Welcome to the Anne Kolb Nature Center
The park is open in the summer from 8-7:30 and in the winter from 8-6.
The nature museum is open from 9-5 daily.
Admission into the park is free, however to enter the museum it costs $2.12/person.
AKNC – Coastal Guardians
Mangroves are a type of tree that appear to be standing on stilts with their prop roots above water around coastal shores in the tropics and subtropics. They are one of the oldest and most resilient protective forests of our planet. They are often referred to as the guardians of the coast because of their integral part they play in protecting our shorelines from erosion.
Mangroves make up a transitional zone, also known as the intertidal zone, between land and sea by anchoring shorelines while buffering coastal ecosystems against hurricanes and tsunamis. These forests help stabilize our coastline by reducing erosion from storm surges, currents, waves, and tides.
Deforested shorelines are subject to greater rates of erosion and are unable to keep pace with sea level rise. Nearby coral reefs, already heavily impacted by warming sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification, disease, and overfishing suffer further pressure from sedimentation when mangroves are removed and can no longer filter the water. Coastal communities are left unprotected from the ravages of hurricanes and tropical storms, often causing millions and sometimes billions in damage to their buildings and infrastructure.
1) Why are mangroves referred to as the guardians of the coast?
2)Explain how our coastline and communities are threatened with the removal of mangroves?
3) Inside the museum you will find a plaque with information about mangroves and how our shorelines are threatened worldwide. Aside from natural disasters, list two other ways our shorelines are being affected.
Pictures are always welcomed, but not required.
FTF Honors Awarded To Denmom4 & antimony13.