Since May 2007 PRESORT STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID CHARLESTON, SC PERMIT NO. 137 POSTAL PATRON
Volume 21 • Issue 14
FREE
December 19, 2025
Rare bird found on Kiawah Island
BY MEREDITH BLAIR
For The Island Connection
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Photo credit: Paula Feldman
Photo credit: Pamela Cohen
id you know Kiawah Island is host to one of the rarest birds on the planet? This pictured bird is a Great Lakes Piping Plover. The bands on her legs allowed the Kiawah Island Shorebird Stewards to contact the researchers who reared her in Michigan after her mother died. Her sibling was recently sighted in Texas, but this chick chose to migrate to Kiawah! Kiawah Island plays an important role in the recovery of the Piping Plovers that nest around the Great Lakes. Some of these plovers spend the winter on our beach or stop here while migrating south. Their population was listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1986, when their numbers were down to only 12 breeding pairs. A plan was put in place to protect their nests and habitat, and today, there are 85 breeding pairs. That’s a seven-fold increase but still a precariously small number. While Kiawah Island Shorebird Stewards are best known for their work protecting Red Knots from human and canine disturbance during spring and fall, many people don’t realize that in the wintertime they continue to educate beach-goers and encourage them to walk around flocks of birds, which often include Piping Plovers, in order to allow the birds to feed and rest in preparation for their continued migration. If you see a banded Piping Plover or other banded birds, you can report it online and find out the bird’s life history while also helping scientists track their movements. Visit scshorebirdproject.com/banded-birds.
Mary Whyte Day draws crowd to Seabrook’s new art gallery BY ROD MORRIS | For The Island Connection
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eabrook Island’s arts community celebrated a major cultural milestone on Wednesday, December 3, as the Seabrook Island Real Estate Office officially unveiled its new Living Room Gallery with a standing-room-only event featuring nationally acclaimed watercolorist Mary Whyte. Months in the making, the evening combined a warm community gathering with a touch of ceremony: Mayor Bruce Kleinman presented Whyte with an official declaration proclaiming December 3 as Mary Whyte Day in the Town of Seabrook Island. The celebration included a book signing and an inspiring presentation by Whyte, whose message about courage, creativity, and sharing one’s gifts resonated with the audience. Guests were captivated as her artworks were projected throughout the space, especially when she highlighted portraits featuring familiar faces from the Lowcountry. Ben Schuyler, general manager of Seabrook Island Real Estate, called the evening “thrilling from start to finish,” noting that the estimated 120 attendees far surpassed expectations. (Continued on page 7)
Artist Mary Whyte during her presentation.