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Conservancy of the Sea Islands

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Kiawah Island, SC
Conservancy of the Sea Islands

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www.conservancyoftheseaislands.org

We strengthen the ecological health of the land, water, and wildlife of Johns, Kiawah, and Seabrook Islands through preservation, research, restoration, education, and advocacy.

11/09/2026

Our recent sweetgrass distribution in Mount Pleasant supplied nearly 40 Gullah Geechee sweetgrass artisans with a native plant that has been deeply rooted in the people, culture, and traditions of our Sea Islands for generations.

Almost 70 bundles of sweetgrass were distributed, harvested, and dried from more than 1,000 plants grown at a local farm on Johns Island. Throughout the process, our team worked to identify the right texture, consistency, and variety of sweetgrass to ensure the material was suitable for artisans to sew into their beautiful creations.

It is always an honor to connect with our Sea Islands community through conservation efforts that help preserve cultural heritage and help carry traditions forward for generations to come.

11/04/2026

We had so much fun during our very first Junior Explorers: Orienteering 101 program at The Gathering Ground! The adventure was led by our very own Research Intern, Lily Addicott, a three-time Orienteering USA Junior Nationals Champion.

Our Junior Explorers put their navigation skills to the test while exploring this emerging nature preserve, set to open next year! Along the way, they interacted with nature and learned about the wildlife that calls our Sea Islands home.

By reading maps and navigating through the landscape, this hands-on adventure was a great way to introduce our young explorers to a new sport while connecting them with the natural world around them!

Thank you to all the families who joined us for this exciting adventure!

11/02/2026

Fallen trees, ghostly gray Spanish moss, creepy-crawly caterpillars, and strangely shaped trees may look like scenes from a Halloween movie, but they're all part of the natural beauty of our coastal ecosystems.

What may seem eerie or unusual often plays an important role in nature. Fallen trees provide habitat for wildlife and contribute to nutrient cycling as they decompose, while Spanish moss offers shelter for small creatures. Even the most unusual-looking trees tell a story of adaptation and survival.

What might seem spooky is often just another fascinating part of what makes our Sea Islands so special.

10/29/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us throughout Native Plant Week to learn, explore, and discover the important role native plants play in our coastal ecosystems! 🌿

During this year's Native Plant Week, Conservancy of the Sea Islands brought community members together to explore the connections between native plants and local wildlife through educational presentations, guided walks, a wildflower tour, and a documentary screening.

Throughout the week, we discovered just how closely native plants, insects, and birds depend on one another.

One fascinating takeaway? A single brood of chickadees may need to consume 6,000 to 9,000 caterpillars before leaving the nest! With North America having lost nearly three billion breeding birds since 1970, understanding the food sources these birds depend on is especially important.

While Native Plant Week may be over, the connections we explored are all around us. Planting native flowers, trees, and shrubs, leaving some fallen leaves in place, and reducing unnecessary pesticide use are simple ways to support pollinators, songbirds, and other wildlife.

10/26/2026

Did you know South Carolina is home to 15 species of bats?

From evening bats to Brazilian free-tailed bats, these nighttime neighbors play an important role in keeping our Lowcountry ecosystems healthy by feeding on mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and other insects.

But what happens when the night isn't so dark anymore? 🌙

Artificial lighting can disrupt bats' natural behaviors, affecting how they feed, travel, and find shelter. The good news? Helping bats can be as simple as flipping a switch!

💡 Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights, use motion sensors, and direct lighting downward to help protect bats and other nocturnal wildlife.

In celebration of Bat Week (October 24–31), we're shining a light on these often-misunderstood mammals and the important role they play in our coastal ecosystems!

Learn more about bat conservation through the South Carolina Bat Working Group: https://southcarolinabatworkinggroup.org/

10/22/2026

Calling all Junior Explorers…

Think you can find your way through nature with just a map and compass? Join us for a fun, hands-on introduction to orienteering, an outdoor adventure that combines map reading, navigation, and exploration.

Our Research Intern and National Orienteering Champion, Lily Addicott, will teach our Junior Explorers how to find their way through The Gathering Ground, our new nature preserve along Betsy Kerrison Parkway.

No experience is needed. This beginner-friendly activity is open to young adventurers ages 7 and up.

🌿 Space is limited to 30 participants, so be sure to register soon!

Sign up here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/kiawahconservancy/event/orienteering101/

10/21/2026

Our Native Plant Week spotlight continues with Baptisia alba, also known as white wild indigo!

With tall spikes of white flowers that bloom in spring, this native plant is a favorite among bees and other pollinators looking for nectar and pollen. Certain butterfly and moth caterpillars also feed on its leaves, making white wild indigo an important part of their life cycle.

Even below the surface, this plant is hard at work. Its roots team up with naturally occurring bacteria in the soil to turn nitrogen from the air into a form plants can use to grow.

As you can see, white wild indigo has plenty to offer our Sea Islands' ecosystems.

10/19/2026

It's Native Plant Week, and we're celebrating some of the plants that make our Sea Islands so special!

Meet seaside goldenrod! This bright yellow native brings a pop of color to our coastal landscapes well into fall, providing an important food source for pollinators when other flowers begin to fade.

And here's something you might not know: goldenrod often gets blamed for fall allergies, but ragweed is usually the real culprit! Unlike goldenrod's showy yellow flowers, ragweed has small, greenish blooms that release pollen into the wind.

Beyond its beauty, seaside goldenrod provides nectar and pollen for bees and butterflies, seeds for birds, and food for certain caterpillars.

It's a little coastal sunshine that goes a long way for wildlife! ☀️

10/13/2026

Those holes in your leaves? They could be a sign your garden is doing its job! 🌿🐛

As part of Native Plant Week, join Sharleen Johnson, founder of Native Plants to the People, for an engaging look at the important connections between caterpillars, native plants, and healthy ecosystems.

Discover which native plants support the greatest variety of caterpillars, why songbirds depend on them to feed their young, and how these often-overlooked insects play a vital role in supporting butterflies, moths, and other wildlife.

This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required!

Sign up here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/kiawahconservancy/event/nativeplantweek2026/

10/12/2026

More than 400 million metric tons of plastic are produced worldwide each year, threatening coastal ecosystems and the wildlife that depend on them.

Since 2019, the annual Michael and Pam Wilson Plastic-Free Waters Sweeps have removed 18,080 pieces of debris from roadsides, marshes, beaches, and developed areas. Combined cleanup efforts across the island have documented an incredible 135,408 pieces of litter in the South Carolina Aquarium’s digital Litter Journal!

🚬 Cigarette butts + filters, plastic food wrappers + film, and paper + cardboard account for 44% of all documented litter.

But collecting debris is only part of the solution. By identifying litter hot spots and tracking the most common items, we can better understand where pollution originates and how to prevent it.

🎥 Take a look back at this year's sweep to see what we found and what the data reveals about plastic pollution on our Sea Islands!

Address

80 Kestrel Court
Kiawah Island, SC
29455

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm

Website

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/kiawahconservancy/

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