The blogosphere is holding this thing called Blog Action Day today. Thousands of bloggers around the world are writing about the environment.
Well, Cape May, NJ is on the environmental frontline.
Not only are we at the nexus for bird and butterfly migration in eastern North America, we’re just a few feet above sea level and just a few yards away from the mighty Atlantic Ocean.
While others talk about rising sea level in abstract numbers, we see our beaches getting nibbled at each year by the incoming waves.
Today, a minor inconvenience.
Tomorrow? We don’t like to think too much about that here.
This is the oldest seashore resort in the United States. We’ve weathered many, many storms. Yes, we lost part of a town years ago, after one very ferocious storm. South Cape May now sleeps with the fishes.
But real estate is too sought after and too expensive these days to imagine losing another inch. It just can’t happen.
Here, right on the frontline, we forget there’s a battle to fight.
Champagne Island is becoming party island for boaters. And local birders are not amused.
The island is just a spit of sand between Stone Harbor and North Wildwood. On the tiny portion of the sand bar that stays above sea level, endangered birds like Piping Plovers and Black Skimmers and Royal Terns nest. (Click to read more on Royal Terns.)
These days, the tiny chicks and their mothers share the space with hundreds of boaters who zip out to Champagne Island and squeeze together on the narrow sandbar for a little sun and surf.
Birders counted more than 80 boats and 400 sun bathers one day last week alone.
This past Sunday, there was even a floating snack bar docked at the sand bar.
Local birder Chris Vogel says he’s counted close to 30 Royal Tern nests on the island in the last week. Apparently, it’s the northernmost nesting spot for the terns.
He’s also counted as many as 900 Skimmers there recently.
Vogel wants to get the island protected so the birdies can fledge peacefully. The question is - who owns Champagne Island?
Lois Lane dutifully put a call into the NJ Divison of Fish, Game and Wildlife. She asked a simple question: Who owns Champagne Island?
Lois Lane was referred to DEP’s public relations department. We are still waiting for a call back.
We’ll let you know when we know.
Unless you know. Then, by all means, let us know.