(TOM)
AS WE'VE SHOWN YOU BEFORE
WITH TANGIER ISLAND, THE
COMBINATION OF SEA
LEVEL RISE AND SINKING
LAND IS AN UNDENIABLE
FORCE IN THE CHESAPEAKE
BAY.
(ANITA)
JUST A FEW MILES AWAY--
FOX ISLAND IS ALSO
VANISHING.
IT HAS LOST 70 PERCENT OF
ITS LAND IN THE PAST 50
YEARS.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER
CHRIS HORNE SHOWS US WHY
FOX IS ALSO LOSING AN
IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO
TEACH US.
CHRIS?
(CHRIS)
FOX ISLAND IS LOSING
LAND, HABITAT AND ANIMAL
SPECIES AND BEFORE LONG,
IT WON'T
BE MUCH OF AN ISLAND AT
ALL.
THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
FOUNDATION HAS USED IT
FOR DECADES AS A LIVING
CLASSROOM FOR
CURIOUS KIDS AND
NATURE-LOVING ADULTS.
NOW IT'S TEST TIME, AND
FOX ISLAND IS FAILING.
(CHRIS HORNE REPORTING)
NORAH CARLOS / CHESAPEAKE
BAY FOUNDATION -- YOU'RE
ONE OF THE LAST TRIPS TO
BE OUT
HERE
GONNA TAKE OFF FROM
WHEN YOU GET OUT ON ALL
THIS OPEN WATER ON THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY, YOU
START TO GET A BETTER
SENSE OF WHAT ISN'T THERE
ANYMORE.
JUST OVER THE HORIZON
LURKS THE FATE OF
EXTINCTION FOR FOX
ISLAND.
KAREN MULLIN / CHESAPEAKE
BAY FOUNDATION -- THE
FORCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE
HAVE ACCELERATED EROSION
TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE
LOSING VALUABLE LAND AND
HABITAT THAT WE'RE JUST
NOT GETTING IT BACK.
NAT SOT BOAT CAPTAIN
-
IF YOU KEEP YOUR EYES OUT
OVER HERE YOU MIGHT GET A
GLIMPSE OF THE MARSH
NAT SOT GUY ON DOCK - HOW
WAS YOUR BOAT RIDE?
IN THE 20TH CENTURY YOU
DIDN'T NEED THIS RAISED
DOCK.
YOU COULD WALK ON LAND.
NAT SOT DOCK WALKING
BATTERY SHACK
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN OFF THE
GRID HERE FOR ABOUT A
CENTURY.
A PERFECT SPOT FOR DUCK
HUNTING, FOR MANY YEARS
IT DREW HUNTERS AS A
PRIVATE LODGE.
THEN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
FOUNDATION TRANSFORMED
IT INTO A DOORWAY TO
KNOWLEDGE - AN EDUCATION
CENTER FOR FIELD TRIPS.
WHERE HUNTERS ONCE SLEPT,
KIDS COULD DO MORE THAN
JUST DREAM ABOUT LIFE ON
THE BAY.
THEY'D ACTUALLY LIVE IT
FOR A FEW DAYS.
BUT THE RISING WATERS...
KAREN MULLIN / CHESAPEAKE
BAY FOUNDATION -- IT'S AN
ALARMING RATE
ARE FORCING CBF TO CLOSE
THE EDUCATION CENTER.
NORAH CARLOS / CHESAPEAKE
BAY
FOUNDATION -- IT'S REALLY
HEARTBREAKING. IT'S TOUGH
FOR US WHO HAVE TAKEN
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
OUT ON THESE PROGRAMS AND
SEEING THAT
TRANSFORMATION OF
STUDENTS
AND SO THE FINAL SCHOOL
BELL HAS TOLLED ON THIS
LIVING CLASSROOM.
IN COLONIAL TIMES, FOX
ISLAND HAD 426 ACRES -
BY 1968 IT LOOKED LIKE
THIS AT JUST 70 ACRES,
BY 1994 IT HAD LOST
DOZENS MORE ACRES,
AND NOW IT'S A MERE 34
ACRES
KAREN MULLIN / CHESAPEAKE
BAY FOUNDATION -- WE'RE
IN TREMENDOUS DANGER OF
LOSING EVEN MORE
TOM HORTON / CHESAPEAKE
BAY AUTHOR & JOURNALIST
HORTON HAS SEEN FOX
ISLAND SHRINK OVER TIME.
TOM HORTON / CHESAPEAKE
BAY REPORTER & AUTHOR --
I REMEMBER TAKING KIDS AT
NIGHT IN CANOES HEADING
THAT WAY. YOU WOULDN'T DO
THAT NOW BECAUSE YOU'D BE
HEADING FOR NORFOLK AND
THERE'S
NOTHING BUT OPEN WATER.
BOOK COVER
HE WROTE THIS BOOK ON
SMITH, TANGIER AND FOX
ISLANDS IN THE 80S - AND
KNEW THIS DAY WOULD
ARRIVE.
TOM HORTON / CHESAPEAKE
BAY REPORTER & AUTHOR --
AT THE TIME I ADVISED
PEOPLE TO GET OUT THERE
THEY AREN'T GONNA BE
THERE FOREVER.
IT WAS A LESSON CBF STAFF
WANTED TO TEACH THE
SCHOOL KIDS WHO CAME
THROUGH HERE.
THEY SAY YOU CAN'T
OVERSTATE THE IMPORTANCE
OF LOSING THE LAND, THE
MARSH AND THE HABITAT.
KAREN MULLIN / CHEASPEAKE
BAY FOUNDATION -- PEOPLE
FOR DECADES AND DECADES
AND DECADES HAVE MADE
THEIR LIVING OFF THE
BOUNTY OF THE CHESAPEAKE,
THE GREAT SHELLFISH BAY
NORAH CARLOS / CHESAPEAKE
BAY FOUNDATION -- MARSHES
ARE ALSO A GREAT FLOOD
CONTROL AND THEY BRACE
COMMUNITIES FROM
FLOODING. IT ACTS LIKE A
GIANT SPONGE. WHEN WE
LOSE MARSH HABITAT WE
ALSO LOSE THAT AREA OF
PROTECTION AS WELL.
AND HORTON HAS A WORD OF
WARNING FOR THOSE
LOOKING AT BAYSIDE REAL
ESTATE.
TOM HORTON / CHESAPEAKE
BAY REPORTER & AUTHOR --
I WOULD NOT WANT TO BUY
SOMETHING THAT WASN'T SIX
OR EIGHT FEET ABOVE SEA
LEVEL DOWN IN HAMPTON
ROADS
MULLIN SAYS SHE MISSES
THE MANY BIRD SPECIES
THAT
HAVE FLED THE AREA.
GERALD THE PELICAN IS
STILL HERE.
WITH ONLY ONE WING, HE
CAN'T LEAVE.
A MASCOT FOR A DYING
LITTLE ISLET.
THE EDUCATION CENTER IS
LEAVING -- BUT THE LESSON
ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE WILL
REMAIN.
NATS
(CHRIS)
DON'T WORRY ABOUT GERALD
- HE'S BEING TAKEN CARE
OF.
HERE IN HAMPTON ROADS, WE
USE SOLID MATERIAL LIKE
RIP RAP AND SEAWALLS TO
KEEP
ENCROACHING BAY WATERS
OUT OF POPULATED AREAS.
BUT C-B-F SCIENTISTS SAY
THAT ACCELERATES THE LOSS
OF HABITAT AND PROTECTIVE
MARSH
- BECAUSE IT GETS TRAPPED
BETWEEN THE SEA AND LAND
AND IS BATTERED FROM BOTH
DIRECTIONS.
CHRIS HORNE 10 ON YOUR