April 2022 — Carolina Bays
Photo by Lisa Tossey
Along the Atlantic Coastal Plain, from southern New Jersey to northern Florida, you can find sandy-rimmed depressions known as Carolina Bays. The exact number of Carolina Bays, however, has always been a mystery and estimates have varied from 10,000 to 500,000. How these Carolina Bays formed is also a mystery.
There are some hypotheses that point to comets, meteors or glacial ice shards raining down on the East Coast thousands of years ago and creating the Carolina Bays on impact. More scientific hypotheses suggest the Carolina Bays were the product of natural wind and wave processes.
To learn more about Carolina Bays, check out the April 2022 episode of SeaTalk.
Notable Dates in April
April 1 — April Fools Day. The consensus day for hoaxes, pranks, and practical jokes, April Fools is celebrated in many countries around the world. This article at History.com speculates as to the origins of the day.
April 22 — Earth Day. First established in 1970, Earth Day celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, with activities and events demonstrating support for environmental protection. To learn more, visit the official Earth Day site at www.earthday.org, or check out UD’s Earth Day-related activities organized by the UD Climate Change Hub, UD’s Sustainability Council and the Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN).
April 29 — Arbor Day. Serving as a time when people are encouraged to plant trees, Arbor Day sees many communities and organizations taking part in tree-planting, litter pickup, and other events. Learn more about the holiday at Arbor Day Foundation.