with great biodiversity
— Comes — great
responsibility
Three Conservation Organizations Make a Difference
Ask the average Wilmingtonian what makes
this area special, and you’ll get a fairly
predictable set of answers: The gorgeous
beaches; the restaurants, cultural attractions and
amazing architecture of historic downtown; the laidback
lifestyle, fantastic recreational opportunities,
friendly folks and thriving arts scene.
Here’s what you might not hear: The biodiversity.
Long before surfers, historic preservationists or
even fishermen graced our sandy shores, this region
was home to an impressive variety of flora and fauna,
some of which — like the Venus flytrap — are
unique to our ecosystem. Twenty-one percent of
North Carolina’s rare plants and animals inhabit the
coastal plain, and Pender County’s Shaken Creek
Savanna houses four federally endangered species,
including the red cockaded woodpecker — the only
place in the state to lay claim to that distinction. You
might be surprised to learn that of all the counties in
North Carolina, Brunswick County has the highest
number of rare species, with New Hanover County
running a close second.
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WBM october 2010
by Emily Colin | Photography by Allison Breiner Potter