Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

Located in Camden County on scenic U. S. Highway 17, the original Ocean Highway, just three miles south of the VA/NC border, the Great Dismal Swamp Center sits on the banks of the Dismal Swamp Canal, part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

Preview your trip on the web: Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

Learn more

• Interactive Green Swamp One of the neatest websites ever! Listen to the natural sounds of the Florida wetlands as you look beautiful images of this area, explore with an interactive map, and read about the Green Swamp's history and significance.
• The Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds Students can learn about watersheds and how to protect the nation's water resources.
• NatureWorks Learn about animal adaptations, habitats and interdependence or go straight to the facts about North American animals and birds.
• Lesson plan: The case of the disappearing pitcher plants This lesson addresses the cause and effect relationship between human interaction and a North Carolina endangered plant species. A role-playing scenario allows students to view the situation from a variety of positions and to collectively arrive at a solution to the problem.
• Lesson plan: Create a wetland scene Students will learn about the different types of freshwater wetlands, and the factors that threaten their health. Finally, they will study specific examples of wetland areas of the U.S. and what is being done to protect them.

Related pages

• South Mountains State Park: One of the state's most rugged parks, South Mountains State Park offers a number of activities. Rangers are available to teach students about the mountain watershed and the importance of water stewardship.
• Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge: Located in Anson and Richmond counties of North Carolina, the diversity of habitats and management programs supports a broad range of wildlife species, including over 168 birds, 49 amphibians and reptiles, 28 mammals, and 20 fish species.
• New River State Park: Visit New River State Park and discover its unspoiled beauty as well as the flora and fauna of the area.

Related topics

• Learn more about Camden County, amphibians, animals, biology, birds, ecosystems, environmental science, habitats, natural history, nature reserves, reptiles, science, and wildlife.

Legal

Located in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was formed in 1974 when Union Camp Corporation donated 49,100 acres of forested wetlands to The Nature Conservancy. This land was then conveyed to the Department of the Interior, and the Refuge officially established. The Refuge consists of over 107,000 acres, with Lake Drummond, a 3,100 acre natural lake in the center of the Swamp.

The Swamp supports a variety of mammals, including otter, bats, raccoon, mink, gray and red foxes, and gray squirrel. White-tailed deer are common, and black bears and bobcats also inhabit the area. Three species of poisonous snakes are found here, — cottonmouth, canebrake rattler, and the more common copperhead — along with 18 non-poisonous species. Yellow-bellied and spotted turtles are commonly seen, and an additional 56 species of turtles, lizards, salamanders, frogs, and toads have been observed on the Refuge. An interpretive boardwalk trail meanders almost a mile through a portion of the Swamp.

Dismal Swamp Canal Visitor Center sits on the banks of the Dismal Swamp Canal, the oldest continually operating canal in the United States. The Canal is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark, honors worthy of its colorful past.

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