Description: Back in the early 1960s,
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was on everyone's must-read list. Challenging the ever-more-common use of pesticides, the book helped change people's outlook on the environment -- certainly mine, at least. But it wasn't until nearly half a century later, when I visited this wildlife refuge, that I realized Carson was more than a Ralph Nader of all things outdoors; she was first and foremost a marine biologist. From 1936 to 1952, in fact, she worked for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, ultimately as a writer-editor, and she spent summers in West Southport, Maine.
The
Rachel Carson National Wildlife Preserve was established in 1966 to preserve and protect 10 estuaries and salt marshes that are "key points" along the migration routes of many birds, including peregrine falcons, great blue herons, and bald eagles. Currently, the refuge encompasses 9,125 acres, roughly 55% of which is uplands.
We stopped here almost as an afterthought early on our way to meet up with friends for a few days in Boothbay Harbor. As soon as we parked the car at the visitor center, we knew our vacation itinerary should have included a much longer stay here.
The Carson Trail, which begins at the visitor center, makes an elongated loop around marshland; given the time constraints, all we could manage was a short leg that overlooked the Merriland River. It's hard to get good photographs here; even on a sunny early fall day, the trees and foliage are so thick that sunlight comes through mostly in thin rays. Here and there along the trail are observation decks and scenic wooden bridges; the Little River Overlook, for instance, is situated at the confluence of Branch Brook and the Merriland River, from which the Litter River begins its flow to the ocean. In season, clams, insects, worms, and fish in the marshes provide food for waterfowl and shorebirds.
We noticed that the trail is popular with hikers and bikers; it was too late in the season for large crowds, but neither were we the only visitors on this day (the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which operates the preserve, estimates that between 260,000 and 330,000 people from all over the world visit the refuge annually). The trail runs past coastal upland areas, filled mostly with white pines and hemlocks with a few oak and maple trees; for the most part, ferns provide the ground cover. And by the way, there's no charge for spending time here.
Call me a hippie -- hey, I've still got my peace necklace and a well-worn leather vest with fringe -- but the words Carson wrote in what was no doubt her most well-known book still resonate today. As I stood in the middle of this scenic and peaceful place named in her honor, I couldn't help thinking she would be proud.
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