2023 Botany Bay WMA - Volunteer Appreciation Supper

Volunteers on March 16

Soggy conditions due to heavy rains had Botany Bay Road closed for construction work several days at the end of February. SCDOT took great efforts to dig out the drainage ditches on both sides of the dirt road, before grading it to drain better. The fact that parts of the road leading to Botany Bay WMA never receive sunlight due to the live oak tree canopy makes it a challenge to maintain. The annual volunteer appreciate dinner at Botany Bay WMA was scheduled for March 10, but was postponed to March 16 due to rain and road conditions. With daylight savings newly in place, the volunteers enjoyed food from the grill, and a raffle as a reward for a job well done over the past year.

Volunteers Enjoying Supper

            

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources manages the Botany Bay Wildlife Management Area, and manager Aaron Ward lives on the property, and cooked chicken and BBQ on the grill. Bess Kellett has been the SCDNR volunteer coordinator at Botany Bay since 2008, and she coordinates each volunteer to a corresponding duty such as working at the education kiosk at  the beach trail, in order to educate visitors about what they might encounter, and about not keeping any sea shells that are precious to the beach. Kellett keeps track of visitor numbers and reports 87,500-visitors in 2022 and 105,000-visitors in 2021, and that the driving tour is the most popular option.

            

Some volunteers prefer a hands-on role, and Botany Bay is closed to the public on Tuesdays, and this is affectionately known as Grunt Work day. Volunteers might have to clear a path by hand, or perform tasks that enable others to enjoy the property when they visit. In Spring, each of the 92 blue bird boxes at Botany Bay WMA will receive maintenance to be cleaned out and ready for nesting, as well as nest monitoring to record nesting success. Some volunteers participate in turtle patrol, or all day bird counts at different times of the year, while some are simply known to Bess as people she can count on if she has an immediate need to fill.

            

“We had over 70 folks come to our dinner at 5:30 on a Thursday afternoon, and we had fabulous weather for a cookout,” said Kellett. “Without our volunteers, we simply could not keep Botany Bay WMA in the best possible state of management that benefits both wildlife and visitors. My volunteers monitor our 30 wood duck boxes each Spring, and have to brave the bugs when in the field, and I am so thankful for them and for all my volunteers.” The dogwoods and azaleas on site were in full bloom during the volunteer appreciation day, and dazzling flowers are just one example of the natural beauty found at Botany Bay WMA. 

To view past blog entries from Edisto in 2023 click on Horseshoe Crab Awareness - Deer Herd Management - 2025 Beach Renourishment - Botany Bay Volunteer Supper - Christmas Bird Count

To view past blog entries from Edisto in 2022 click  #WhoYouWhit Benefit - Land Trust Oyster Roast - Edisto Belles Beach Walk - Edisto Billfish Tourney - I Love Edisto Auction - Botany Bay WMA Birding - Edisto Dolphin Slam 

To view past blog entries from Edisto in 2023 click  #WhoYouWhit Benefit- Edisto Water Sports Redfish Tourney - Edisto Beach Sweep - Manatee Sightings- Edisto River Sweep - CCA Barge Sunk off Edisto - Belles Beach Walk - Vacasa Purchases Atwood-  Gullah Blessing for Hutchinson House - Town Budget - Town Turtle Patrol - Edisto Billfish Tourney