Rabbit Island
A 55-acre man-made island created by dredged up materials from the wetlands and formed into what is called Rabbit Island, named for its shape’s resemblance of a rabbit’s silhouette.
The land and the restoration projects around it are in an effort recreate the lost natural land of the coastal sand dunes, grassland mass, and salt marsh sediments of the ecosystem.
The installation of native plants on Rabbit Island Overlook will not only improve the aesthetic value for visitors but will also provide a type of habitat island for many insects. Seaside Heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicum var. oculatum), Alkali Heath (Frankenia salina), Salt grass (Distichlis spicata), and many other flowering species have been installed in the test plot. These will provide a food source and resting stop for the wetland’s local pollinators including bees, beetles, butterflies, and moths. If the entire overlook is planted, the larger numbers of insects may attract larger animals such as birds and even small mammals to the area and ultimately provide a more dynamic experience for visitors.
