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Access Wayside: Rocky Refuge
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At Blueberry Hill, an angled sign anchored to a granite base stands atop a bluff formed of glacial and marine deposits. The sign, entitled "Rocky Refuge," looks out over a cove. Here, calm water gently rolls smooth fist-sized cobbles against each other, creating a soothing rumble. On the rocky shore, hardy greenery pokes out of the crevasse. Behind the sign, a knoll hosts a rich variety of plant life including evergreen juniper plants, bayberry shrubs, blueberry bushes, tinfoil plants, Rugosa roses, and New England asters, to name a few.
The sign's title appears over a tranquil image of frothy surf lapping at the curved shoreline of the small cove. Under a clear blue sky, a cluster of spruce trees stand atop the knoll. Thousands of rounded cobbles pattern a gentle slope leading down to the water's edge.
A quote by Rachel Carson, "The shore, where one creature is linked with another, and each with its surroundings." Text reads, ancient ice and powerful waves worked for eons to round the cobbles that grace Acadia’s beaches. Now the sea endlessly tumbles them with local rock, creating an everchanging mosaic of colors and textures. Today these cobbles are part of critical shoreline habitat. small creatures hide from predators in spaces between them. Larvae cling to larger cobbles to keep from washing away when the tide goes out. These irreplaceable cobbles are an integral part of Acadia's natural history and scenery. Sketch them, photograph them, or ponder them, but leave them in place when you go.
An inset shows an illustration, white crested waves tumble along the ocean floor. A berm forms along the beach. Strong currents and storms pull cobbles into the surf, then deposit them into new patterns on the shore.
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Access Wayside: Rocky Refuge
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