Jekyll Island

                Over break I went to Georgia for a Frisbee tournament. We had Monday off so we headed to Jekyll Island. This beautiful and ecologically astounding island is just off the coast of Georgia. Parts of it are developed while other areas are kept relatively free of human use. We ventured into a beautiful beach that was bordered by forest. The erosive forces of salt water and wind have left unique driftwood formations. All along the beach are dead upright trees worn smooth by the weather; they still have their roots buried in the sand and give the beach an eerie look. The forest is slowly being lost to the beach, each year more of the trees succumb. As we entered the forest the winds died away and an entirely new community surrounded us. There were a variety of southern pines including: Pitch pine, longleaf pine and slash pine. Beneath the pines the understory is dominated by saw-palmettos, which is a native species. They thrive underneath the pines and crowd out almost all other species. Some palmettos are estimated to be between 500-700 years old. As one moves further into the forest there is an increasing number of live oak trees. These oaks do not have the characteristic leaf of northern oaks. Instead they have an elongated oval leaf that remains green all year long. One of the most stunning parts of the live oaks is the Spanish moss draped over every branch. It gives the forest an old and wise look. The bird diversity is noticeably greater in the oak forest as compared to the pines. Based on the enormous number of bug bites I got I assume the birds have plenty to eat.