Green Communities NC

Brunswick County is located in the coastal plains region of North Carolina. As is typical of coastal plains, the typography is characterized by flatlands with soil compression of sand and sand loam. Brunswick County is located in the heart of the Cape Fear region, which contains the richest flora along the Atlantic Coast north of Florida. The moderating effects of the Gulf Stream, the high occurrence of natural fires, the considerable amount of marl (limestone) underlying parts of the county, and the wealth of longleaf pine habitats and wetlands contribute to the region's extraordinary plant life. It is home to the greatest number of rare plant species in the state and is one of the only areas on the planet where insect–eating venus flytraps are native. The region is threaded with sounds, rivers and streams for kayaking and has abundant forests and beaches for nature walks. Only a few miles from the more settled areas along the beaches, you can take a scenic rural drive into the country by farms and forests and into the Green Swamp. The Green Swamp contains some of the country’s finest examples of longleaf pine savannas. The open savannas have a diverse herb layer with many orchids and insectivorous plants. Almost 13,000 acres of the preserve, however, are comprised of a dense evergreen shrub bog (pocosin) dominated by gallberry, titi, and sweetbay. Woodsong has been built in the Town of Shallotte within existing infrastructure in order to reduce the amount of new rural land consumed to satisfy the county’s rapid growth. Insectivorous plant colonies have been preserved in Woodsong to recognize our natural heritage and connect our residents to it.