Guardians of the Land

In the not too distant past, the mangroves that grow around bodies of water like West Lake were seen as nuisances, acres and acres of the trees lopped down and replaced with Australian pines. In more recent times the value of mangroves has become apparent; the Australian pines have been lopped down here and replaced with mangroves — reds, blacks and whites. Mangroves guard the land against erosive waves of hurricanes and tropical storms, provide sanctuary for the offspring of many sea creatures, including many species of game fish and offer protected nesting grounds for birds. Mangroves now are protected under state law

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