Walterboro Receives Tree City USA Designation

 The Tree Protection Committee of the City of Walterboro set a goal to become a part of the Arbor Day Foundation’s nationwide efforts to celebrate urban forests. Earlier in 2021 the City of Walterboro was recognized as the latest member of the Tree City USA program after meeting the criteria set forth by the Arbor Day Foundation. Since 1976 the program has helped 3,400 communities nationwide to improve the care of city trees, and Walterboro is now the 43rd Tree City USA community in South Carolina.

Signage and banner for Tree City USA Walterboro

Ryan McLeod is the Director of the Parks and Recreation Department for the City of Walterboro. “When I started my job here three years ago, I also began to oversee the Tree Protection Committee,” said McLeod. “A top priority of mine was to qualify for the Tree City USA designation, and there was much support for this on the committee. Current events in the form of the tornado in April of 2020 that ripped through the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Covid-19 pandemic, kind of derailed the planning process for the application, but by the end of winter last year we refocused our efforts.”

            

“I already knew that Walterboro is fortunate to have an urban forest to offset water runoff and to provide natural cooling during the heat of summer,” said McLeod. “But meeting the four core standards of sound urban forestry management was still a challenge of the application process. We met the first three criteria since we had a Tree Protection Board, a Tree Care Ordinance, and a Community Reforestation Program that spends $2 per capita we met the first three criteria. The final detail was celebrating Arbor Day with a proclamation, though we can hold the Arbor Day observance whenever we like. The Rice Festival weekend might make a good choice.”

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Press and Standard.

To view past blog entries about planting trees click on Gamekeepers Magazine

To view past blog entries about urban forestry click on Laurel Oaks 

Vacasa Purchases Atwood Vacations at Edisto

 Vacasa may already be North America’s number one short term rental company, but they are still growing and have added Edisto Beach rentals to their portfolio. As of May 19, 2021 Atwood Vacations on Edisto became Vacasa rentals, though the physical signage won’t be changing on rentals until the end of the year. Choosing where to take a beach vacation can be an exciting time for families, and Vacasa’s repeat customers will now have additional choices where Highway 174 intersects with the Atlantic Ocean. 

Vacasa sponsors 2021Edisto Billfish Tourney

Drew Deeter is the General Manager for the Edisto Vacasa office, and he moved to the Lowcountry from Pennsylvania with his family to take on this job. “It’s hard to share just how excited we are to be in Edisto now with Vacasa rentals,” said Deeter. “It is such a special place and we want to embrace being a part of the community. We hit the ground running in that regard by sponsoring the Edisto Billfish Tourney, donating to the Back to School Jam, and by joining the Edisto Chamber of Commerce.”

            

“Vacasa is based out of Portland, Oregon and has a second HQ in Boise, Idaho,” said Deeter. “Our presence on the coast of South Carolina runs from Isle of Palms to Hilton Head Island. I commute from Charleston for work and the natural beauty of the Lowcountry and Edisto Island is a welcome view each day. We are located in the same building where Atwood Vacations has been, and we have retained much of their staff in an effort to integrate with the property owners that are already in place from years of rental business success.”

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Press and Standard. 

To view past blog entries from Edisto in 2021 click on Gullah Blessing for Hutchinson House - Town Budget - Town Turtle Patrol - Edisto Billfish Tourney 

To view past blog entries from Edisto in 2019 click on ACE Basin Appreciation - Dolphin Slam - Jim Bost Memorial - Sea Turtle Nesting

 To view past blog entries from 2018 at Edisto click on Thirsty Whale Tours - I Love Edisto Auction - Jim Bost Memorial - Dolphin Slam - Coastal Geology - Grits Cook Off

To view past blog entries from 2017 at Edisto click on Holiday Business After Hours - EIOLT Oyster Roast - Billfish Tourney - Bingo - Tomato Open- I Love Edisto Auction - Jim Bost Memorial - Shark Tourney

To view past blog entries from 2016 at Edisto click on Serpentarium - Jim Bost Memorial - Dolphin Slam - Cobia Tourney - Spring Shorebird Synergy - Bovine Bones on Beach - Edisto River book 

O'Quinn Represents Colleton - Fights Fires in Montana

O'Quinn and a charred Montana mountain

The paradigm of changing weather patterns is clear when observing how wet the Eastern United States is, in comparison to how dry and parched it is out West. Wildfires in several Western states have been burning out of control all summer and continue to make the national news broadcasts. Experienced wildland firefighters from the East Coast get called upon to travel West in order to provide the necessary manpower, spending two weeks on the front lines. Colleton County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Scott O’Quinn accepted this call of duty, traveling to Montana from August 6 – 22, joining an eight-man crew from South Carolina. 

“The system works pretty well, and the first step in the process is I have to take my annual leave time off from Colleton Fire,’ said O’Quinn. “The cooperative agreement is with the S.C. Forestry Commission, and not Colleton County. I do take pay during my two-weeks on the fire, but that comes from the U.S. Forest Service and I am listed as a casual hire. I take classes during the year so that if I get called out West during fire season I am good to go.” O’Quinn served his country as a Marine in the past, and he is well-suited for any challenge because of his Can Do attitude. 

A lightning strike is the suspected culprit for the Whitetail Creek Fire in Montana, that eventually spread to 340-acres, where O’Quinn spent his 14-day tour. 

The eight-man crew from S.C.

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Press and Standard. 

To view more from Western Fires click on 2018

2021 Edisto Land Trust - Queen Quet Gullah Blessing for Hutchinson House

Queen Quet at new trail dedication

 The Edisto Island Open Land Trust (EIOLT) continues to steward their historic renovation project at the Hutchinson House on Point of Pines Road. The afternoon of Thursday August 5 EIOLT dedicated a new walking path on that property, and welcomed Queen Quet of the Gullah Geechee Nation to convey her blessings. EIOLT also announced a new grant for $170,000-dollars for the National Park Service for interior work at Hutchinson House. Not even a little rain could dampen the spirits of the crowd of more than 100 that gathered to celebrate this trifecta of good news.

Many stakeholders held the ceremonial ribbon

Queen Quet is the Chieftess of the Gullah Geechee Nation and she contacted Girault about coming to Hutchinson House, and the August 5 date fit perfectly since it was Gullah Appreciation Week. Queen Quet was one of many stakeholders to hold the tape during the ceremonial ribbon-cutting to dedicate the new walking trail. The trail consists of shell sand material and winds around the house, past the pollinator garden, and continues on to the back to the back of the property. Deer tracks in the sandy path speak to the serenity of this place.

            

“E bin a bless up time fa tru!,” said Queen Quet. “Dis ednin we celebratin A Gullah / Geechee Appreciation ‘Pun Edisto. E gwine be a historic ednin fo sho!”  Over 400 people RSVP’d to attend, but rainy weather may have discouraged some from attending. Queen Quet runs a merchandise tent to sell books and clothing that support the Gullah Geechee Nation, and she also made a $500 donation to the Hutchinson House. “Ef hunnuh waan lun mo bout we store, hunnuh gwine hafa git e books fa see! Bring de famlee and jayn we. Tenki Tenki fa supportin’, E gwine be a time.”

Hutchinson House on August 5, 2021

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Press and Standard.

To view a past blog entries about EIOLT click 2018 I Love Edisto Auction - 2018 Coastal Geology Lecture - 2017 Oyster Roast - 2017 Lowcountry Landscape Lecture with Richard Porcher - 2017 I Love Edisto Auction - 2017 Tomato Open - 2016 Oyster Roast - 2014 Oyster Roast - 2014 Spring Birding - 2013 Oyster Roast - 2012 ACE Basin Mtg. - 2009 Spring Birding with Patrick McMillan

2021 Colleton Animal Shelter - Volunteer Appreciation Supper

Jeannette Neal, Laura Clark and Audra Hudson
in front of Volunteer Raffle Table

 The annual Friends of Colleton County Animal Shelter (FoCCAS) Volunteer Dinner and Celebration was held on August 3 at Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church Fellowship Hall. Staff from the Animal Shelter and the FoCCAS leadership were on hand to welcome the volunteers that come to the aid of the animals that are passing through the shelter. This occasion did not single out any one person, rather it was a meal and thank you to all participants, including a large door prize raffle of pet-themed products.

Billie Clark, Linda Lamb and Martha Johnson
at the FoCCAS Welcome Table

FoCCAS volunteers Billie Clark, Linda Lamb and Martha Johnson were at the welcome table providing name tags for everyone in attendance. After a blessing, a catered meal was the first order of business. Farm Little Food Services not only cooked the food, but they donated their efforts as a way to contribute to FoCCAS. Supper included chicken and sausage perlo, greens beans, cheesy shells and bread with a dessert of chocolate cupcakes. Volunteers enjoyed the table decorations from Heather Lynne Designs consisting of a succulent plant with a cat or dog silhouette accent in each one, along with festive dog paw balloons.

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Press and Standard.

Festive Table Decor

To view blog entries from Colleton County click on Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary - Birding Journal Observations

2021 Gamekeepers / Summer - Road Grading and Repair

Caring for Farm Roads is Always Ongoing

 For those that manage secondary roads, whether leading to your front door or your back field, simply saying that it was a wet winter won’t dry up the memory of muddy ruts. When it wasn’t raining, it was cloudy weather for days, and the winter groundwater table kept rising up. The real time frustration kicks in when you realize that you can’t work a road when it is wet, and that the best thing to do is plan to engineer ways to keep future flooding running to a destination of your choosing.

Photos show Shady spots and Culverts

Woods roads can seem fine for years, until a spate of wet weather exposes road work upkeep neglect that can quickly turn into compounding headaches. Rotting, decaying matter from the tree canopy falls on these secondary roads each year, and with ample sunshine from daylighting of roads the debris factor is mitigated when dried out. But this same organic debris forms into the black, greasy layer of soil that gets squishy on top of your road during wet times. You can’t scrape away this layer, and you can’t top it while it is wet, so the best plan is to address the lack of drainage where it is apparent.

For more Info click on Mossy Oak Gamekeepers Magazine.

To view past blog entries from Mossy Oak Gamekeepers Magazine click Winter 2020 - Spring 2020 - Fall 2017- Spring 2016 - Winter 2016 - Fall 2015 - Summer 2015 - Spring 2015 - Winter 2015 - Fall 2014 - Summer 2014 - Spring 2014 - Winter 2013 

Town of Edisto Beach Approves New Operating Budget

In January 2021, The Edisto Beach Town Council held a planning retreat to set the goals and guidelines for Town Services. Town Administrator Iris Hill applied her 12 years of experience preparing the budget, while working with new Assistant Town Administrator Mark Aakhus. The budget for the fiscal year of 2021-2022 was passed unanimously in June 2021 for the total of $8,812,292-dollars. 

Town Hall is having growing pains, and plans 
for a new facility are being considered

The vision statement for the town goals include census tracking, Ditch Maintenance, Infrastructure, Beach Renourishment and Public Works Personnel. “The census tracking goal is a newly identified area that we are going to be keeping a closer eye on in the future,” said Hill. “This pertains to how people vote, and specifically if they are registered to vote in the Town of Edisto Beach. The trend revealed in the last census is that more voters are listing their Edisto property as a secondary address, and as those numbers decrease, then so does the Town’s ability to receive certain government funds.”

“The Town continues to seek local match funds to partner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to protect properties from storm surges by nourishing the beach,” said Hill. “Also, the Town has contracted to have 5000 sea oat plants installed on the new dunes located between Beach Access 1 and 4, and at Beach Access 28. Each planting will be cordoned off and have signage installed. Sea oats provide stabilization and capture wind driven sand that can sustain the dunes. Another spot renourishment program through FEMA will add and additional 10,000 more sea oats.”

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Press and Standard.

To view past stories about Edisto Chamber of Commerce click on 2018 - 2017 - 2016

To view past blog entries from Edisto in 2019 click on ACE Basin Appreciation - Dolphin Slam - Jim Bost Memorial - Sea Turtle Nesting

 To view past blog entries from 2018 at Edisto click on Thirsty Whale Tours - I Love Edisto Auction - Jim Bost Memorial - Dolphin Slam - Coastal Geology - Grits Cook Off

To view past blog entries from 2017 at Edisto click on Holiday Business After Hours - EIOLT Oyster Roast - Billfish Tourney - Bingo - Tomato Open- I Love Edisto Auction - Jim Bost Memorial - Shark Tourney

To view past blog entries from 2016 at Edisto click on Serpentarium - Jim Bost Memorial - Dolphin Slam - Cobia Tourney - Spring Shorebird Synergy - Bovine Bones on Beach - Edisto River book 

2021 Town of Edisto Beach Turtle Patrol

The beaches at Edisto welcome nesting loggerhead sea turtles each year, and must balance that presence with all the residents and tourists that also visit the beach. There are three separate turtle patrols for Edisto, at Botany Bay WMA, the Edisto Beach State Park and the Town of Edisto Beach. Joining the Town of Edisto Beach patrol at dawn on July 26, I found out that they walk each day, and the gentle rain shower that drenched our clothes did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm.

Dawn Patrol can include summer showers

Beginning at the pier, the public Town of Edisto Beach includes all of Palmetto Blvd. and Point Street. Did you know that the Town of Edisto Beach supports the beach patrol by promoting the simple message of lights out at night during turtle season. The protections in place for sea turtles are enforced by federal regulations, SCDNR permitting and daily patrols by volunteers. The Town of Edisto Beach recently replaced all the streetlights along the beach with amber-color turtle friendly lights, using a $50,000-grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Kristi Summers is the SCDNR permit holder for sea turtle nest patrols for the Town of Edisto Beach. “The sea turtle nesting season started slow this year due to cooler temps at the start of May,” said Summers. “Our beach at Edisto is designated as an index beach by SCDNR, one with a long record of data, and so our daily walking commitment each turtle season runs from May 1 through October. This is my second year being the permit holder.” 

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Press and Standard.

To view past blog entries about sea turtles click 2019 Record Nest Total for Kiawah - 2019 Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins- SCDNR Sea Turtle Trawl - TurtleFest at Edisto Beach State Park - Seabrook Turtle Patrol - Leatherback Sighting - World Sea Turtle Day - SC Aquarium Sea Turtle Release 

Shrimp Boat Captain Woody Collins Visits Colleton Museum

Captain Collins and Replica Shrimp Boat

 Captain Woody Collins is retired from the shrimping industry after a lifetime at sea. He has written down his wealth of knowledge and teamed up with publisher Steve Plummer to produce a coffee table book. Where Have All The Shrimp Boats Gone is on sale now at the Colleton Museum for $50 and Capt. Collins came to town at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 24 for a presentation. The Farmers Market going on outside helped draw people’s attention to the book tour talk, and afterward the author signed books for avid readers.

Book Tour Poster

The subtitle of the book is A 100-Year History of the Shrimping Industry in the Lowcountry, but the dozen or so folks in attendance heard shrimping history going back much further. Captain Collins is an animated speaker, and has a strong grasp on the history of shrimping. “I ran five different shrimp boats during my career,” said Captain Collins. “My book tells the story of how the shrimping industry started, and offers my conclusions about how we got to present day.”

“By the way, I asked the Colleton Museum if we could stop here because Walterboro has the best museum of any town around here,” said Capt. Collins. “My book is also for sale at Twigs on Washington Street. It took me six years to write down everything I wanted to say, which was something like 120,000-words. I worked with the publisher to help organize sections of the book with subtitles and to layout the photos. That process took about a year and a half, and I’m probably the least likely guy to write a book.”

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Press and Standard.

To view past book reviews click on Barns, Barbecue and Cotton - Turkey Men - Edisto River - Tall Timbers - Red Knot - Audubon's Aviary - Lefty Kreh - Guy Harvey - Year of the Pig- Shrimp, Collards and Grits - Passion of the Wild - Kayak Fishing - Longleaf Alliance - Old Friends (Barns) - The Narrow Edge - The Sporting Life - Wildlands Philanthropy 

2021 Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary - Future Plans

 

Damage from a fallen tree is now repaired

In the early 2000’s the City of Walterboro began consolidation of tracts of land that became known first as the Great Swamp, totaling 600-acres. Providing paved and boardwalk access to the public came to fruition, but maintaining these facilities provides a challenge. Now renamed the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary, the swamp also includes the Walterboro Wildlife Center educational facility right downtown. Recreational use is bound to increase as the Lowcountry continues to see population growth, and the City of Walterboro is planning now for upgrading access. 

Low water levels on July 7

Jeff Molinari is the Walterboro City Manager, and he shares that as of May 2021 a plan of action for the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary is in place. “At our annual City Council Retreat in May, I asked our staff to develop a funding plan to replace all the boardwalks in the Sanctuary,” said Molinari. “Now that we have completed the Walterboro Wildlife Center project, we can turn our attention back to access issues. The lifespan of the wood on our boardwalks is limited given the wet environment, and this likely won’t be the last time that we have to replace the wood. We do have paved pathways, and earthen trails, but the boardwalk access through wet areas is essential to connect them.”

“The City, Parks and Recreation Department is authorized for continuous repair to the boardwalk as is necessary,” said Molinari. “However, a string of extreme weather events including Hurricane Matthew, a tornado and flooding have left a swath of damage that is too big for a quick fix. We have had an engineer inspect all of the boardwalks and they have endorsed both a short-term repair plan and a long-term repair plan for us to consider. In parts of the Sanctuary, the boardwalk was uprooted from the ground and will require re-engineering. Our work crew can deal with a fallen tree issue readily, but larger issues take more time and resources to work around.”

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Press and Standard.

To view past articles about the Walterboro Wildlife Sanctuary click on Beech Hill Boardwalk - Wet Winter Weather - Heritage Corridor Boardwalk

To view past blog entries about hardwood bottomlands click on Congaree National Park - Hunting Wood Ducks - Hunting Wild Turkey 

To view past blog entries about trees click on Laurel Oak Disease - Dendrochronology