Do you and your family have cabin fever? Do you want to participate in community science efforts in Hampton Roads? Do you love The Mariners’ Park and other natural areas around our region? Well look no further– we have the event for you!
Hampton Roads City Nature Challenge, April 30 to May 3, 2021
One of the coolest things about working at The Mariners’ Museum and Park is seeing how science has been, well, a thing, since the very beginning. The fact that we were doing soil pH measurement as early as the 1930’s is something that deserves a little more discussion.
Early in the creation of the Park, our forester George Mason (shown below) and consultant Ralph Hayes, a professor at North Carolina State University, conducted a pH (acidity) soil survey of the grounds at the direction of the Museum’s Garden Committee. Mason and Hayes performed tests to ensure the success of 3,920 azaleas and rhododendrons on Lake promontories. Over time, the plantings disappeared through natural forest succession. However, that early soil testing was vital in the planting of the entire Park.
When you take a walk along the Noland Trail or picnic at Lions Bridge, have you ever thought about the different plants and animals that call The Mariners’ Museum Park home? To date, we have discovered 523 different species live in the Park. This incredible number includes birds, insects, plants and trees, reptiles, and many more. Below are just a few highlights.
Trees
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