighthouse Lamp Shop crew. Conservator Joe Cocking earned his certification as a Professional Associate by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) in 2007. Both he and partner Nick Johnston are retired USCG. L IGHTHOUSE NEWS • Wi n t e r 2009 3 Above, left, Diana Chappell and Janice Thomas display how Above, right, Bett Padgett chats with NPS Cultural Resources much fun we all had. The triangular sections at the end of Specialist Doug Stover. That’s Kim Fahlen, photographer, in the bronze frame consists of red-lead putty that has fine wood the foreground. Kim is a keeper of the Pt. Loma Lighthouse in shavings mixed in. Much of this substance, as well as other putty San Diego, CA, and she pitched right in and worked with us that holds the prisms in exact angles, will have to be renewed. with the enthusiasm of one who loves historic artifacts and the Lens conservators create a special putty for each lens they restore stories they have to tell us. that is based on the specific site’s needs. Photos courtesy of Diana Chappell Above, left, Judy Moon works with Meghan Agresto, Keeper of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. Judy was known as our first “bag lady,” because she was challenged with measuring and cutting bags that would envelop each cleaned prism panel. Janice took over the work on the second day.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Foundation Document Overview, Cape Lookout National Seashore
    NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Overview Cape Lookout National Seashore North Carolina Contact Information For more information about the Cape Lookout National Seashore Foundation Document, contact: Park Headquarters at [email protected] or www.nps.gov/calo or write to: Superintendent, Cape Lookout National Seashore, 131 Charles St., Harkers Island, NC 28531 Purpose Significance Significance statements express why Cape Lookout National Seashore resources and values are important enough to merit national park unit designation. Statements of significance describe why an area is important within a global, national, regional, and systemwide context. These statements are linked THE PURPOSE OF CAPE to the purpose of the park unit, and are supported by data, LOOKOUT NATIONAL research, and consensus. Significance statements describe SEASHORE is to preserve the the distinctive nature of the park and inform management outstanding natural, cultural, and decisions, focusing efforts on preserving and protecting the most important resources and values of the park unit. recreational resources and values • Cape Lookout National Seashore, 56 miles of barrier islands of a dynamic, intact, natural off the North Carolina coast, is an outstanding example barrier island system, where of a dynamic, intact, natural barrier island system, where ecological processes dominate. ecological processes dominate. • Cape Lookout National Seashore is one of the few remaining locations on the Atlantic coast where visitors can experience and recreate in a primarily undeveloped, remote barrier island environment, which can be reached only by boat. • Cape Lookout National Seashore preserves a diversity of coastal habitats, which support aquatic and terrestrial plant and animal life, including several protected species, such as piping plovers, American oystercatchers, sea turtles, black skimmers, terns, and seabeach amaranth.
    [Show full text]
  • Beacons of the Coast
    National Seashore National Park Service Cape Lookout U.S. Department of the Inerior Beacons of the Coast Over a century ago, mariners travelling along the Atlantic coast encountered dangerous shoals and treacherous storms. Their guides were the beacons of light produced by lighthouses which helped mariners navigate the perilous coastline. For mariners traveling along the North Carolina coast, seven lighthouse beacons were constructed to guide them through an area known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic.” Hundreds of shipwrecks occurred due to the dangers of this area. Today, the ships traveling the coast use modern tools such as radar and sonar. The beacons continue to operate, standing as a reminder of the hardships encountered by our ancestors to help settle the country. These seven lighthouses found on the North Carolina coast stand as pieces of our past. CURRITUCK BEACH LIGHTHOUSE This lighthouse was constructed from 1874 - 1875, and it lit the last dark spot on the Carolina coast between the Cape Fear lighthouse in Virginia and Bodie Island. The red brick lighthouse rises 158 feet above sea level. Unlike many other lighthouses that received distinctive day marks, Currituck was not painted. But its red brick is unique on the Carolina coast. It has a short light signal: 5 seconds on, 15 seconds off. There is a Fresnel lens still working in the lighthouse and it is activated from dusk to dawn. Currituck Lighthouse is open 10-6 daily from Easter to Thanksgiving weekend. You can walk to the top of the lighthouse. BODIE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE This was the third lighthouse to be built on Bodie Island (pronounced “body”) and was constructed in the early 1870’s.
    [Show full text]
  • An Historical Overviw of the Beaufort Inlet Cape Lookout Area of North
    by June 21, 1982 You can stand on Cape Point at Hatteras on a stormy day and watch two oceans come together in an awesome display of savage fury; for there at the Point the northbound Gulf Stream and the cold currents coming down from the Arctic run head- on into each other, tossing their spumy spray a hundred feet or better into the air and dropping sand and shells and sea life at the point of impact. Thus is formed the dreaded Diamond Shoals, its fang-like shifting sand bars pushing seaward to snare the unwary mariner. Seafaring men call it the Graveyard of the Atlantic. Actually, the Graveyard extends along the whole of the North Carolina coast, northward past Chicamacomico, Bodie Island, and Nags Head to Currituck Beach, and southward in gently curving arcs to the points of Cape Lookout and Cape Fear. The bareribbed skeletons of countless ships are buried there; some covered only by water, with a lone spar or funnel or rusting winch showing above the surface; others burrowed deep in the sands, their final resting place known only to the men who went down with them. From the days of the earliest New World explorations, mariners have known the Graveyard of the Atlantic, have held it in understandable awe, yet have persisted in risking their vessels and their lives in its treacherous waters. Actually, they had no choice in the matter, for a combination of currents, winds, geography, and economics have conspired to force many of them to sail along the North Carolina coast if they wanted to sail at all!¹ Thus begins David Stick’s Graveyard of the Atlantic (1952), a thoroughly researched, comprehensive, and finely-crafted history of shipwrecks along the entire coast of North Carolina.
    [Show full text]
  • Foundation Document Cape Lookout National Seashore North Carolina October 2012 Foundation Document
    NATIONAL PARK SERVICE • U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Foundation Document Cape Lookout National Seashore North Carolina October 2012 Foundation Document To Nags Head OCRACOKE Natural areas within Water depths 12 Cape Lookout NS Ocracoke D Lighthouse N y Maritime forest 0-6 feet Ranger station Drinking water r A r L e S (0-2 meters) I F r Picnic area Parking e Cape Hatteras Beach and More than 6 feet g Permit required n (more than 2meters) e National grassland s Picnic shelter Showers s HYDE COUNTY a Seashore P Marshland CARTERET COUNTY E Restrooms Sanitary disposal station Beacon I K O C A North Rock R Tidal flat Toll ferry Lodging Gas station C Shell Castle O Life-Saving Service Station (Historic) PORTSMOUTH VILLAGE (Historic) Casey Ocracoke Open seasonally Island Inlet Babb-Dixon Cemetery There are no roads within Some land within the park National Ocean Survey Methodist Church the national seashore; a remains private property; charts are indispensable Community Cemetery 4-wheel-drive vehicle is please respect the owner's for safe navigation in Schoolhouse highly recommended for rights. these waters. driving on the beach. Sheep Island Tidal flats may flood quickly at high tide— depending upon winds North 0 5 Kilometers and seasons. ) y r y r r e 0 5 Miles F r e e PORTSMOUTH FLATS F t a t e S l c a i n i h l e o r V a C h t r o N ( PAMLICO SOUND PAMLICO COUNTY Mullet Shoal CARTERET COUNTY Pilontary Islands Wainwright I Shell Island Harbor Island Chain Shot Island Cricket Hog Island Island Cedar Island y r Point of Grass a d C n eda
    [Show full text]
  • Cape Hatteras Award: Larry Belli, Former Supt
    Information on all North Carolina Lighthouses can be found at http://www.outerbankslighthousesociety.org and http://www.outer-banks.com/lighthouse-society Society Visits USCG NATON Museum – Page 4 John Coble: Oldest Living Keeper? – Page 6 Volume XIII Number 1 Spring 2007 A Second Lighthouse on Hatteras Island? From Deep Freeze into the Limelight By James Charlet, Site Manager, Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site Mr. Willard Forbes’ grandfather (above) es, there is! Almost everyone who lives in the Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo was keeper at the North River and Wade’s community – a village formerly called Chicamacomico – is familiar with the Point (below) Lighthouses. The North River YCommunity Center. Many of those same folks know that before the building light was damaged in 1918; sold to the was converted to the Community Center it was the Rodanthe School House. Dare County School System, and moved to Some of the residents still living on Hatteras Island attended that school. What Rodanthe in 1920 to be used as a schoolhouse. hardly any of them know, if any, is prior to that it was the North River Screwpile Now the structure, with modifications, is the Lighthouse! What a great story its evolution makes. Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo Community Center. Portrait courtesy of Willard Forbes As the Site Manager of Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site, I am particularly pleased that we have the opportunity to break the news of this little- known story. The reason for that is simple: in their day, all life-saving stations were located in small remote villages and were the center of village life.
    [Show full text]
  • Planning Your Visit Cape Lookout
    National Seashore National Park Service Cape Lookout U.S. Department of the Interior Planning Your Visit Cape Lookout National Seashore consists of three undeveloped barrier islands extending for 56 miles along the North Carolina coast. These thin ribbons of sand serve as buffers for the North Carolina mainland. The park provides many opportunities for If you are driving from Cape Hatteras FISHING/BOATING recreation and enjoyment. It also National Seashore, you can take the During spring and fall , Cape Lookout serves as an outdoor classroom for state ferry from Ocracoke to Cedar offers what many consider to be some learning about a unique ecosystem, Island, NC. Advance reservations are of the best fishing on the Atlantic endangered species and geology of required and fees will be based on Coast. Most of the beach and sounds barrier islands. The lighthouse, historic vehicle size and type. Call 1-800- are open to fishing. There are no village, shipwrecks, and lifesaving BY-FERRY for more information. fishing piers at the park. There are no stations all are pieces of the park’s slips for boats at the park. There are past. There are no developed roads on charter boat services located in Cape Lookout National Seashore. Morehead City, Harkers Island, and HOURS Although driving on designated Atlantic Beach, NC. The park is open year round. You backroads is allowed. Vehicle ferries may want to start your visit at the are located in Atlantic, NC, and Cape Lookout Visitor Center, located Davis, NC. They charge a fee for on Harkers Island. Hours are 8:00 vehicle transportation.
    [Show full text]
  • States of the Interior National Park Service
    .'IP'-; Tn '1) 'jl'll I ():--: t : \ }ll( ; ~ Unit~d States of the Interior National Park Service This form is for use In nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entenng the information requested. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification. matenals. and areas of significance. enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter. word processor, or computer. to complete all items. historic name _____Cur--:-r-=-i_tu_c--:;k_B_e_a-=c;-h_L_i-'-g'-:-h_t_h,°_u_s_e_C_°_ID ..... p_l_e_x_C.:-A_d_d_l_· t_l_' o_n_a_l_D_o_c_UID_e_n_ta_tl_' O_TI __ _ and Boundary Expansion) other names/site number __________________________________ street & number __~E~&~~~s~i~d~e_s~N~C~1_2~N~o~f~S=R~1_1~8~5 __________N_/A_ ~ not for publication city or town _____C_o_r_o_l_l_a _______________________ N / A vicinity state North Carol=i=D=a__ _ code ~ county _C_li_r-cr_i'--t_li_C_k______ _ code ~ zip cede 27927_ As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act. as amended, I hereby certify that this:~ nomination ::J request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of • Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 130. In my opinion, tile property ~ meets .=.; does not meet the National Register criteria.
    [Show full text]
  • Bald Head Lighthouse Has Spirited History
    Information on all North Carolina Lighthouses can be found at http://www.outerbankslighthousesociety.org and http://www.outer-banks.com/lighthouse-society Visiting Old Baldy as a Keeper's Family – Pages 4-5 Lighthouse Updates – Pages 8-9 Keeper's Family Continues Tradition – Page 11 Just Yesterday at Cape Hatteras – Pages 14-15 Volume XIV Number 2 Summer 2008 Bald Head Lighthouse Has Spirited History “Old Baldy,” built in 1817, is North Carolina’s oldest existing tower and may be the most haunted as well. Do we believe in such superlatives? Our members will travel to the island and take a special tour during our annual Keeper’s Weekend in October to find out. By Cheryl Shelton-Roberts & Norma Elizabeth ituated on an island that carries a name that con- jures up visions of an aged, hairless head is hardly Sthe way to honor the state’s oldest light station site. If you think 1817 makes it old, think again. The first tower built on this island harkens back to the Revolutionary period in 1794. One can immediately feel the history lingering here—even the engraved plaque over the front door is carved with Roman numerals “AD 1817”—and what a perfect setting this bit of paradise is to host a ghost. In fact, there have been no less than dozens of reports of sightings. Further, the reports continue; indeed, recently an older couple visiting the lighthouse took pictures of one another at Old Baldy. When the wife got home and downloaded the images, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
    [Show full text]
  • Cape Lookout National Seashore North Carolina
    National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior State of the Park Report Cape Lookout National Seashore North Carolina 2014 National Park Service. 2014. State of the Park Report for Cape Lookout National Seashore. State of the Park Series No. 14. National Park Service, Washington, D.C. On the cover: Cape Lookout Lighthouse at night, during the 150th anniversary celebration of the lighthouse. Disclaimer. This State of the Park report summarizes the current condition of park resources, visitor experience, and park infrastructure as assessed by a combination of available factual information and the expert opinion and professional judgment of park staff and subject matter experts. The internet version of this report provides the associated workshop summary report and additional details and sources of information about the findings summarized in the report, including references, accounts on the origin and quality of the data, and the methods and analytic approaches used in data collection and assessments of condition. This report provides evaluations of status and trends based on interpretation by NPS scientists and managers of both quantitative and non- quantitative assessments and observations. Future condition ratings may differ from findings in this report as new data and knowledge become available. The park superintendent approved the publication of this report. Executive Summary The mission of the National Park Service is to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of national parks for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. NPS Management Policies (2006) state that “The Service will also strive to ensure that park resources and values are passed on to future generations in a condition that is as good as, or better than, the conditions that exist today.” As part of the stewardship of national parks for the American people, the NPS has begun to develop State of the Park reports to assess the overall status and trends of each park’s resources.
    [Show full text]
  • Seventy Years of American Youth Hostels
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation 2003 Preservation for the People: Seventy Years of American Youth Hostels Elisabeth Dubin University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses Part of the Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons Dubin, Elisabeth, "Preservation for the People: Seventy Years of American Youth Hostels" (2003). Theses (Historic Preservation). 506. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/506 Copyright note: Penn School of Design permits distribution and display of this student work by University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested Citation: Dubin, Elisabeth (2003). Preservation for the People: Seventy Years of American Youth Hostels. (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/506 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Preservation for the People: Seventy Years of American Youth Hostels Disciplines Historic Preservation and Conservation Comments Copyright note: Penn School of Design permits distribution and display of this student work by University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Suggested Citation: Dubin, Elisabeth (2003). Preservation for the People: Seventy Years of American Youth Hostels. (Masters Thesis). University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/506 UNIVERSITYy* PENNSYLVANIA. UBKARIES PRESERVATION FOR THE PEOPLE: SEVENTY YEARS OF AMERICAN YOUTH HOSTELS Elisabeth Dubin A THESIS in Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of PennsyK'ania in Partial FuUillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE 2003 .g/V..— '^^^..oo^N.^::^^^^^^ John Milner, FAIA Samuel Y. Hams, PE, FAIA Adjunct Professor of Architecture Adjunct Professor of Architecture Tliesis Supervisor Reader ^<,,^;S>l^^'">^^*- Frank G.
    [Show full text]
  • Cape Lookout National Seashore
    Cape Lookout National Seashore Life on the Outer Banks An Educator’s Guide to Core and Shackleford Banks Fourth Grade Edition Prepared by the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and Heritage Center Funded by a grant from the National Park Service Parks as Classrooms The National Park Service’s Parks as Classrooms program is a nationwide initiative to encourage utilization of the resources of America’s national parks for teaching and learning. A visit to the National Park Service’s homepage (http://www.nps.gov) reveals a myriad of learning opportunities available to our nation’s students and teachers. Students will discover history and explore nature within the context of a changing world; and yet, within the boundaries of many parks, the hands of time are frozen to allow them a “snapshot” of the past. Parks as Classrooms focuses on bringing learning to life through hands-on, experiential opportunities that are student- friendly, field based, exciting and promote a sense of stewardship of park resources. Cape Lookout’s Classroom Lying just east of the North Carolina mainland are the barrier islands that compose the famed Outer Banks. Cape Lookout National Seashore protects 56 miles of the southern-most sections of this barrier island chain. The park covers the long, narrow ribbon of sand running from Ocracoke Inlet in the northeast, to Beaufort Inlet in the southwest. These barrier islands are 56 miles long and consist mainly of three habitat zones: wide, bare beaches with low dunes covered by scattered grasses, flat grasslands bordered by dense vegetation, and large expanses of salt marsh alongside the sound.
    [Show full text]
  • Lighthouses for Airplanes Revisited: the Montana Lighted Airways
    Volume XXXVI • Issue i • October, 2011 4931 South Peninsula Drive • Ponce Inlet, Florida 32127 www.ponceinlet.org • www.poncelighthousestore.org (386) 761-1821 • [email protected] © Copyright 2010 Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association. All rights reserved. From the 2 Executive Director Events 3 Calendar Feature Article 4 Lighthouses For Airplanes Revisited: The Montana Lighted Airways Lighthouses of the World 8 Tanegashima Lighthouse Object of the Quarter 9 Volunteer News 10 Education News Thank You & Wish List Gift Shop 12 Features Photo courtesy of Ron Christopher The Quarterly Newsletter of the Ponce de Leon Inlet LighthousePonce de Leon Preservation Inlet Light Station Association, • October 2011 Inc. From the Executive Director The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association is dedicated to Dear Members, non-publically accessible historic building on the preservation and dissemination of the site, the First Assistant Keeper’s house provides maritime and social history of the Ponce November 1st marks the 124th anniversary of visitors with the opportunity to examine what de Leon Inlet Light Station. the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station. For nearly it was like to live in coastal Florida before one and quarter centuries, the tower’s beacon electricity and other modern conveniences. 2011 Board of Trustees has guided mariners along the Florida coast and Tami Lewis through the treacherous sandbars of the inlet Due to the escalating cost associated with President once referred to as Los Mosquitoes. Maintained proper restoration and preservation and Budd Solano by the United States Light House Establishment the continued decline in the availability of Vice President from 1887 until 1939, this historic beacon has government grants, the Association turns to Bob Riggio remained under the conscientious care of the you its members for much needed financial Treasurer Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation assistance.
    [Show full text]