Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt - MGC POTUS Series #26 EarthCache
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt - MGC POTUS Series #26
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Coordinates take you to the boat launch on the grounds of the Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This area provides you with a close up look at one of the many bayous in the Gulf Coastal Plain region.
A bayou is an American term for a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying areas, and can refer either to an extremely slow-moving stream or river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), or to a marshy lake or wetland. The name "bayou" can also refer to creeks whose water level changes due to tides and which hold brackish water which is highly conducive to fish life and plankton. Bayous are commonly found in the Gulf Coast region of the southern United States, notably the Mississippi River region, with the state of Louisiana being famous for them. A bayou is frequently an anabranch or minor braid of a braided channel that is moving much more slowly than the mainstem, often becoming boggy and stagnant. Though vegetation varies by region, many bayous are home to crawfish, certain species of shrimp, other shellfish, catfish, frogs, toads, American alligators, American crocodiles, and a myriad of other species.
The word was first used by the English in Louisiana and is thought to originate from the Choctaw word "bayuk", which means "small stream". The first settlements of Acadians in southern Louisiana were near Bayou Teche and other bayous, which led to a close association of the bayou with Cajun culture.
Bayou Country is most closely associated with Cajun and Creole cultural groups native to the Gulf Coast region generally stretching from Houston, Texas, to Mobile, Alabama, and picking back up in South Florida around The Everglades with its center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
An alternative spelling "buyou" has also been used, as in "Pine Buyou", used in a description by Congress in 1833 of Arkansas Territory.
This particular bayou is Bayou Heron. From this point it continues just over 2 miles to the south and empties into Grand Bay, which is part of the Mississippi Sound.
To claim this as a find email me the answers to the following questions:
1) This area is affected by tides. At the time of your visit, what affects of the tides do you see?
2) Many hurricanes and tropical storms have hit this part of the country. Do you see any affects of the storms? What do you think will happen to the shoreline of the bayou with future storms?
3) What wildlife do you see in the area? What affect does the tide have on them. What would you expect to see here at different times of the day?
4) Compare the water here with other locations along the Gulf Coast, or if you have not visited other areas, compare with your expectations of the water. What differences do you notice and what do you think causes this?
As always, photos are encouraged with your log, but are not required.
Please do not post the answers in your log. We hope you enjoy your trip to this National Wildlife Refuge. Teddy Roosevelt established the National Wildlife Refuge System by creating the first NWR (Pelican Island NWR in Florida) in 1903. At the time of placement, this area was one of 556 NWRs
For more information on Roosevelt you can visit the below sites.
Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/theodoreroosevelt
http://www.littleknownfactsshow.com/presidents.html
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