Conservancy of the Sea Islands

Conservancy of the Sea Islands 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.

Happy hour + local conservation + good neighbors? Count us in! Join Conservancy of the Sea Islands for a special Communi...
09/06/2026

Happy hour + local conservation + good neighbors? Count us in!

Join Conservancy of the Sea Islands for a special Community and Conservation Happy Hour at Estuary Beans & Barley on Johns Island!

We’re teaming up with Charleston City Councilman Jim McBride for a relaxed evening where you can:
- Connect with neighbors
- Learn how we’re protecting Johns, Kiawah & Seabrook Islands
- Hear about recent conservation wins for local habitats and wildlife
- Discover simple, meaningful ways YOU can help protect the places we all love

Come grab a drink, meet the Conservancy team and Councilman McBride, and enjoy a conversation about the future of our Sea Islands.

Space is limited, and registration is required.
Your registration includes one beverage of your choice — beer, wine, coffee, or soda.
👉Reserve your spot today: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/kiawahconservancy/event/communityandconservationsept2026/

Help us welcome Daegan Grathwohl, our new Restoration and Enhancement Field Assistant! Originally from Oklahoma, Daegan ...
09/03/2026

Help us welcome Daegan Grathwohl, our new Restoration and Enhancement Field Assistant!
Originally from Oklahoma, Daegan brings a background in biology and history and a passion for conservation that began while working at a zoo in his home state. Along the way, Daegan developed a fascination with insects and an impressive knowledge of the tiny creatures that play an important role in our ecosystems.

In this role, Daegan will be getting hands-on with conservation across our Sea Islands from habitat restoration and land stewardship to volunteer projects, trail maintenance, oyster shell collection and sweetgrass bundling.

Since living here, Daegan says he’s especially enjoyed discovering the diversity of wildlife, plants and landscapes that make this area so unique.

We’re excited to have Daegan on our team and can’t wait to see the impact he’ll make helping our Sea Islands thrive. Welcome, Daegan!

As one of the Lowcountry’s most culturally significant native plants, there’s a lot more to sweetgrass than meets the ey...
09/02/2026

As one of the Lowcountry’s most culturally significant native plants, there’s a lot more to sweetgrass than meets the eye—and there’s no better way to learn about it than through hands-on experience.

Tomorrow is the final opportunity to join us for a sweetgrass harvest this year. From 8 to 10 AM, volunteers will work alongside Conservancy staff at the Johns Island farm to learn about sweetgrass, how we harvest it, and its deep connection to Gullah Geechee culture and traditions.

No experience is needed, and all tools and materials will be provided. Come spend the morning outdoors, lend a hand, and help us close out the 2026 sweetgrass harvest season.

Sign up using the link in our bio under Volunteer Opportunities.

08/31/2026

What exactly is a wetland?

Wetlands form where water regularly saturates the soil, creating a distinct ecosystem for plants and wildlife by occupying an important transitional zone between land and water. Our Sea Islands are full of swamps, marshes, and other types of wetlands that naturally cycle between filling with water and drying out. They may hold water for just a few weeks or even several years.

While wetlands have historically been drained for farming and development, these habitats are incredibly important for biodiversity. Their changing water levels create unique conditions where amphibians can breed with fewer predatory fish and aquatic species around.

Wet or dry, these habitats are an essential part of our Sea Islands’ ecosystems. Watch this week's nature connection video to see some of our very own.

We’re excited to announce the completion of our marsh restoration project at the Kiawah River Bridge!Over five months, 8...
08/28/2026

We’re excited to announce the completion of our marsh restoration project at the Kiawah River Bridge!

Over five months, 800 manufactured wire reefs were constructed and installed along more than 2,000 linear feet of the Kiawah River to support oyster growth, reduce shoreline erosion, and strengthen our local marsh ecosystem.

Funded by the Town of Kiawah Island, this project was made possible with support from SCDNR’s SCORE program, The Sustainability Institute, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, our staff, and 228 incredible volunteers.

As one of the largest restoration projects of its kind in South Carolina, this milestone shows what we can accomplish together for the future of our Sea Islands.

Have you spotted storm damage on a Conservancy of the Sea Islands preserved property? Recent storms have brought heavy r...
08/25/2026

Have you spotted storm damage on a Conservancy of the Sea Islands preserved property?

Recent storms have brought heavy rain and winds across our Sea Islands. If you notice a fallen tree, storm debris, damaged vegetation, or other visible storm damage on a Conservancy property, please let us know!

Our team appreciates your help keeping an eye on the lands we work to protect so we can keep our properties maintained and safe.

08/24/2026

Captain Sams Spit is alive with movement! Jellies drift with the tides, fiddler crabs scurry across the mudflats, and brown pelicans soar through the blue skies, while sharks and dolphins move through the surrounding waters.

Protecting Captain Sams Spit means protecting more than a beautiful piece of land. It means keeping an entire coastal ecosystem intact and preserving increasingly rare habitat for the wildlife that depends on it.

Watch this week’s Nature Connections for a glimpse at the wildlife that calls the Spit home.

SPOTTED: Deer are already checking out the freshly restored habitat along Eugenia Avenue! 🦌🌿Just a few weeks ago, volunt...
08/21/2026

SPOTTED: Deer are already checking out the freshly restored habitat along Eugenia Avenue! 🦌🌿

Just a few weeks ago, volunteers planted more than 200 native grasses, 70 palms, and 35 beautyberry shrubs as part of our Oceanwoods habitat restoration project, and local wildlife is already stopping by!

These new micro-forest corridors provide important food, cover, and habitat for wildlife moving through developed areas.

We hope to see even more of our coastal wildlife making use of their new habitat!

Known for its fuzzy body and unmistakable pink and yellow coloring, this colorful species can be spotted throughout our ...
08/19/2026

Known for its fuzzy body and unmistakable pink and yellow coloring, this colorful species can be spotted throughout our Sea Islands in maritime forests, parks, and even your backyard!

Its colors closely resemble maple samaras, the winged fruit you may know as “helicopter seeds.”

Rosy maple moths rely on native red maples (Acer rubrum) as an important host plant. Females lay their eggs on maple leaves, giving newly hatched caterpillars immediate access to a reliable food source.

As caterpillars, they look completely different, with green bodies, black and white stripes, and two black “horns.” They feed on maple and other hardwood leaves before transforming into adults.

Here’s the surprising part: adult rosy maple moths don’t have functional mouths! Instead, they live off energy stored during their caterpillar stage and survive for only about two to nine days.

Here in our Sea Islands, we’re lucky to see two broods each year, giving us more chances to spot these tiny silk moths during spring and summer.

Have you ever spotted one?

08/17/2026

We’re one step closer to protecting Captain Sams Spit forever!

With state funding now approved for the purchase of Captain Sams Spit, the 2026 settlement agreement is moving closer to completion—and with it, the permanent protection of one of the most ecologically significant undeveloped coastal habitats on the Eastern Seaboard.

Protecting Captain Sams Spit is about more than preventing development. It’s about allowing a rare coastal ecosystem to remain wild, dynamic, and whole. The Spit’s beaches, dunes, marshes, and tidal areas provide connected habitat for nesting sea turtles, shorebirds, bobcats, and other wildlife.

Under the settlement agreement, Conservancy of the Sea Islands will hold the conservation easement on Captain Sams Spit, ensuring these protections remain in place forever.

By protecting Captain Sams Spit, we not only preserve its wildlife and habitat, but one of the last truly wild places along our coast.

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80 Kestrel Court
Kiawah Island, SC
29455

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

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