Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
The Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge is a 307 square kilometer nature reserve of the type of a National Wildlife Refuge in Barnstable County in the US state of Massachusetts .
geography
The islands of North and South Monomoy are classic sandy islands formed by ocean currents and wind. They extend twelve kilometers south of Cape Cod's elbow . The side facing the Atlantic consists of dunes formed by surf and wind, the east side of flat salt marshes , wet meadows and ponds. The islands got their current shape in 1958 when Monomoy Point was separated from the mainland after several strong winter storms . In 1978, after further storms, the island split into North and South Monomoy.
In addition to the two islands, 16 hectares of Morris Island are also part of the reserve. About 94% of the area is protected as a wilderness area .
Flora and fauna
The area with its wet meadows and ponds is an ideal habitat for numerous sea and coastal birds, including the protected yellow-footed plover and the rose tern . Ornithologists have counted 285 different bird species in the area. Around 8,000 breeding pairs of common tern nest in the sanctuary, and thousands of migratory birds hibernate here in autumn and winter. The beaches are an important spawning area for horseshoe crabs . Over 5000 gray seals and harbor seals live in the sanctuary.
history
The historically documented settlement of Monomoy began in 1711 when a tavern for sailors and fishermen opened at Wreck Cove near what is now Hospital Pond . In 1828 the Monomoy Lighthouse was built at the southern end of Monomoy Island . In the middle of the 19th century, there was a fishing settlement called Whitewash Village at the Powder Hole on South Monomoy . The settlement was abandoned when the port silted up. From 1905 to 1945 there was a US Coast Guard station at Powder Hole . Before the creation of the reserve, there were numerous private fishing and hunting huts on the peninsula, only one of which still exists today.
In the first half of the 20th century, Monomoy was often visited by the ornithologist Ludlow Griscom . In 1944 the sanctuary was established to protect migratory birds. It is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network . The restored Monomoy Point Light with the adjoining wooden keeper's house and the brick-built generator house are on the National Register of Historic Places .
Tourist facilities
Morris Island is home to the Sanctuary Administration and Visitor Center. An educational trail about one kilometer long leads across Morris Island. The protected area administration offers special teaching programs for schoolchildren and students. There are no picnic or tent sites in the reserve, but beach walks and surf fishing are allowed. North and South Monomoy Island are only accessible by boat or by ferry in summer. To protect migrating or breeding birds, the islands can be partially or completely closed to visitors.
Web links
- Website of the National Wildlife Refuge
- Homepage on the history of Monomoy
- Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in the Geographic Names Information System of the United States Geological Survey
Coordinates: 41 ° 29 '7.4 " N , 69 ° 58' 22.1" W.