STONE HARBOR – The Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary, a 21.5 acre preserve dedicated to the protection of coastal birds and their ecosystem, has launched a new website: www.stoneharborbirdsanctuary.com.
“The new website is just one of the many ways we are making the Sanctuary and its wildlife more accessible to visitors,” said Dede Harris, a member of the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary Advisory Committee and creator of the website.
While the Sanctuary was officially established by ordinance in 1947, it only opened to the public last year, when two visitor paths were created through the National Natural Landmark. A third public path was opened this year.
The Sanctuary’s user-friendly website offers a well organized, in-depth look at the Sanctuary’s lengthy history and its continued rejuvenation efforts.
Online visitors can enjoy a slide show of the three public access paths: the Heron Overlook, the Meadow Walk and the Holly Path, which takes guests through an old-growth maritime forest past an ancient Holly tree believed to be 200 years old.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the new website is the extensive photo gallery of the colonial wading bird, shore bird and song bird species that reside year-round in the Sanctuary or visit seasonally.
Informational “species reports” give visitors detailed background information on the unique behaviors, feeding habits and future outlook of the Black-crowned Night Heron, the Yellow-crowned Night Heron, the Glossy Ibis and the Eastern Box Turtle.
Those interested in volunteer opportunities or supporting the Sanctuary financially will find all the necessary details on the site, which is sure to become a frequent cyber stop for birders and environmental advocates alike.
