Kiawah Conservancy

Kiawah Conservancy 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.

🌊 Living shoreline update from the Kiawah River!Volunteers and community partners recently completed the third installat...
06/03/2026

🌊 Living shoreline update from the Kiawah River!

Volunteers and community partners recently completed the third installation of manufactured wire reefs (MWR), deploying 160 MWRs to help restore and strengthen our coastal ecosystem.

These reefs create critical habitat for nearly 130 species, while oysters naturally filter up to 50 gallons of water per day that improve water quality across the river system.

As oysters attach to the structures, they help stabilize the shoreline, support marsh regrowth, and reduce erosion…bringing us closer to a healthier, more resilient coastline.

Thank you to our partners at SCDNR, the Town of Kiawah Island, and the Sustainability Institute for their support in making this work possible.

We’re now one step closer to our goal of 800 deployed reefs! 💙

Every spring and summer, our beaches and shorelines become more than places to visit — they become critical habitat for ...
06/02/2026

Every spring and summer, our beaches and shorelines become more than places to visit — they become critical habitat for migratory and nesting shorebirds.

From March through September, species like the American oystercatcher, Wilson’s plover, and least tern depend on our coastlines to rest, forage, and raise their young.

Some birds travel thousands of miles during migration and rely on our beaches to refuel by feeding on small marine life along the shoreline. Others create shallow nests directly in the sand, making them especially vulnerable to disturbance from people, pets, and vehicles.

During shorebird nesting season, you can help protect these incredible species by:
🐕 Keeping dogs leashed & away from nesting areas.

🚶 Giving birds plenty of space while feeding or resting.

📸 Observing quietly from a distance.

🚩 Respecting posted nesting areas & symbolic fencing.

🪶 Avoiding sudden movements that may flush resting birds

If birds repeatedly call, circle overhead, limp, or appear distressed, you may be too close to a nest or chicks.

If you find an injured bird or notice a disturbed nest, please contact:
📧Town of Kiawah Island's Shorebird Stewards: [email protected]
📧 Town of Seabrook Island's Shorebird Stewards: [email protected]
📞Center for Birds of Prey: (843) 971-7474

Every safe shoreline helps protect these remarkable birds during one of the most important times of year. 💙

To learn more about our various migratory shorebird species, check out this link: https://ow.ly/XM4q50Z6jNC

Have you spotted a painted bunting this spring? Often called North America’s most colorful songbird, male painted buntin...
06/02/2026

Have you spotted a painted bunting this spring?

Often called North America’s most colorful songbird, male painted buntings are easy to recognize with their brilliant blue heads, red bellies, and green backs. Females, however, wear a soft green plumage that helps them blend into dense vegetation while nesting.

These migratory birds travel hundreds of miles each year and rely on coastal habitats like our Sea Islands for breeding and nesting. Their nests are typically built low to the ground in dense shrubs, thickets, and brushy edges, making healthy native habitat essential to their success.

Want to attract painted buntings to your yard? They’re especially fond of white millet seed and benefit from landscapes that include native shrubs and protective cover.

By protecting and restoring habitat across our Sea Islands, we help ensure these remarkable birds continue to find safe places to nest, feed, and raise the next generation.

Have you seen a painted bunting recently? Share your photos in the comments!

📸: Female painted bunting - Doreen Chapman | Male painted bunting - Adam Wolf

Thank you for showing up for our Sea Islands during !Because of your support, Conservancy of the Sea Islands can contin...
06/01/2026

Thank you for showing up for our Sea Islands during !

Because of your support, Conservancy of the Sea Islands can continue protecting marshes, wildlife habitat, clean water, and the natural beauty that makes this place feel like home.

Every gift, every share, every volunteer hour, and every word of support helps care for the places we all love.

We’re grateful to be part of a community that believes our Sea Islands are worth protecting—now and for future generations. Thank you for being part of this work!

Today is the final day of .If you care about the future of our Sea Islands, now is the time to act.Your support helps p...
05/31/2026

Today is the final day of .

If you care about the future of our Sea Islands, now is the time to act.

Your support helps protect marshes, wildlife habitat, clean water, and the natural beauty of the places we all love. It helps ensure future generations can experience and enjoy these landscapes too.

This work only happens because of people like you who choose to support it.

Make your gift today and help protect our Sea Islands.

https://ow.ly/LvYE50Z4pOB

Last Friday (05/22), Lee Bundrick, our Senior Ecological Health and Conservation Coordinator, and Autum Blanchard, our R...
05/28/2026

Last Friday (05/22), Lee Bundrick, our Senior Ecological Health and Conservation Coordinator, and Autum Blanchard, our Research & Engagement Specialist, welcomed the Seabrook Island Birders to the Gathering Ground for a morning of shared discovery in the landscape that will one day become a community space for connection, learning, and exploration.

As we walked the property together, conversations moved easily between birds, native plants, habitat, and stewardship. Along the way, participants observed hawthorn and buckeye, discussed the challenges invasive Elaeagnus presents to local ecosystems, and spotted an incredible variety of birdlife — including a red-tailed hawk carrying its breakfast and tending a nest with chicks, summer tanagers, great crested flycatchers, Mississippi kites, downy woodpeckers, and many more.

Moments like these reflect the future vision for the Gathering Ground: a place where people can experience the natural beauty of our Sea Islands while learning alongside one another. When the property opens to the public in late 2027, opportunities for leisure, education, birding, guided walks, and community programming will help connect even more people to the landscapes that make this region so special.

We’re grateful to the Seabrook Island Birders for spending the morning with us and for sharing their enthusiasm, observations, and appreciation for the natural world.

As our Sea Islands residents know, sea turtle nesting season runs from May through October along the SC coast, and our b...
05/27/2026

As our Sea Islands residents know, sea turtle nesting season runs from May through October along the SC coast, and our beaches play an important role in protecting these threatened species. The loggerhead sea turtle is the most common nester in our region, though green sea turtles and Kemp’s ridleys are occasionally seen as well.

As nesting season continues, small actions from all of us can make a big difference:
🌙 Turn off beachfront lights at night
🚮 Leave the beach clean & clear
🐕 Keep pets leashed and away from marked nests
📸No lights on the beach after dusk - including flashlights & phones

If you see an injured turtle, a nesting turtle in distress, disoriented hatchlings, or unusual activity around a nest, please contact:
📞 Town of Kiawah Island: (843) 518-2880
📞Town of Seabrook Island: (843) 310-4280

Together, we can help ensure these incredible animals continue returning to our shores for generations to come.

📸: Sylvia Bacon

We’re nearing the end of , and we still need your help to reach our campaign goal.Every dollar raised helps protect the...
05/27/2026

We’re nearing the end of , and we still need your help to reach our campaign goal.

Every dollar raised helps protect the marshes, wildlife habitat, clean water, and natural landscapes that define our Sea Islands — not just for today, but for future generations.

This work is only possible because of people who care deeply about this place and choose to invest in its future.

If you’ve been considering making a gift, this is the moment.
Help us reach $100,000 and protect the places we all love.

https://ow.ly/zEoz50Z4owH

Most people think a fawn alone has been abandoned.Usually, the opposite is true. Mother deer often leave their fawns hid...
05/26/2026

Most people think a fawn alone has been abandoned.
Usually, the opposite is true.

Mother deer often leave their fawns hidden while they feed nearby. It’s one of the ways they help protect them from predators.

The fawn’s job is to stay quiet, still, and hidden until mom comes back.

If you find one curled up alone:
Leave it where it is
Keep pets away
Give the area space

The best way to help is usually not to interfere.

📸: Pamela Cohen

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

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