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VOLUME 18 ISSUE 11
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AUGUST 23, 2024
Turtle Tally Continues Growing BY THERESA STRATFORD For The Island Connection
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t was mid-July when Kiawah Island’s first sea turtle hatchlings made their debut. A hatchling nest emergence means that the baby sea turtles left their nest and headed toward the ocean. Turtle patrollers know a nest hatched by seeing the tracks in the sand coming from the nest area. It was also mid-July when Turtle Patrollers discovered the 300th turtle nest of the season on Kiawah Island. Sea turtle monitoring activities have taken place on Kiawah Island since the early 1970s, and the island now boasts one of the largest turtle patrol volunteer programs in South Carolina. It has been funded by the Town of Kiawah Island since 1990. The Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol keeps detailed records of all the activities, and a report is prepared annually for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. As of August 7, SCDNR reported that in 2024 Kiawah Island has had 349 nests on the island total, with 241 incubating, 11 lost, and 150 relocated. Nests which are located too low on the beach are moved landward in order to protect them from being washed over by the high tides. SCDNR numbers also show that Kiawah Island has had 9,693 hatched eggs with 8,935 emerged hatchlings. Egg losses were at 3,869, (continued on page 3)
Learn more about Deveaux Bank with SINHG L BY NORM POWERS
For The Island Connection
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he fragile ecology of Deveaux Bank, the protected bird sanctuary at the mouth of the North Edisto River, will be the subject of the first evening program of the fall offered by the Seabrook Island Natural History Group on Thursday evening, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m. Presented by Dana Beach of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, the program at the Lake House will use 2023’s Hurricane Idalia as an example of the Bank’s tenuous existence at the hands of natural forces. Idalia was a Category 4 storm that pummeled the Southeastern coast in late August of last year and severely damaged the Bank. Dana Beach is the founder and Director Emeritus of the Coastal Conservation League, which works with citizens and government to develop policies promoting sustainable development patterns for the Carolina coastline. He is the author of numerous articles and academic papers on coastal wetlands, land use planning and beachfront management. (continued on page 3) Seabrook Island Natural History
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Lowcountry Land Trust permanently protects Mallard Tract BY VICTORIA BOCK
For The Island Connection
owcountry Land Trust announced the transfer of the 206-acre, permanently protected Mallard Tract to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR). This property is directly across the river from SCDNR’s 1,375-acre Edisto River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and will soon become open to the public for fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing. The Edisto River, the longest free-flowing black-water river in North America, will benefit from this expansion of protected lands to approximately 10.7 miles of linear river frontage. Lowcountry Land Trust purchased the Mallard Tract in 2015 to protect it from imminent threat. Recognizing the importance of landscape-scale mitigation, Waste Management Inc. contributed funds that enabled the Land Trust to safeguard this critical area. The Mallard Tract was placed under a conservation easement in 2017, ensuring permanent protection of the property’s 206 acres. During its nearly decade of ownership, Lowcountry Land Trust oversaw significant restoration efforts on the Mallard Tract as part of a Permittee Responsible Mitigation Plan. This plan was agreed upon with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to issue
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a wetlands impact permit for Waste Management. The restoration efforts included restoring the natural hydrologic flow and reestablishing native tree species, thereby enhancing the property’s ecological integrity and abundant wildlife habitat. The Mallard Tract’s location is particularly noteworthy, adjacent to the Edisto River’s Good Hope Boat Landing and Open Space Institute’s 148-acre tract, which was protected and transferred to SCDNR in 2022. Additionally, it is surrounded by 50,187 acres of conserved properties within a 10-mile radius. The transfer of Lowcountry Land Trust’s Mallard Tract to SCDNR’s Edisto River WMA will enhance a contiguous, protected landscape in the heart of the world-renowned ACE Basin. “We are thrilled to contribute to the expansion of the Edisto River Wildlife Management Area,” said Ashley Demosthenes, President and CEO of Lowcountry Land Trust. “Both sides of the river are now designated game lands, providing enhanced public recreation opportunities. This collaboration with SCDNR exemplifies our dedication to protecting and conserving the Lowcountry’s natural resources.” SCDNR shares this enthusiasm for the project. (continued on page 4) Robert Boyles, director, said,
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