KIAWAH CONSERVANCY…Preserving natural habitat

Kiawah Island, South Carolina has a conservancy that is diligently taking responsibility for protecting the beautiful environment that Mother Nature has bestowed upon those, who are fortunate enough to either live or visit this resort barrier island, just 30 miles south of Charleston, South Carolina.  The question is often asked, “What is The Conservancy trying to do?”.  The answer that best addresses the challenges at hand is, “We are exercising our duty of care for the strand of maritime forest that is left on Kiawah.  We are exercising our duty of care for the understory habitat essential to wildlife on Kiawah, and we are exercising our duty of care to preserve the balance of nature, which controls dominant species and protects the more vulnerable”. 

Duty of care, one might ask…what is duty of care?  It is the opposite of negligence. 
This is carried out by the conservancy by purchasing and stewarding land, which will remain undeveloped in perpetuity for the generations to come.  Both human life and wildlife, alike, will be the beneficiaries of these proactive efforts.  The due diligence in making the best possible choices when acquiring these properties is through the organization’s support of field research into the habitat needs of umbrella species on the island. 

Umbrella species?  Key animals and birds, whose needs represent those of several other animals and bird, as well.  To date this research has studied deer populations, mink in the rivers and estuaries, Painted Buntings, Gray Foxes and Bobcats.  The questions at hand address the patterns of behavior of the local animals.  How can the decreasing populations of certain species be turned around and what is causing the diminishing numbers?  How is this ecosystem connected to others on the continent, the hemisphere and where are these animals relative to the migratory chains and what must be done to preserve a habitat for these migrating creatures?

As more data is analyzed over time, a clearer picture comes forth.  In some cases this improved perspective results in some problems being minimized relative to the bigger ecological picture.  Other unforeseen problems by the contrary come to the forefront and present new challenges and added opportunity for learning more about the ecosytem than was even known to ask about in the beginning.

There are several efforts to get information out to residents, non-residents and visitors to the island.  A magazine, “Naturally Kiawah”, is published twice a years and articles appear in local newsletters and papers.  The Maritime Forest Reserve and Nature Trail on Conifer Lane and a bulletin board at The Heron Park Nature Center are maintained by the conservancy.  A series of free presentations are conducted at The Sandcastle on Kiawah once a month, November through May. And, last but not least, the conservancy’s website, www.kiawahconservancy.org, is an informative source for anyone to access both local and outside the immediate community.  There is a collective effort of every organization on the island along with many concerned citizens wanting to support the conservancy’s efforts.  The circle of duty of care is growing and has developed its own momentum, but that momentum must be constantly fostered to project and protect the future and ever changing ecological balances.