Publication: Our State Down Home in North Carolina
Issue: September 2015, Volume 83, Number 4
Story: A Wall of Sand by John H. Tucker (p.#41-44)
I’m honored to have another opportunity to work with the folks over at Our State Magazine for the month of September 2015 with a few images accompanying an intriguing story written by John H. Tucker about the historical sand dune stabilization projects by the Civilian Conservation Corps on Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Widely hailed as one of the primary drivers of today’s economic development on the islands (along with infrastructure projects like the Bonner Bridge), the existence of the primary dunes and the desire to hold the environment static for human purposes are being questioned in the context of the natural and dynamic processes of the coastal barrier island ecosystem. Was the artificial construction of primary dunes right or wrong, or are we even asking the right questions? Pick up a copy on newsstands or order an issue through Our State’s website in September! Not from North Carolina? I would highly recommend this magazine if you’ve got any interest in the state; easily one of the best publications on the market and one that I look forward to receiving and paging through each month!
The two photographs utilized with the article (one in the contents/front material of the magazine and the other on the title page) were snapped while walking the beach on Hatteras Island in October of last year. The winds are notoriously strong and consistent on the barrier islands of the Outer Banks, particularly during the shoulder seasons (spring and autumn). As a response, the mobile nature of sand creates wonderful patterning that catches light and shadow and is irresistible to me as a photographer.
Interested in learning more about the natural environment of the Outer Banks and the impact of man? These are a couple of recent books that I’ve enjoyed:
1. Altered Environments: The Outer Banks of North Carolina by Jeffrey Pompe (2010)
2. The Battle For North Carolina’s Coast: Evolutionary History, Present Crisis, & Vision for the Future by Stanley R. Riggs (2011)