2020 Land Stewardship Report
“ I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses. We must never forget that it is our duty to protect this environment.”
— Nelson Mandela
The Kiawah Conservancy protects a significant portion of natural habitat through its many conservation lands across Kiawah Island and beyond. Part of the Conservancy’ s role as an accredited land trust is to organize land stewardship efforts to ensure lands are kept in their natural state in perpetuity. To accomplish this, the Conservancy monitors each property on an annual basis through repeated visits. Additionally, a portion of the Conservancy’ s annual income is dedicated to the Stewardship and Defense Fund, which is reserved for use in situations where critical management needs arise on our preserved land or legal action is necessary to defend a conservation property.
In 2020, Conservancy staff visited all 52 of its previously preserved properties, encompassing 2,273 acres.* We are happy to report that all of the Conservancy’ s properties remain in habitat-rich, natural states and all conservation easements are in compliance. As the Conservancy continues to preserve natural habitat on the island, its stewardship program evolves to address threats to wildlife habitat and the land’ s conservation values. Managing invasive species such as the Chinese tallow, the most prevalent exotic invasive species found on Kiawah and in nearby coastal communities, is a component of Conservancy stewardship, requiring ongoing control efforts to limit their populations on conserved properties.
Additionally, as more land is protected, the occurrence of encountering litter, dumping, and encroachment also arises. As a result, clean-ups are undertaken, and management techniques are implemented to address any observed issues. This is all to maintain the natural habitats these preserved areas were acquired to protect.
Taking care of our preserved properties and implementing a robust land stewardship program is an important responsibility for the Kiawah Conservancy. Visiting these properties by land and water allows us to learn more about Kiawah’ s ecology, implement best management plans and provide endless opportunities to enjoy wildlife. If you are interested in
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Photo by Adam Wolf