Well, my 8 weeks as a park ranger for the National Park Service have ended.  What a wonderful summer I had!  Some of the highlights of my summer have been holding and releasing a sea turtle hatchling, climbing Ocracoke lighthouse, night climbs of Hatteras lighthouse, and meeting all sorts of wonderful visitors from all over the United States.  The park rangers I met and worked with this summer will always have a special place in my heart.  Readers, these are a group of very dedicated and intelligent people who work hard every day to pass on their appreciation of the nature and history of the Outer Banks to everyone who visits.  I want to thank Pat, Jason, and Chris, my roommates Eileen and Debbie, and all the other wonderful Rangers I worked and spent time with this summer.  They all welcomed me and helped me learn to be a ranger.  Because of them, I had a awesome experience and learned so much!  I also want to thank my family for allowing me to have this adventure.  I am excited to return to my 2nd graders and share with them all the information I have learned this summer.
Stay tuned:  I hope to enroll at least one more group of Junior Rangers this year!

~ Kelly

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Let me tell you some of the history of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.  It was built in 1870.  The lighthouse was built on Cape Hatteras to warn passing ships of the dangerous Diamond Shoals:  a series of shifting sand bars that extend from the Point of Cape Hatteras, out 15 miles into the ocean. It is these sandbars that caused hundreds of ships to wreck here over the last 500 or so years and caused this area to be nicknamed "The Graveyard of the Atlantic."

The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in North America.  It stands 198 1/2 feet tall.  When it was first built in 1870, it was red brick.  3 years later, the distinctive black and white stripes were painted on to the lighthouse.  These stripes are called the lighthouse's daymark:  they allow ships to tell where they are at by looking at the markings of the lighthouse.  Earlier in my blog, I pointed out that Bodie Island lighthouse has horizontal black and white stripes (June 23rd).  Each lighthouse along the Coast has a different daymark to aid in navigation.

      

Did you know that this lighthouse was moved?  Read on to learn more!

Cape Hatteras LIghthouse

Since I began my summer at the Cape Hatteras LIghthouse 8 weeks ago, it seems fitting that I should finish up my blog with the lighthouse.  This is a beautiful lighthouse during the day, but I think the best time to climb it, or come look at it, is at night.  I climbed the lighthouse 4 times at night.  The Park Service holds what is called a "night climb" once a week during the summer.  They also have a "Full Moon Climb"  once a month.  I went to my last night climb Thursday night, it was beautiful!  The moon was almost full and shining off the ocean.  The next best thing to being at the top of the lighthouse at night is sitting on the ground underneath it and watching the beam shine out into the night.  It makes you think of how that beam has shone out into the ocean for over 140 years, guiding sailors.  The light from the lighthouse can be seen 20 miles out to sea.  I can just imagine the comfort a sailor felt when they saw that reliable signal shining out to help guide them safely on their journey.

Ollie and Flat Stanley!

Hi Everyone!

Ollie went with me to the top of the lighthouse yesterday.  While we were there, we met a young man who brought Flat Stanley with him!  The boy's name was Ian, and he let me take a photo with Ollie and Flat Stanley, thought you all might like to see it:

NOAA Ship Open House

Hi Everyone!

Our National Parks were created to conserve natural areas and historic areas, and to protect the wildlife that live in these places.  Did you know that we also have 14 National Marine Sanctuaries?  The word marine means that these areas relate to the sea.  Thus, our nation's marine sanctuaries are areas of protected waters that provide a safe habitat for endangered species, humpback whales for example,  and also protect historic shipwrecks still lying at the bottom of the ocean.  One of the National Marine Sanctuaries lies off the coast of North Carolina.  It is the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.  

Ollie and I at the Wright Brothers Memorial

Yes former students, Ollie is here in North Carolina with me!  Today the two of us went off  Hatteras island for the first time in weeks and went to the Wright Brothers memorial.  I hope my former second graders remember how we read a story about the Wright Brothers and discussed their first flight in North Carolina.
So here are some pictures:

Here is Ollie sitting on the wing of the Wright Flyer (don't know if he was supposed to sit there, so don't try this yourself if you ever visit!)

Here is a photo of Ollie and me at the rock that marks the spot where the Wright Brothers first flew:

I took a photo of the rocks marking the end of the first 4 flights the brothers took.  That picture is next.  I will have lots of other photos from this visit in Ollie's journal at the beginning of the year, you will all have to stop by to see for yourself!