Bell Bottoms
by Karen Wiles
Title
Bell Bottoms
Artist
Karen Wiles
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Karen Wiles' image "Bell Bottoms" whispers tones of the sheer, magical beauty found in the green swamps of North Carolina...
Mention "swamp" and it conjures up images of a mucky, gooey place full of quicksand, cypress knees, and blackwater. That's not the case with the Green Swamp Preserve near Wilmington, NC. One of the dominate features of the Green Swamp is the open Longleaf pine savannas. While these savannas are not per se "swampy", they are often ringed with pocosins which are indeed "swampy".
It's hard to imagine now, but at one time, much of southeastern NC and northeastern SC consisted of these vast "wastelands". Next time you ride through Myrtle Beach, try to imagine an open pine forest full of carnivorous plants, orchids, rare birds, and wire grass! Thanks to the Nature Conservancy and Federal Paper Company, at least 16,000 acres (and growing) of this unique ecosystem have been preserved. The Green Swamp Preserve is owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy.
So, what makes this area unique and of interest to the naturalist or nature photographer?
The area offers a vast diversity of species including the American alligator, fox squirrel, and many rare plants. In addition to the various species of orchids, there are at least 14 known carnivorous plants that reside in the Green Swamp. Two of its more famous, though rarer, residents include the venus flytrap and the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker.
Uploaded
August 18th, 2013
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Viewed 1,211 Times - Last Visitor from Fairfield, CT on 04/26/2024 at 12:16 AM
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Comments (30)
Karen Wiles
Thank you Carole (Mother Nature) for featuring "Bell Bottoms" in Amazing Finds On the Forest Floor!