The kickoff of Conservation Corner: In the Zone with Cainhoy

I’m excited to share the first edition of the Conservation Corner, a newsletter highlighting ongoing projects from the tri-county area. Every six weeks, you will receive an update from members of our team who are actively working to protect our natural resources and quality of life here in the Lowcountry, along with recent news and engagement opportunities.

We hope you enjoy the opportunity to hear directly from folks on the ground and learn about projects impacting our region. Feel free to drop us a line and let us know what you think about the Conservation Corner and if there are any projects in particular that you’d like to learn more about in the future.

Until next time!

Yours,
Robby

The Cainhoy Peninsula

Earlier this month, on a windy morning, I was on a boat slowly motoring up Nowell Creek, which bisects the 9,000-acre Cainhoy Peninsula. I was joined by partners at Charleston Waterkeeper and the Southern Environmental Law Center, along with a photographer working for the Bitter Southerner, one of my all-time favorite publications. As we journeyed up the creek, we encountered various wildlife. A bald eagle perched high above the forest at the very top of a dead tree. An alligator scrambling from the creek bank into the brackish water. A northern harrier, gliding silently over the salt marsh.

The Cainhoy Peninsula is one of the most significant undeveloped tracts of land remaining in our region. It shares a two-mile border with the Francis Marion National Forest and is crisscrossed with unspoiled wetlands and creeks, making it an extremely important habitat for various threatened and endangered species. Located in Berkeley County, but annexed into the City of Charleston, the property is also a reminder of how interconnected our landscapes and communities are in the tri-county area, and how decisions made in one jurisdiction often have far-reaching consequences across the entire region.

In 2014, the City of Charleston approved a Planned Unit Development (PUD) that would allow developers to build as many as 18,000 new homes on the Cainhoy Peninsula. That is roughly the size of the entire Town of Summerville.The proposed plan would require “taking” dozens of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers, which would result in the displacement and likely death of many of them, as well as the filling in of nearly 200-acres of wetlands.

Alongside our partners, the Conservation League has fought this reckless proposal for years. Today, as growth pressures intensify and sea levels rise, the fate of this property is more important than ever. We remain committed to advocating for a more responsible approach to development of the Cainhoy Peninsula that does not require the destruction of wetlands and wildlife or locate thousands of new homes in a vulnerable, flood-prone area.

Check out the The Wild & The Water from the Bitter Southerner to learn more about the Cainhoy Peninsula and the significance of wild spaces.

Transparency on our Waterways

Have you ever been out on or near the water and seen a pipe discharging into your favorite river? These sightings can cause concern and raise questions about what’s happening and whether it is safe. At the statehouse, we are advocating for proposed legislation to help those boating, swimming, and fishing on our rivers find answers in real-time.

Example of an outfall on the Broad River. Credit: Congaree Riverkeeper

House bill 4958 and Senate bill 999 would require certain permitted entities to post a legible sign with basic information, like the entity or company the outfall belongs to and a number to call if something isn’t right. This is a common-sense and low-effort way to increase transparency and empower water users to make informed decisions about where they choose to fish and swim. As this recent editorial from the Post & Courier points out “discharging into our state’s rivers is not a right but a privilege–one that comes with the responsibility to help keep our state clean and safe.”

Hey there! I’m Rachel Hawes, the Conservation League’s Coastal Stewardship and Engagement Manager. Despite a buggy beginning to the season, we’re off to a busy spring of volunteering and being active in the community!

We started this month with a nature walk in Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve with our very own North Coast Project Manager and Certified Wildlife Biologist, Trapper Fowler. Attendees learned all about why Lewis Ocean Bay is a North Coast treasure and its existing threats.

Spring is when we begin to shift our oyster-related volunteer events with the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) from land-based activities like constructing manufactured wire reefs (MWRs) and picking trash out of the oyster shell pines, to water-based activities like installing those MWRs out in our creeks! We started in Beaufort constructing over 30 MWRs, which will be used in SCDNR oyster reef restoration projects later this month and year (see dates below to join us).

We also jetted up the coast to Coastal Carolina University where we co-hosted an all day volunteer event constructing over 30 more MWRs with students and community members in the region. More on that in this Post and Courier article covering the event. We will finish up the month with our last opportunity to pick trash out of SCDNR’s recycled oyster shell piles in Charleston – stay tuned to see if we beat last month’s record of picking up 133 pounds of trash!

Conservation League staff–with Rachel in the middle–at last month’s oyster reef build in Beaufort, SC!

We are gearing up for a busy April–aka Earth Day/week/month! We may be bias, but this is our favorite month here at the Conservation League. See all of our opportunities to get outside, learn about our work, and volunteer below.

Join us!

Rally for the Edisto

Sunday, April 7; 2:00–5:00 PM

Colleton State Park

Join us on Sunday for Rally for the Edisto, an opportunity to come together to express concerns over the impacts that a new mega gas plant in Canadys would have on the surrounding community and the Edisto River, the last undammed “wild” river left in South Carolina, and one of the longest free-flowing blackwater rivers in North America. This will be a fun, outdoor, family-friendly event.

Following the rally, there will be an opportunity to paddle past the site of the Canadys plant.

Please RSVP if you’re able to join us and plan to bring your own kayak or canoe.

Berkeley County Greenbelt Program Public Engagement Sessions

March 27–April 18; 6:00 PM

There are five opportunities to share your ideas on what land should be protected and how to improve access to outdoor recreation.

Calling all Berkeley County residents. Come out and help shape Berkeley County’s brand-new greenbelt program. In November 2022, residents voted to dedicate funding for a new program to protect land and create more public access to Berkeley County’s amazing natural resources, from Cross all the way to Clements Ferry Road. Now it’s time to share your ideas about where and how that greenbelt funding can best be used to create new parks and retain the character of rural communities. Don’t miss this opportunity! Learn more here.

Guided Nature Walk with Lucie Kulze

Friday, April 26; 10:00 AM–12:00 PM

Yemmassee, SC

In coordination with Lowcountry Earth Week, the Coastal Conservation League is excited to partner with Lucie Kulze of Lucie’s Wreaths for a guided nature walk on her family land, Plum Hill, in appreciation of Earth Day. Plum Hill is a private property nestled along the Combahee River in the ACE Basin. On our walk, participants will learn about the indigenous and naturalized plants of this region, what some of their ecological values are and the interesting medicinal, food, and human uses that they have. RSVP here.

Volunteer: Oyster Reef Build with SCDNR and Porter Gaud

Monday, May 6; 12:00 PM

Charleston, SC

Get muddy with us as we volunteer with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources’ Oyster Recycling and Enhancement program (SCDNR SCORE) to restore oyster reefs with Porter Gaud students! Learn more and RSVP here.

Earth Day Around the Town

Kids Who Care Field Day

Tuesday, April 16; 8:30 AM–12:00 PM

Berkeley County

MUSC’s Greenest Day

Wednesday, April 17; 11:00 AM–2:00 PM

Medical University of South Carolina

Lowcountry Earth Week Celebration

Sunday, April 28; 11:00 AM–3:00 PM

Holy City Brewing

For more volunteer opportunities and events outside of the Charleston area, visithttps://www.coastalconservationleague.org/events/