Weeks Bay Reserve was established in 1986 and is managed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as part of NOAA's National Estuarine Research Reserve System. The visitor center offers the public opportunities to learn about coastal habitats through exhibits, live displays and collections of animals and regional plants. Self-guiding nature trails wind through wetlands, marshes, forests and a pitcher plant bog.

Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Gulf Coast pitcher plant bogs are among the most diverse habitats for flowering plants in North America.  Most bogs where carnivorous plants occur are open and sunny and contain nutrient poor, acidic soils. Carnivorous plants obtain some of their nutrients by capturing and digesting insects and other small creatures. Pitcher plants attract and drown prey within their tubular, modified leaves, while the sticky hairs on the leaves of sundews trap insects much like fly-paper would.

Pitcher plants begin to blossom in the early spring followed by the emergence of pitchers and the blooming of many orchids in late spring and summer.  In the fall expect to see wildflowers that serve as hosts for several species of butterflies. 

A part of Weeks Bay's restoration activities includes prescribed burns of the bog.  While the immediate effects of a burn might appear devastating, the plants and animals that call the bog home are quick to recover.   

Weeks Bay Reserve Pitcher Plant Bog

Weeks Bay and surrounding marshes are highly productive areas that 
 serve as a nursery for commercially important shellfish and finfish. Additionally, the location acts as a filter for pollutants, provides shoreline stabilization, and offers recreational and educational opportunities for people on the coast.

Forested wetlands and swamps occupy much of the land around Weeks Bay. These wetlands are flat or have low relief and contain saturated wetland soils. During storm events, wind-driven surge or floodwaters from heavy rains inundate these wetlands. 

The shoreline of the bay supports marshes dominated by salt-tolerant herbs and grass-like plants. Marshes occur as narrow shoreline fringes and extend up the tidal mouths of the Fish and Magnolia Rivers. Black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) is an abundant species and dominates portions of the saltmarsh at the edge of the water. Two species of cord grass (Spartina alterniflora and Spartina cynosuroides) grow abundantly in the intertidal zone. Other common species are saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), saltmeadow cordgrass (Spartina patens), saltmarsh aster (Aster tenuifolius), saltmarsh foxglove (Agalinis maritima), and sea lavender (Limonium carolinianum).

Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Alabama

2 chronologs managed by Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Weeks Bay Reserve Pitcher Plant Bog

Weeks Bay Reserve Visitor Center Pavilion overlook

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