environment, and we had eco-friendly crafts

that consisted of making a bird feeder and

leaf-print birthday cards. There was also a

Science Discovery Room where one could

explore the ‘smaller side’ of the habitats at the

NERR. People immersed themselves under the

microscope to see tiny crabs and plankton

collected from our water quality station, frass

from inside a pitcher plant, mosquitofish from a

pond, small wildflowers from the pine savanna,

and much more. Everyone who attended had

fun and learned something new about the

habitats in our back yard! If you missed the

birthday bash, don’t worry. The NERR plans on

having one every year to commemorate the

reserve and the remarkable environment it

protects. So don’t miss out, come celebrate with

us any time of year!

Contributing writer:

Avery Sward, Grand Bay NERR

Research Focus 2

Botany Zone 2

Critter Corner 2

Volunteer Corner 3

Looking Ahead 3

Meet Our Staff 4

Visit Us 4

Rain Barrels 5

From Our Director 5

Inside this issue:

A n 18th birthday is one for the

books, so the Grand Bay NERR

decided to celebrate ours in style by

throwing a party where everyone was

invited. On June 16, 1999, the Grand

Bay NERR was established as a reserve.

Since that day, we have been

dedicated to conducting research and

educating others on the unique habitats

that make up our estuaries. The NERR

continued that mission on June 16,

2017. We threw a birthday bash for

visitors of all ages. There were lots to

see and explore at the NERR that day.

We offered guided trail tours every

half hour that were led by NERR

researchers, who taught people about

the habitats, plants, and animals that

occur here. We also had a wildland

firefighter here who enlightened

everyone on the role of fire in the

environment. He brought some artifacts

collected over the years to help explain

this area’s historical culture. We had

various games scattered around that

promoted s tewardsh ip o f the

Volume 3, Issue II July, 2017– October , 2017

Grand Bay NERR is a state-

federal partnership with the

Mississippi Department of

Marine Resources and the

National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration,

Office for Coastal

Management. We are one of 29

NERRs nationwide.

Bayou Buzz

Grand Bay NERR’s 18th Birthday Bash

Dr. Mark Woodrey giving guests a crash

course on NERR resident owl species

Fiddler crabs are an important compo-

nent of the salt marsh network. They

are said to be “ecosystem engineers”,

meaning they are important in main-

taining the health and stability in this

environment. The Grand Bay NERR,

along with 12 other reserves, will be

participating in a project designed to

monitor and assess the abundance of

these essential organisms. The study

involves looking at the sentinel sites

(established to better understand the

impacts of sea level rise on coastal

habitats), their vegetation and the

abundance of the fiddlers through

trapping, sightings, and burrow

counts. By using the Sentinel Sites for

study areas, one will be able to see

how the abundance of crabs relates

to elevation and vegetation. Further-

The longleaf pine

tree can grow to be

120 ft. tall, 3 ft. in

diameter, and over

500 years old. This

tree is also known to

be pyrophytic, or resistant to wildfire.

As a matter of fact, this tree is quite

dependent on it. Fire will clear the

understory and allow longleaf seeds to

germinate, and once the fire is

extinguished it provides soil nutrients in

the form of ash. In the mid 1800s

longleaf pine forests spanned the

coastal plain from Virginia to Texas

and south to central Florida, 90 million

acres in all. During the reconstruction

period following the Civil War, the

longleaf was highly sought after for

its straight, strong timber as well as

naval stores and turpentine derived

from the resin. This, along with the

conversion of habitat to agricultural

land and fire suppression, has caused

a steep decline in longleaf numbers.

Today only four million acres remain;

Research Focus: Fiddler Crab Sampling

Page 2 Bayou Buzz Volume 3, I ssue II

leaves in the branches of trees known

as a dray. In the wintertime, or when

rearing young, a hollowed out tree

cavity is preferred. Pelage color

varies geographically across the US,

from greyish-brown to entirely black

(melanistic) individuals. In the south

eastern US they have reddish bodies,

a dark dorsum and crown with cream

colored nose and ears. This rodent is

known to be active during the day

(diurnal), however, activity can occur

just before dawn or right past dusk.

The fox squirrel is a large species of

tree squirrel that prefers habitats with

dispersed trees and relatively

undeveloped understory. They are most

associated with pine, walnut, oak, or

hickory trees, storing, or caching, their

nuts for the winter months. In addition

to tree nuts, the fox squirrel will feed

upon flowers, buds, seeds, fruit, insects

(as well as larvae), bird eggs, and

occasionally the birds themselves.

During the summer months these

squirrels will build a nest of twigs and

Botany Zone: Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris)

more, these results can be compared to

results from the other NERRs participat-

ing to look at the outcomes on a large

scale.

one percent of

w h i c h i s

considered old

g r o w t h ,

undisturbed, virgin

forest. Restoration

efforts are now

being applied

through most of its

historical range.

Some of these

labors began over

50 years ago.

Critter Corner: Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Sandra Huynh

Page 3 Bayou Buzz Volume 3, I ssue II

Looking Ahead...

Volunteer Corner: Neil Holifield

When I was first introduced to Neil

Holifield earlier this year, he was

volunteering with K-12 Specialist Rick

Ranew. What I didn’t know about Neil

was that we’ve “met” before, about six

years ago at a Grand Bay NERR

Volunteer Appreciation event. I was a

young college student who volunteered

for field experience and opportunities to

work with the public. Neil’s story is a bit

different, as he started volunteering

after he retired. Here’s his journey as a

Grand Bay NERR Volunteer.

Neil was born and raised in Brookhaven,

MS, and his coastal adventures began

46 years ago when he took a teaching

job at what was Pascagoula Jr. High

School. He spent his years teaching

industrial arts (or “shop”), science, and

PE at schools in Jackson County, MS and

Mobile County, AL. It was from a

presentation at a Retired Education

Personnel of Mississippi meeting years

ago that drew Neil to the Grand Bay

NERR, and since then he has returned

throughout the years to volunteer on

various activities. His experience

began with outreach opportunities

with a volunteer coordinator. “I

started out helping kids fish,” said

Neil. “Of course I had to help them

bait their hooks and take some fish or

crabs off, or whatever they caught.”

Then, he accompanied researchers in

the field. “We went out in small

groups on the boat and duties there

would be like to help with the testing

of the water. We would ride all over

from the bayous, up in the woods, and

all the way up to Chevron.” Most

recently, Neil helps with our education

staff. “Next I started helping Rick with

s c h o o l g r o u p s . R i c k ’ s r e a l

knowledgeable and he’s become a

good friend. I’d sometimes help him

set up equipment and at the end

maybe take down equipment.” Neil

interacts with many groups of students

and visitors. “We have elementary,

middle, high school. We have worked

with teacher groups and with seniors.

We had the veterans here.” I asked if

Neil had a favorite group, and he

responded, “I like all of them, but I

probably would pick the middle school

age. That’s the age I’ve worked with

the most. The middle school group

seems to be the one that’s most

enthusiastic.” His commitment to

volunteering at the NERR doesn’t go

unnoticed, but I was curious about why

Neil comes back. “I enjoy the outdoors

and working with the kids. It gives you

a little feeling of helping somebody.”

The Grand Bay NERR staff would like

to thank Neil for his years of

volunteering with us, and for sharing his

volunteer experience story for our

readers. If you are interested in

volunteering at the Grand Bay NERR,

please contact Outreach Specialist

Dennis.McGrury@dmr.ms.gov or call

(228) 523-4190.

Contributing writer:

Sandra Huynh, Grand Bay NERR

Savanna Meadowbeauty (Rhexia alifanus)

August:

26 Rain Barrel Workshop

September:

4 Labor Day (Office Closed)

8 Research Symposium

9 Science, Syrup, & Sausage

30 National Estuaries Day

October:

21 Coastal Clean-Up

29-31 MS Science Teachers

Association Conference

31 Halloween

Dates and times are subject to change. Please

see our Website or Facebook page for updates

November:

4-5 Peter Anderson Festival

12-17 NERRS National Meeting

13 Veterans Day

23 Thanksgiving (Office Closed)

December:

16 Star Party

For more information on events, visit our website at

www.GrandBayNERR.org call us at (228) 475-7047

Or check out our Facebook page!

My duties as SWMP (System Wide

Monitoring Program) Technician

include working with the SWMP

coordinator collecting water quality

Meet our Staff: Caitlin Sanderson

you can learn about everything an estuary has to offer. You’ll learn about everything from wildlife, weather, and wildland fires, to the culture and

history of the area!

Ask for a tour of the building and learn how we received our Gold LEED

Standard Award for being green.

Don’t forget to say “hi!” to Tobi the

Terrapin before you leave!

Learn what it really means to “live life on the edge” by visiting the

Grand Bay NERR today!

Quench your thirst for outdoor adventure by hiking the Oak Grove Birding Trail or the brand new Savannah Trail. You’ll see birds, butterflies, and lots of other animals that frequent the area. What will you spot? Make sure to put it on our

sightings board at the Interpretive Center!

Cool off with a visit to the Interpretive Center located in our Coastal Resource Center. Inside

Page 4 Bayou Buzz Volume 3, I ssue II

Have You Visited Lately?

Interpretive Center

Hours:

Monday through Friday

9 am – 3 pm

data, use, and maintenance of the

water quality data loggers and hand-

held water quality instruments,

col lecting water samples for

analyzing nutrients, assisting with

weather station data collection and

maintenance, and assisting in other

areas such as stewardship and

outreach as needed.

I have a bachelor’s Degree in Biology

from the University of South Alabama

with a concentration in Environmental

Science. During my time there I was

an active member of the Biology

Student Association participating in

many outreach events. I was also a

regular volunteer at the Pascagoula

River Audubon Center where I

assisted with identifying and sorting

specimens , outreach events, school

field trips, day camps, data collection

for center projects, and various other

tasks as needed. After graduation, I

interned at the Grand Bay NERR

assisting with nearly every aspect at

the reserve (SWMP, stewardship, and

outreach). During this internship, I

learned many valuable skills needed

for my career in the field of biology. I

hope to one day continue my education

by working towards a master’s degree,

possibly geared towards education.

During my free time I enjoy working

out, kayaking, fishing, kicking around a

soccer ball, and staying connected to

the outdoors. I have a strong interest in

birds and enjoy bird watching and

photography as well as practicing my

identification skills by sight and sound. I

like to spend my downtime reading or

hanging out with my fiancé and my two

pet birds, Cleo and Kiwi.

On June 6, 2017 the Grand Bay NERR’s Coastal Training Program had the pleasure of hosting a rain barrel workshop for a group of very bright

Ocean Springs Library Club members.

First these young stewards learned

about nonpoint source pollution and the effects it can have on our environment, like eutrophication (a process resulting in an excessive amount of nutrients in a body of water). Once the problems were discussed, prevention tactics were

examined, which led to rain barrels.

Rain Barrels at O.S. Library

Whether we are throwing a birthday

party to highlight this Reserve or

engaging volunteers in our fun activities

for kids, we are always finding ways to

inspire others about the Grand Bay

estuary. We know the estuary is so

important. It provides us with fish and

shellfish; opportunities for kayaking,

boating, bird watching and art; it

protects our shoreline from storms. It

changes constantly and is always full of

beautiful surprises. It inspires us. We

love learning about our estuary and

sharing the story of what the estuary

does with as many people in our

community as we can. We also know

the estuary depends on its landward

pine savannas to be healthy, so we

work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service to keep the pine savannas

healthy at Grand Bay. A healthy pine

savanna is filled with a high diversity

of plants, most notably the pitcher

Page 5 Bayou Buzz Volume 3, I ssue II

Through the method of storm water collection from our homes, these rain barrels can prevent many pollutants from entering our waterways. Addi-tionally, the water stored in these bar-rels can be used in your garden or to wash your car. Not only will using a rain barrel help our environment, it

will also save you money on your wa-ter bill and give you healthier, strong-

er, more drought tolerant plants.

With seventeen young librarians in attendance, we were able to construct fifteen rain barrels during the work-shop! Together the fifteen barrels will have the potential to collect over 51,150 gallons of water every year.

Before the rain barrels assumed their rightful places under down spouts and gutters across Ocean Springs, they needed a finishing touch in the form of a paint job. The final products look

amazing!

plants, that popped up this spring

after a wildfire. Pitcher plants are so

intriguing! They are carnivorous and

From Our Director: Dr. Ayesha Gray only grow in certain soils. The Grand

Bay NERR team also traveled to

DeSoto National Forest this spring, so

we could learn more about pine

savanna restoration and pitcher plants.

We were amazed with Buttercup Flats

and all the good work being

accomplished by our colleagues at the

U.S. Forest Service up north. Every

once in a while, we travel around to

find inspiration in other habitats, to

learn about how the habitats are all

connected and influence each other,

and then we come back to Grand Bay

and think of new and different ways

we can share what we know. Be sure

to mark your calendars for National

Estuaries Day on September 30th for

another awesome day with our

scientists. We’ll be taking folks on a

boat ride and walking on our Savanna

Trail, doing what we do every day,

learning new things. Come and visit us!

The Grand Bay NERR will be piloting several rain barrel workshops for our community within the next few months.

The first one to be held on August 26th.

Check out our Facebook page or web-

site to find out more.

Address for Mailing

Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

6005 Bayou Heron Road

Moss Point, MS 39562

We’re on the Web!

Visit GrandBayNERR.org

Phone: 228.475.7047

Office hours: M-F 8am-4pm

Interpretive Center Hours: M-F 9am-3pm

Contact Us Grand Bay NERR Newsletter:

Bayou Buzz

The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) was designated in 1999 as part of a system

of 29 reserves around the nation. We are a “state-federal” partnership managed by the Mississippi

Department of Marine Resources and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office for

Coastal Management. This NERR is co-located with a USFWS National Wildlife Refuge. The Grand Bay

NERR is comprised of approximately 18,000 acres of pine savannas, salt marshes, salt pannes, open

water and bayous, as well as other terrestrial habitats that are unique to the coastal zone.

Come visit us!

Can’t wait to see y’all!

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