Since May 2007 PRESORT STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID CHARLESTON SC PERMIT NO 137 POSTAL PATRON
VOLUME 19 ISSUE 3
FREE
MAY 2, 2025
Friday means Food Trucks
NEW KIAWAH EVENT ON ALL SUMMER BY THERESA STRATFORD For The Island Connection
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ridays just got more fun on Kiawah Island. Arts and Events Council Manager Caroline Wall announced a new venture for Kiawah that will take place on one Friday a month. From April to August, Wall and her team picked one Friday a month to transform the green space near Kiawah Island’s Town Hall into a Town of Kiawah Island Bites and Brews: Food Truck Fest. These events will last from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Town of Kiawah Island Town Hall green space at 4475 Betsy Kerrison Parkway. The first one was held on April 18. Five to six vendors and a variety of games kicked off the first event, along with bluegrass music from Moto Grass Trio. Food trucks included Kee’s Kitchen, Krystyna’s Polish Food, Area 51 Foods and King of Pops. Chugalug Wagon served drinks. Friday dates for the other Bites and Brews: Food Truck Fests will take place on May 16, June 6, July 18 and August 15. (continued on page 3)
Kiawah Island Considers what is Criminal BY THERESA STRATFORD
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For The Island Connection
t the April 1 Kiawah Island Town Council, Mayor Bradley Belt enlightened everyone on what it means to breach the Town’s code enforcement policy. Are some of the infractions just innocent rule-breaking? Or could you be considered a criminal under the Town’s current code? Belt noticed that the Town deems infractions like public drunkenness, public indecency and shoplifting as the same level of crime as infractions like not filling in a hole dug at the beach or taking a dog off leash in an on-leash-only area. He noted that although many municipalities recognize these rule breakers on the same playing field, that doesn’t make it right. The discussion at the Town Council meeting wasn’t intended for action. Belt simply wanted to let Town Council members and the public know about the inconsistencies with code enforcement. He explained that code enforcement’s main goal is to encourage compliance (continued on page 3) voluntarily, not to write tickets.
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Feeding Hungry Caterpillars A monarch caterpillar (above) can turn into a beautiful monarch butterfly (right) if given the right garden. PHOTOS BY JULIE MINCH
M O N A R C H WAY S TAT I O N C O N T I N U E S TO FLOURISH BY JULIE MINCH AND BETH WRIGHT
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For The Island Connection
illions of monarch butterflies migrate every fall from the United States and Canada to the mountains in central Mexico where they stay throughout the winter until the conditions are favorable for a return flight in the spring. This migration of monarchs is one of the world's greatest natural wonders, but it is threatened by habitat loss at overwintering grounds in Mexico and throughout breeding areas in the United States and Canada. Monarch waystations are gardens designed to specifically provide the resources for these butterflies to reproduce and continue their migrations. Without milkweeds and nectar from flowers, they are not able to populate and make their annual migration journey. In the Spring 2024, a monarch waystation was established by the Seabrook Island Garden Club, and has flourished in its first year. This special garden is located just outside the entrance gate to the SIPOA Community Garden plots. Since its completion, Garden Club members have observed monarch caterpillars on the milkweed plants and swallowtails on their host plant, Zizia aurea (Golden Alexander). Every butterfly and moth has specific plants (a host plant) that they lay their eggs on for the emerging caterpillars to eat. Many insects are also visiting the garden. This, my friends, is success. Even though “non-deer preferred” foliage was planted,
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some of the deer on the island still enjoy eating them. The January cold spell took a slight toll on the garden, as a few plants did not survive the frost and temperatures. And unfortunately, a donated birdbath froze and cracked as well. But the good news is that many plants were resilient and are coming back to grow and flourish. We have been fortunate to have garden club members volunteer to sign up for specific weeks to water and tend to the garden over the past year, and we are adding some new native plants this spring and making sure we have enough milkweed plants for the monarchs. We ran out of milkweed leaves last year due to many very hungry caterpillars! That’s a good problem to have, and we are making the necessary corrections to ensure the milkweed leaves are plentiful. There are many varieties of native plants that help to attract pollinators to a garden. The staff at Roots & Shoots Nursery in West Ashley has been a tremendous help with providing advice regarding plants for the waystation. They only sell native plants! If you are looking to encourage pollinators to your yard, you should visit their store. You are also welcome to stop by the community garden area and check out the monarch waystation, as well as the herb garden located next to it.
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