Stamp Act Island is protected from development through the Nature Conservancy and managed by the Stamp Act Island Committee. July 1 marks when the North Beach is open while being on the beaches or shoreline elsewhere is prohibited. The island was protected by members of the, then, Lake Wentworth Association and their legacy is being enjoyed today.
A plaque is on the island that commemorates the gifts given to protect the island.
The Stamp Act Committee generally meets once a year in June and the members discuss activities, any observed changes and plan for the monitoring of the island during the summer.
The North Beach is closed until July 1st for the protection of nesting birds. Below is a pair of wood ducks who were checking out “the property” and waddling up the beach around June 1. Their ducklings take about four weeks to hatch so protecting the beach really does matter.
The eagles have continued nesting on the island and also need protection from disturbance. You don’t want to stress the chicks and have them fly before they are really ready. That first flight must be traumatic, well at least the first landing must be a bit scary. Yeah, flying is done by flapping the wings but controlling that flight well enough (on the first flight) to land somewhere safely is not easy….. Below is a picture of one of the adults with a chick. The conversation might be a lesson on flying and landing. Who knows?
Lastly, one spot near the island that attracts lots of people is the sandbar at the southeast end of the island. It changes shape yearly but seems to be relatively constant. In this drone shot of the sandbar, there are light colored streaks seen. These are most likely the result of motorboat prop wash pushing the top layer of sand around and therefore moving away the thin layer of stuff that landed there over the past year.This will show the cleaner sand underneath. However, it may be that every time a boat pushes the sand around, less and less of it is going to be there in future years. Quick take-offs may have long term effects.
