As a graduate of the Coastal Master Naturalist Program the offered through the Clemson University Cooperative Extension, I would like to share my excitement and enthusiasm about the many wonders of nature that can be enjoyed and experienced in the lowcountry. Through this NATURALIST monthly column, I will share my observations, sightings, and characteristics about a variety of nature topics, such as common insects, migrating birds and butterflies, wild- flowers and plants and more. Basically, anything in nature is fair game to learn about and explore. CORNER Brought to you by Peggy Potts I also encourage you to share your observations and experiences so that we can learn about our natural world Coastal Master Naturalist together. Please feel free to send in pictures and/or infor- mation of anything you find interesting by emailing me, February 2019 Peggy Potts, at [email protected]. The Mystery of the Carolina Bays Carolina bays are South Carolina’s original 2,600 natural bays remain in shallow depressions their pristine state and about 25 well-defined bays are found throughout protected in the Francis Marion National Forest. Others the Atlantic Coastal have been disturbed or destroyed by drainage issues and Plain, Florida to clearings for farming and development. Maryland. The bays have similar These ecosystems are extremely important because they characteristics are home to a vast number of species which include consisting of an oval carnivorous plants like the trumpet pitcher, wildflowers, shape, a northwest many song birds, as well as the threatened Red-Cockaded to southeast orientation, sandy edges, shallow depths, woodpecker. They also provide crucial habitat for animals flat sandy bottoms, and independence of inflowing or such as frogs, salamanders, turtles, and alligators. outflowing streams. They consist of large open water Mammals such as deer, raccoons, and skunks get food cypress ponds to spongy pocosins (wetland bogs), each and water from the bays. These wetland ecosystems not with distinct ecosystems. Geographically they can be only provide wildlife habitats but provide flood control, as small as one acre and as large as thousands of acres. erosion control, and purify water by processing nutrients. Some bays are wet all year, while others may dry up at times depending on the season. The origin of the Carolina bays may still be a mystery, but there is no mystery Researchers believe Carolina bays are at least 30,000 in the positive impact to 100,000 years old. Just how these wetland habitats Carolina Bays have on our came about is still a big mystery. There are a number of environment. theories of how these bays were formed from terrestrial events to extraterrestrial possibilities. One theory is they To hear the podcast of this were caused by a meteor breaking into pieces creating article go to greenbelt. dents as they bounced across the surface of the planet. To charlestoncounty.org date, there is no direct evidence to support or refute any under “News & Events,” suggestions. “Naturalist Corner”) According to the US Forest Service, only about 200 of Charleston County Greenbelt Program There are quite a few Greenbelt properties that contain bays and/or cypress swamps within their boundaries. One such place is the Murrell Tract in the Francis Marion National Forest. The Greenbelt Program provided funding for this property which is owned and managed by the US Forest Service. For additional information visit the Greenbelt Program website at http: //greenbelt.charlestoncounty.org and follow us on Instagram and the Greenbelt Facebook page. When you visit this site, take a picture and post it to Instagram using the hashtag #ccgreenbelt..