october 2005 south carolina audubon newsletter

8/9/2019 OCTOBER 2005 South Carolina Audubon Newsletter

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STATE NEWSLETTER: SEPTEMBER 2005

The mission of Audubon South Carolina is to protect and enhance habitat for birds and other

wildlife, and to educate people and involve communities in conservation.

Over a century ago, a handful of women began a campaign to protectbirds and created a national movementthe National

Audubon Society. Audubon South Carolina invites you to join us in

honoring our beginnings and South Carolinas outstanding women of conservation.

EVELYN THAYER CHACE AWARD

Saturday, October 8, 20057:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Riverbanks Zoo, Ndoki LodgeColumbia, South Carolina

Cocktail Hour and Dinner$75.00 Per PersonRSVP by calling (843) 462-2150 by October 4, 2005

SPONSORED BY JOHNNIE AND BUFF CHACE

Keynote Speaker: John Flicker, President, National Audubon Society


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A PERSPECTIVE ON THE AWARD by Norman Brunswig, Executive Director

AUDUBON South Carolina, 336 Sanctuary Road, Harleyville, SC 29448-3324, (843) 462-2150, [email protected]

ANNE SPRINGS CLOSEFORT MILL, SOUTH CAROLINA

Anne Springs Close is known to many as one of South Carolinas foremost environ-mentalists and philanthropists. A native of Fort Mill, Anne is the daughter of textileentrepreneur Colonel Elliot White Springs and Frances Hubbard Ley. Her love ofnature can be traced back to a childhood spent exploring the woods, playing in up-state creeks and camping in the mountains. She has worked to improve the qualityof life of those around her through the discovery of nature and outdoor recreation.

She has lent her considerable talents to many organizations. Anne is the BoardChair for the Springs/Close Foundation, a founding Board Member of the PalmettoConservation Foundation and Chairwoman of the Palmetto Trail program, which willlink South Carolinas mountains and beaches through a 400-mile trail. Annes workand conservation ethics often take her outside of the Boardroom and put her in ahands-on role. She has directed equestrian camps for local youth and provided rid-ing lessons and programs for handicapped children and adults.

A great motivation for her work has been the changing face of the upstate, particu-larly the disappearance of farm lands. She has been involved in many initiativesaimed at preserving critical lands in the upstate and making them available to thepublic. In 1995 one of her lifelong dreams was realized with the dedication of theAnne Springs Close Greenway, a project contributed to by Annes children, whonamed the area after their mother. The Greenway is 2,300 acres that surroundsand buffers Fort Mill from encroaching development. Three schools adjoin theGreenway which serves as an outdoor classroom. Hiking, biking and fishing are some of the activities enjoyed by the pubalong the Greenway.

I try to be a good steward, she says. That simple philosophy has proven effective in her public service efforts, conservtion successes and contributions to maintaining the Upstates quality of life.

South Carolina has been blessed with a remarkable sororityof conservationists. These women live and work across ourstate, representing a range of organizations and their ownstrong values. To them is owed much of the credit for thewonderful natural resources we enjoy today.

The National Audubon Society owes its existence in largemeasure to another group of remark-

able women. In the late 18th centuryfashion called for women to wear theplumes and sometimes the entireskins of birds, a practice that nearlydrove birds like the Great Egret toextinction. One group of women de-termined that they would wear themno more and called on their friendsand family to do the same. Fromtheir actions sprang the National As-sociation of Audubon Societies forthe Protection of Wild Birds and Ani-mals. Soon came the passage of thePlumage Act in New York, which out-

lawed the possession of feathers forsale. The law crippled the millenarytrade, a large consumer of feathers,thus saving several species from near certain extinction.

Evelyn Thayer Chace (Evy) has a wonderful Audubon line-age. Her middle name, Thayer, links her to an early giant ofAudubon conservation, Abbott H. Thayer. In 1900, Abbott

raised funds to pay the first Audubon wardens, who prtected bird colonies up and down the Eastern Coast.

Following in Abbotts footsteps, Evy protected some birds her own. While serving on Audubons National Board of Drectors in the 1980s, she chaired the Beidler Forest Land Aquisition Committee. Her committee raised $2 million an

helped add 1,800 acres

bottomland hardwood foreto Beidler. Funds from thcampaign drove future aquisitions and created thBeidler mitigation banwhich continues to enhancwetland habitat today.

Evys early and unqualifiesupport emboldened Audbon to expand a preciou3,400 acre forest remnainto todays ever-expandin15,000-acre forested we

land reserve. She was great friend to me, to BeidlForest and to Audubon large.

As we celebrate 100 years of Audubon with the EvelyThayer Chace Awards, we acknowledge Evys remarkablife and showcase the tremendous contributions of five oustanding South Carolina Women In Conservation.


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AWARD WINNERS

AUDUBON South Carolina, 336 Sanctuary Road, Harleyville, SC 29448-3324, (843) 462-2150, [email protected] 3

HARRIET KEYSERLINGBEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA

Originally from New York City, Harriet Keyserling came to the Carolina Lowcountry aftermarrying a Beaufort native. Sixty years later she is still a resident of the charming Cityof Beaufort and has long been an inspirational figure for conservation in South Carolina.

Her love of nature was a gift from her parents. However, early awareness of the dam-age perpetrated upon the environment came to her from another leading woman con-servationist - Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, a book that chronicled the linkbetween DDT and the decline of many bird species. Women are the carers and thecaregivers and so we take the long viewwhat will the world be like for our children, ourgrandchildren.

Defying the odds for both a non-native and a woman in South Carolina, Harriet spentover twenty years in the South Carolina Legislature promoting the protection of bothSouth Carolinas people and its environment. Among her many accomplishments, Har-riet was the initial sponsor for the legislation which allowed land trusts in South Carolinato take easements. I believe that we are all responsible for the condition of the state,country, world and all of the people in it. My way is through politics. The people we

elect determine the conditions, especially of the environment.

Outside of the legislature, Harriet has served and supported many local organizations which work to protect the environmensuch as the Coastal Conservation League and The Nature Conservancy. She was a founding Board Member of Conserva-tion Voters of South Carolina. Harriet is the author of Against the Tide: One Womans Political Struggle, which chroniclesboth her time in the legislature and a wide range of issues that she feels must be closely watched and acted upon. Whileshe admits in her book that terms such as inspirational and motivational make her slightly uncomfortable there is no denying that her simple yet compelling lifelong messageDo Somethingis both of those things.

MARY ARRINGTON WALTERSPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA

Mary Arrington Walter has been the Executive Director of the Spartanburg area land trknown as SPACE (Spartanburg Area Conservancy) since its inception fifteen years agBorn in Greenville, South Carolina, Mary has spent her entire life as a resident of tSouth Carolina upstate. Born to a family with a strong conservation ethic, Mary learnearly in life to love the land and all that it has to give. My paternal grandmother wasmember of The Nature Conservancy in the 70s and spoke to me about the conservatmovement then, Mary recalls. Her Aunt Hazael was also a big influence on her pathlife, including her work today to protect critical lands in the Spartanburg area.

SPACEs focus on the best remaining natural areas in Spartanburg, including those fouwithin the already developed urban area, has proven highly successful, if not challengat times. One of Mary and SPACEs greatest accomplishments has been the protectand preservation of over 80 acres of land in the heart of Spartanburg and the subsequedevelopment of the Cottonwood Trail on that site. Today, the Cottonwood Trail attraarea residents and outdoor enthusiasts, who enjoy the wildlife that still thrives on the sdespite the development that surrounds the Trail.

Marys work is inspired not only by her conservation values but also her religious belieI believe that God has a purpose for each of us and that we should make the most of olife by striving for what feeds our souls. I believe in listening to your inner soul and puring what energizes you. I try to focus on whats really important in life in the big scheme

things and to embrace that which is meaningful and satisfying. Leading SPACE in its mission, while volunteering for church and other community organizations has proven both meaningful and satisfying for Mary.


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AWARD WINNERS


ANGELA VINEYCOLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Angela Viney grew up in a small coal mining town in West Virginia. The oldest ofsix children and the daughter of a coal miner, Angelas conservation ethic came toher early on and out of necessity. Nothing could be wasted in our family and we

lived off the land through gardening and hunting. The bounty of nature and herfamilys close connection to the land instilled in Angela a true appreciation of allthat nature provides, a connection that many fail to make in todays society.

Much of Angelas childhood recreation came from nature as well. On weekendsher family would pack a lunch, pile in the station wagon and head to a local statepark or other recreational area. Angela came to South Carolina in 1986. True toher mountain heritage, one of Angelas favorite spots in her adopted state is theJocassee Gorges Natural Resources Area. I guess you can take the girl out ofthe mountains but you cant take the mountains out of the girl, she jokes.

When asked about the role of women in the conservation movement and theirsuccesses, Angela says, Women strive for results and accomplishmentsnot forthe credit but for the cause itself. We are by nature very nurturing and have a

sense of caretaking and responsibility not only to our children but to future gen-erations.

Today, Angela is the Executive Director of the South Carolina Wildlife Federationand works tirelessly to protect the states wildlife habitat, the rights of the sportingcommunity and natural areas. Angela credits her success with the SCWF to heroverall conservation philosophy. As a child I was taught to respect and appreciate all of Gods creations and creatureanimal and human. I was instilled with a sense of coexistence, equality and tolerance. This foundation serves me well asstrive for balance in this ever growing state.

NANCY VINSON

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINABorn and raised near Columbia, Nancy Vinson has spent much of her life proting South Carolinas coast. Her love of nature comes from growing up in rSouth Carolina and family vacations spent on St. Helenas Island. Nancy shamany wonderful moments with her father exploring marsh creeks. These eyears left a lifelong impression on Nancy and set her on her way to becoming of South Carolinas leading women conservationists.

Nancy graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in MaScience and developed an interest in coastal management policy. Her entry the conservation arena came as a volunteer for the Sierra Club and eventually would become the first full-time paid staff member for Sierra Club the state. Nais quick to credit her early mentorspeople like Richard Watkins of St. Matth

and Barry Beasley and Nancy Stone-Collum of Columbiawith her success.In 1994 she began to work for the Coastal Conservation League, which allowedto focus on wetland and coastal issues. Today, one of Nancys biggest challenis defending against the development of South Carolinas public trust marshesbuilding vehicular bridges to small marsh islands. Our salt marshes are heldtrust for the benefit of all the citizens of South Carolina, not to maximize the proof a few developers. Building roadways through the oceans nursery groundsomething that we shouldnt even be considering. People need to contact their islators and let them know that this is unacceptable.

We are blessed with a diversity of rich natural resources here in South Carolina. Rather than seeing how many housescan cram into the most sensitive areas we need to focus on their preservation and how we can pass them on to future genetions intact.


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OTHER WOMEN TO CELEBRATE

ANN JENNINGSCOLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

Ann Jennings can be considered one of the founding mothers of modern conservation in South Carolina. She helped creaThe Environmental Coalition, one of the first grassroots advocacy groups in the state. Much of Anns life has been devoted a wide range of issuesfrom nuclear power safety to protecting coastal tidelands.

Ann was deeply involved in the early struggle to protect and expand Congaree Swamp National Monument, today CongareNational Park. The conservation of Upper Santee Swamp has also been a focus of Anns. Her passion for the forested weands, rural landscapes and natural areas of the Midlands made for a natural fit for her as the Director of the Congaree LanTrust. Under Anns leadership, the Trust has conserved nearly 2,000 acres of critical habitat in the Midlands, with plans fomuch more.

LINNEA ROGERS-NOTTON

MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA

Growing up in Bethesda, Maryland, Linnea Rogers-Notton was inspired by the passion of local naturalists and their love of thenvironment. Her time as a Campfire Girl also played a pivotal role in nurturing Linneas love of nature.

Linnea and her husband relocated to Mount Pleasant in 1993. Linnea soon realized that Mount Pleasant was in danger of long the very attributes that made it so desirable to begin with. After watching the failure of a local tax referendum to providfor open space, Linnea formed People for Preservation. Linnea and the members of People for Preservation have workehard for the passage of a tax initiative for open spaces, fought a proposed Port terminal on Daniel Island and promoted locaordinances to control growth in Mount Pleasant.

GENEVIEVE PETERKINMURRELLS INLET, SOUTH CAROLINA

Genevieve Peterkin has lived most of her life in Murrells Inlet. Her connections of the land and the people there came to hearge part through her mother, Genevieve Wilcox Chandler, who interviewed residents of the Waccamaw Neck for the WWriters Project in the 1930s. Genevieve would often accompany her mother on these interviews and became well-acquainwith her community early in life.

Growing up near the marshes and waterways of Murrells Inlet fostered within her a deep appreciation for the delicate balancethe Carolina Coast. That appreciation became a call to action to protect her home. In the 1950s she formed the Murrells InProtective Assocation in an attempt to halt a dredging project in the area. She later helped mobilize local residents to protSandy Island, and to protect the long-leaf pine forest at Brookgreen Gardens and arrange for its long-term management.

Genevieves lifetime of work has ensured that important parts of the Waccamaw Neck will be preserved and protected for futgenerations.

SHARON RICHARDSONSUNDERLAND, MASSACHUSETTS

While now a resident of Massachusetts, Sharon Richardson continues to impact the conservation of SouthCarolinas natural resources. She came to South Carolina in 1995 where she immediately began work as a Long Range Planer for Beaufort County.

Sharon became the Executive Director of the Lowcountry Open Land Trust in 1996 and led the organization for the next fouyears. Sharon helped develop many of the partnerships that make LOLT so successful today. During this time, Sharon finazed easements for over 45 families to protect 10,000 acres of the Carolina Lowcountry.

n 2000 Sharon, despite her relocation to Massachusetts, began working with Audubon South Carolina on the long-term preervation and protection of Four Holes Swamp. With her planning expertise guiding the way, Audubon has added several thosand acres to its Francis Beidler Forest.



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A COMMON AGENDA FOR SOUTH CAROLINAS CONSERVATION ORGANIZATIONS

Since June, the state conservation community, including Audubon South Carolina, have been meeting to establish the communitys priorities over the upcoming year. Individual organizations were invited to submit proposals to be considered for iclusion on a common agenda. Staff members and organization volunteers gathered in August for two planning sessionhosted by the Conservation Voters of South Carolina.

Participants chose the theme of Preserving South Carolinas Traditions and Creating a Healthy Future. The introductioexplains that:

Crucial decisions are being made today which affect the way we live here in South Caro-lina. Whether our roots spring deeply from Carolina soil or from places afar, we live herebecause we value our communities and our outdoor traditions. Everyday we spend toomuch time in traffic, we see our fields, forests and hunting grounds threatened by develop-ment and watch our streams polluted and posted with mercury fishing advisories. We worryabout the South Carolina our children and grandchildren will inherit.

Four policy priorities were also identified: (1) investing in sound land use and road planning to ensure economic vitality, prtect future property values and preserve outdoor traditions (2) preserving irreplaceable natural areas which sustain a varie

of sports and recreation (3) protecting water quality and quantity for our future and (4) affirming citizen rights to clean air, wter and healthy communities while defending against environmental rollbacks.

These goals will be translated into an action list for the 2006 legislative session which will include passing the Priority Invesment Areas legislation, establish a fair permitting system for isolated wetlands, acquiring key corporate forest lands, ensurinfull funding for the Conservation Bank and continuing to oppose attempts to weaken environmental protections. On the edcational front the conservation community will work to build support for increasing Department of Transportation accountabity, and to oppose the proposed Tyger River Dam and to better define the rights of citizens to a healthy environment.

The following groups are participating in the Common Agenda planning and action: Aiken Open Land Trust, Audubon Socety, Coastal Conservation League, Carolina Farmer Stewards, Congaree Land Trust, Conservation Voters of South CarolinEducation Fund, League of Women Voters, Native Plant Society, Sierra Club, South Carolina Wildlife Federation, SoutherEnvironmental Law Center, The Nature Conservancy and Upstate Forever.

Plans are underway for a series of local meetings in Georgetown, Florence, Aiken, Orangeburg, Rock Hill, GreenvilleCharleston and Beaufort during October so please look for information to be mailed to you later. A final version of thstates shared conservation priorities will be released at the Environmental Leaders Summit, November 13-14, follow by media and outreach efforts to educate and empower citizens to take part in preserving South Carolinas traditions and creatina healthy future. For more information about the agenda or upcoming Environmental Leaders Summit contact April Stallingat (843) 462-2150.

AUDUBON ADVOCACY

SAVE THE ARCTIC!

September will be the best chance to save the Arctic NationWildlife Refuge. Earlier this year, drilling revenues were

placed in the national budget in an attempt to avoid a direcvote on protecting the Refuge.

The Arctic Refuge is critical habitat for many of Americasbird species and other wildlife. Drilling in the Arctic will notreduce gas prices or provide a long-term energy solution.

September 20th is Arctic Action Day. Visit the Capitol withthousands of other activists. Contact your Senators and

Representative. Write a letter to the Editor. Save the Ref-uge!

For more information visit www.audubon.org



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JOIN US FOR BEACH SWEEP/RIVER SWEEP 2005!

Audubon South Carolina invites you to join us to participate in the 17 th annual Beach Sweep/River Sweep. The clean-up w

take place on Saturday, September 17th from 9 a.m. until 12:00 noon. Audubon staff and volunteers will clean the Coop

River along the western edge of Daniel Island, both from land and by water.

Thanks to the generous donation of a barge by Salmons Dredging Corporation, the clean-up will have less impact on t

marsh areas of Daniel Island. Volunteers on shore will bag the trash while volunteers in kayaks will shuttle the debris to t

nearby barge, minimizing negative impacts on the fragile marsh environment.

Gloves will be provided for the first 20 volunteers to arrive. Plenty of trash bags and eye protection will be available. Volu

teers are asked to meet at the end of Grand Council Street (near cell phone tower) at 8:45 a.m.. Call (843) 462-2150 to s

up or for additional information.

BEIDLER FOREST CALENDAROF EVENTS 2005

September 10, 2005 @ 7:30 p.m.Nightwalk, $8.00

September 17, 2005 @ 7:30 p.m.Nightwalk, $8.00

October 8, 2005 @ 7:00 p.m.Nightwalk, $8.00

October 15, 2005 @ 7:00 p.m.Nightwalk, $8.00

November 12, 2005 @ 5:30 p.m.Nightwalk, $8.00

November 12th & December 3rd @ 8:00 a.m.Woodpecker Walks: Explore the wide world of woodpeck-ers that call Beidler Forest home. A visit to view Red-cockaded Woodpeckers at the nearby Brosnan Forest will

follow.December 10, 2005 @ 5:00 p.m.Nightwalk, $8.00

EXPLORE SOUTH CAROLINASIMPORTANT BIRD AREAS IN 2005

CROFT STATE NATURAL AREA, September 17, 2005 @ 8:00 a.m. - JMarion Clark in exploring this Important Bird Area. Part of the State Psystem, Croft State Natural Area is a unique ecosystem that supports a w

variety of raptors and songbirds year round. To sign up contact MariClark at (803) 996-0480 or (803) 422-8308 or [email protected]. Mat the entrance gate on Dairy Ridge Road, just off of SC 56.

CAESERS HEAD STATE PARK, September 24, 2005 - Join LorraBrown, during Caser Head State Parks Hawk Watch. View fall migrationsongbirds and raptors alike at this upstate gem! For sign up, meetitimes and directions contact Lorraine Brown at (864) 232-7574 [email protected].

SANTEE COASTAL RESERVE, November 5, 2005 @ 9:00 a.m. - JFelicia Sanders, Department of Natural Resources Biologist, at the SantCoastal Reserve. One of South Carolinas earliest Important Bird AreSantee Coastal Reserve will feature opportunities to view shorebirds, watfowl, a variety of songbirds and Red-cockaded Woodpeckers. To sign

contact Felicia Sanders at (843) 520-0961 or [email protected] at the kiosk.

SILVER BLUFF 2005 CALENDAROF EVENTS

September 17, 2005 @ 7:30 A.M.Fall Migration Bird Count. Free.

(803) 471-0291


AUDUBON EVENTS AND NEWS

STORKS & CORKS

The 2nd Annual StorksCorks was held August 2005 at the Silver BAudubon Center and Satuary. The event broutogether 75 community redents for an evening Stork watching, wine ahors doeuvres. The evwas co-sponsored by South Carolina Wildlife Feration.

The event raised o$1,000 to support Aubons work to protect endangered Wood StoTo learn more about Aubons Support-A-Stork pgram visit us online atwww.beidlerforest.com.


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336 Sanctuary RoadHarleyville, South Carolina 29448-3324

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PERMIT NO. 468

SUMMERVILLE,

SC

Please contact [email protected] name or address corrections.

BOO IN THE SWAMP

A FUN, FALL EVENING AT THE FOREST!

Join us at Francis Beidler Forest on October 29 th and30th for the very first BOO IN THE SWAMP.

The evening begins at 6:00 PM, when small groups willbe taken out on the Boardwalk and into a world of frightsand fun! Visitors can take part in a Weenie and Marsh-mallow Roast, face painting, story telling and other naturerelated entertainment.

Cost is $10.00 for adults and $6.00 for children over 6.Please call 843-462-2150 for more information and tosign up.

There is still a need for volunteers on both nights of theBoo In The Swamp. If you would like to be a part of mak-ing this event a great success, please call us at the abovenumber.

october 2005 south carolina audubon newsletter

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