2020 Shell Ring Dig on Pockoy Island Delayed

Fig Island is featured in The Ring People documentary

 The archaeology excavation that was scheduled during the month of May at Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve is now delayed. The dig was scheduled to be open to the public to attend, but social distancing amid the current coronavirus pandemic makes that scenario unwise. Archaeology is the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains. While the study of history is being delayed by the current events making history today, an in-depth documentary video by the South Carolina Humanities Program is now available.

            

Never heard of Pockoy Island? It is more commonly known as the barrier island with the beach frontage at Botany Bay WMA on Edisto Island. Never heard of a shell ring? It’s nothing more than an aggregation of oyster shells that were put in a circular pattern by native Americans that inhabited the Lowcountry. Just what they were up to with this unique design is at the heart the debate which drives this archaeology dig. Never heard of the S.C. Humanities program? Their mission is to increase public understanding of and support for the humanities by telling the human story of the past, and bringing these perspectives to bear on contemporary issues.

Two shell rings were mapped on Pockoy Island in 2017 using a new radar process called Lydar which is able to map elevation changes in areas where visual access is limited due to vegetation growth. Waterfowl enthusiasts recall that Lydar is also being used to identify historic ricefields that are no longer visible from the air. The early native Americans were hunters and gatherers that relied on oysters for food, and then used the shells for other purposes. Anyone that goes for a walk on the beach or shucks open an oyster shell to eat, instantly touches on a shared cultural history with have with the Ring People.

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

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

 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 - Billfish Tourney 

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 - Billfish Tourney  

2020 National Wildlife Week - Ideas to Combat Stress

With the first week of April now in the rearview mirror, the transformation of daily life in the Lowcountry continues. Farmers are busy prepping and planting their fields pretty much on schedule. Golf fans looking to watch every minute of the annual pageantry of The Masters tournament this week are out of luck. For most folks, looking out into your backyard is becoming the new norm, and National Wildlife Week from April 6 – 10 is a great way to participate in social distancing and embrace the outdoors.

            

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) sponsors this week long event for anyone to enjoy, especially by making photos and sharing. Upload your photos on FaceBook at #MyWildlifeChallenge to join the fun and perhaps to win a prize. If you get a particularly pretty picture, anyone can enter their annual wildlife photo contest. NWF offers an online wildlife quiz regarding migratory birds that I find to be filled with good knowledge, especially since it encompasses birds from all across North America. Other topics they cover include everything from gardening tips to creating living shorelines to protect habitat from sea level rise.

Monarch Butterfly Photo By National Wildlife Federation

New for 2020, Kershaw County democratic senator Vincent Sheheen introduced the South Carolina Thirty-By-Thirty Conservation Act. Only about 15-percent of S.C. land is currently protected by state ownership, or by land trusts and other conservation tools. The new bill sets a goal of raising that stake to 30-percent of S.C. lands by the year 2030, and is currently pending in the Senate Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee. 

Also new for 2020, Georgetown County republican senator Stephen Goldfinch introduced the S.C. Resiliency Revolving Fund Act to address the problem of repeat flooding events in low-lying areas. This bill would create funds to purchase flood-prone properties from homeowners willing to relocate, thus ending the cycle. This bill will dovetail with the concept of disaster relief assistance, hazard mitigation and infrastructure improvements that already has the support of senate Ways and Means Chairman Murrell Smith of Sumter County.

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past Field Notes and Photos click on March 2020 - June 2019 - July 2018 - February 2018 -  December 2017 - September 2017 - January 2017- December 2016 - June 2016 - February 2016- December 2015 - October 2015 - September 2015 - August 2015 - July 2015 - June 2015 - February 2105 - October 2014 -  September 2014 - August 2014 - June 2014 - March 2012 - February 2012 - October 2011 - September 2011 

Sailing Yacht EOS - Built by Lurssen

EOS sailing yacht in Charleston Harbor on April 5

The triple-masted sailing yacht EOS turned lots of heads as it entered Charleston Harbor the first week of April 2020. EOS was built by Lurssen in Bremen and launched in 2006. She has an aluminum hull and aluminum superstructure with a beam of 13.5-meters and a draft of 5.5-meters. Total length is 304-feet 11-inches, and this yacht can also cruise at 14-knots and can accommodate 16 guests.
For video of EOS try YouTube.

To view past blog entries about classic wooden boats click Windy - Grace - Aphrodite - Osprey - Annalee - Hinckley

To view past blog entries on Tall Ships click on Spirit of Carolina - 2009 Charleston Harborfest

Social Distancing and the Outdoors

Conehead Katydid encountered on March 27

An unprecedented number of closures to public recreation properties is currently in place, with more changes coming almost daily due to the coronavirus pandemic. On March 28 SCDNR closed access to two popular sites in the Lowcountry and the upstate when they closed the beach at Botany Bay WMA, and the observation platform at Sassafras Mountain. Other closures encompass county parks, state parks and more, but longtime outdoor enthusiasts already know how to navigate such scenarios. Gardening, birdwatching and fixing fences are solitary endeavors, not to mention spring turkey hunting and pond fishing.

            

To many sportsmen the spring turkey hunting season in South Carolina is the pinnacle of the outdoors calendar. Did you know that all the SCDNR public access turkey draw hunts for 2020 have been canceled? However, those hunting on private lands are continuing as normal, especially since hunt parties usually consist of only one or two people. It’s probably a good thing that the old standard of taking a harvested turkey to a check station is long gone, or else that may have been a hindrance to private land hunters. Wild turkeys possess keen senses and are unusually adept at detecting disturbance in the woodlands, making the veteran turkey hunter a bellweather when it comes to social distancing practices. To read a sporting tale from the turkey woods click on 2009 Opening Day Hunt Drama. 

Spring time is the equivalent to the World Series of Birding Observations! Since we have no organized sports in the time of social distancing, there is no better time to start playing the game of bird watching. Scoring a home run observation of a scarlet tanager or a rose-breasted grosbeak is a lofty goal during spring migration. However, putting together enough regular sightings of ruby-throated hummingbirds, painted buntings, and orchard orioles is more than enough to feel like a winner. Keeping some bird seed in a feeder, and water in a bird bath, will help to bring all yard birds into view for a rewarding encounter. To read more about birding right now click on Spring 2020.

            

Keep an eye out for natural beauty and critter reproduction in spring too. Flowers, insects and more emerge in Spring, and often reveal themselves early in the morning or late in the evening. Just this week, I observed four juvenile squirrels emerging from a small crevice in an otherwise ordinary looking hardwood tree. They only emerge from the nest hole briefly and are timid in nature thus far, but their instinct of playfulness is sure to set them free very soon. Butterflies, moths and other insects seem to appear from nowhere to signal that the season cycle holds deep meaning for their species. Reptiles like snakes and turtles can show up in unexpected places in spring, as the rays of summer continues to warm the land.

            

Saltwater and freshwater fishing are both acceptable outlets during this time of social distancing. Experienced anglers already know that some of the best fishing memories can be recorded while solo, or simply with a single fishing buddy. Keeping a few fish for the kitchen table is acceptable, but the practice of catch and release helps to keep fish stocks sustainable. In general, recreational outdoor activities are sustainable, and the coronavirus pandemic is placing a microscope on the fact that many are taking comfort from time spent outdoors.

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past Field Notes and Photos click on March 2020 - June 2019 - July 2018 - February 2018 -  December 2017 - September 2017 - January 2017- December 2016 - June 2016 - February 2016- December 2015 - October 2015 - September 2015 - August 2015 - July 2015 - June 2015 - February 2105 - October 2014 -  September 2014 - August 2014 - June 2014 - March 2012 - February 2012 - October 2011 - September 2011 

Field Notes and Photos - March 2020

Four baby squirrels seen on March 31

My Field Notes and Photos observations used to publish in a newspaper, but a lack of demand for my nature photography led to diminished newsprint space. Now when I have a fresh batch of observations I share them via Lowcountry Outdoors.

Here's a look at the TWO nesting hollows

I write each year that Spring is an important time to simply be watchful for what may emerge as warming trends in nature inspires flowers to bloom, insects to thrive and for critters to reproduce. Especially in this time of social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is especially heartening for me to see so many taking time to appreciate the outdoors. I recently have been thinking back to many years ago when I witnessed baby flying squirrels coming out of a nesting tree hollow in a woodland swamp, which unfortunately was before my instinct to document such a unique encounter with photos. Then by chance this year, I stumbled across a grey squirrel nesting tree, in a public area. The tree has two hollows and not all of the young squirrels emerge at the same time from each location, so it took me several days of patiently waiting for the photo of all four heads lined up in only one nesting hollow. I am thankful for the powers of observation, keen eyesight, and veteran wildlife watching radar that revealed this batch of squirrels for me to share with you, when many other folks walk right by this hardwood tree, unaware of nature's bounty.

To view past Field Notes and Photos click on June 2019 - July 2018 - February 2018 -  December 2017 - September 2017 - January 2017- December 2016 - June 2016 - February 2016- December 2015 - October 2015 - September 2015 - August 2015 - July 2015 - June 2015 - February 2105 - October 2014 -  September 2014 - August 2014 - June 2014 - March 2012 - February 2012 - October 2011 - September 2011     

2019 Wood Duck Banding Surges in S.C.

SCDNR waterfowl biologist Molly Kneece

As wet conditions persist into Spring, it creates more habitat wood ducks can utilize during their breeding season. In fact, the longer wet conditions persist the better chance they have for an extended reproduction timeline. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources increased efforts to band wood ducks in 2019 and was recognized on March 13 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their efforts. Wood duck conservation efforts are increasing across several platforms, focusing on the sustainability of this waterfowl species, and that is good news.

            

SCDNR waterfowl biologist Molly Kneece is helping to coordinate these wood duck banding efforts of 50-plus staff members in Anderson, York, Fairfield, Marian, Lexington, Charleston, Berkeley and Hampton counties. Kneece earned a forestry degree from Clemson before becoming an intern at the Nemours Wildlife Foundation, which influenced her to pursue a degree in wildlife management from Mississippi State. While in Mississippi she studied under Dr. Richard Kaminski, who now resides in S.C. and heads up the new Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands program, which is undertaking a long-term study into wood duck life history.

            

“We ramped up our banding efforts during the summer of 2019, tagging 842-wood ducks,” said Kneece. “The threshold for special recognition from the USFWS is set at 800, and I can’t stress enough that it takes a team effort to band this many wood ducks. First we received training from USFWS rep John Stanton regarding the use of rocket-propelled nets, and then we focused on determination of the age and the sex of each wood duck banded. We utilized public-managed wetlands for this banding effort, but we also partnered with S.C. game wardens to access private wetlands too, and we did not limit our range to the coastal plain.”

To read the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries on wood duck boxes click on 2020 -  2016 - 2015 - 2014 

To view past blog entries about hunting wood ducks click 2015 - 2014 - 2013 - 2012 - 2011 - 2010 - 2009 

To view past game recipes click  Wood Duck Soup 

2020 Lowcountry Landowner Association Meeting

Senator Chip Campsen speaks with Tim Adams looking on

The Lowcountry Landowner Association held its third anniversary membership meeting in Ridgeland on Thursday, March 12. The inaugural meeting was held in 2018 in Colleton County, and the membership focus area includes Colleton, Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton countries. The ‘Timber Talk’ meeting agenda speakers comprised of forestry professionals and private landowners, followed by a Question and Answer segment. The facility at Palmetto Electric Cooperative was full of Lowcountry landowners trying to assess the path forward for tree farming for the next decade.

The first speaker was Tim Adams, the Development Division Director with the S.C. Forestry Commission, and co-author of the Wave of Wood brochure. A slideshow of data and statistics graphs helps to convey his message, with the ‘wave of wood’ representing an abundance of any particular forest product. “There is a glut of sawtimber in South Carolina now, but that will slowly shift back to pulpwood stocks, as final harvest cuts are made on the larger trees,” said Adams. 

2020 Spring Meeting Agenda

Colleton County resident Tracy Burttram has 21-years experience as the procurement manager for the Elliott Sawmilling Company in Estill. “After a long run of being locally owned by the Elliott Brothers, the mill was recently purchased by Canfor Corporation based in Vancouver, British Columbia,” said Burttram. “Canfor has bought sawmills in six Southeastern states, expanding their integrated forest products capacity. Our mill purchases 750 truckloads of logs each week, and besides cutting boards that volume also generates about 400 loads of residuals like woodchips that we can sell. We have a comfort zone of about 40-miles for timber deliveries, and longer hauling distances can negatively affect stumpage prices for landowners.”

To view the feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries about landowner meetings click on 2019 Lowcountry Landowners -  2018 Lowcountry Landowner Association - 2016 Kershaw County Landowners - 2011 Tri-County Forestry Association - ACE Basin - S.C. Prescribed Fire Council - Savannah River Preserve - Herbicide - Mayfield Garden Club - 2010 S.C. Tree Farm Volunteer of the Year - 2009 Forest Landowners Association

To view past blog entries about controlled burning click on 2015 Prescribed Fire Council Meeting - 2015 Prescribed Fire - Plowing Firebreaks - 2014 Dry Weather Fire Threat - SCDNR Prescribed Fire - 2013 Prescribed Fire - 2012 Prescribed Fire - 2009 Wildfire - 2009 Prescribed Fire Council