2022 Highlights
In 2022 , the Kiawah Consevancy turned 25 and we were thrilled to celebrate every moment of this exciting milestone . We continued to work to meet the lofty goals of our 2030 Strategic Plan , and succeeded by adding new land to our preservation footprint , hosting a variety of new and returning educational outreach programs and events , fulfilling our stewardship responsibilities , and working with a variety of volunteers and conservationists .
Preserved Lands The Conservancy preserved seven new properties .
• 2915 Deer Point Drive
• 489 Pete Dye Place
• 507 Pete Dye Place
• 64 Salt Cedar Lane
• 472B Helena Court
• Little Bear Way Marshland
• Oyster Rake Residual and Marsh
These areas , totaling 25.52 acres , provide travel corridors and resting areas for wildlife .
New Staff , Interns , and Trustees Adam Wolf joined the Conservancy staff as our Digital Content Specialist and was tasked with overseeing the Conservancy ’ s social media accounts , email communications , and website . Adam also took on the task of creating videos for social media and communicating our RSVP Initiative . Adam did an excellent job this past year , but he ’ s always looking for tips on how to make our digital content better . Reach out to him at adam @ kiawahconservancy . org to share your suggestions or if you would like to donate photography or videos for use in our digital media .
Katie Warner joined the Conservancy staff as our Educational Outreach Specialist and spent the year working on a variety of community outreach programs . She provided educational programs to local schools and coordinated the montly Kiawah Island Litter Sweep program in partnership with the South Carolina Aquarium . Katie coordinated a variety of community events at the Naturally Kiawah Demonstration Garden including our annual Earth Week Celebration and our Cheers to 25 Years anniversary celebration . She worked with a group of local conservation groups to plan the first annual Sea Islands Shorebird Festival ( held in 2023 ) and started our new Junior Explorers program for children in our local community . Katie ’ s always looking for new ideas and opportunities to educate guests and residents on the needs of our local wildlife and habitats . Reach out to her at katie @ kiawahconservancy . org if you have suggestions or would like to volunteer with our outreach programs .
Kurt Steelman joined our public affairs , communications , and outreach team in 2022 as an Outreach Intern and worked diligently along side Katie Warner to plan and implement our many outreach programs including the new Junior Explorers program !
Brandon Johnson joined our land preservation team in 2022 as a Land Stewardship Intern and worked diligently along side Collie Farah ( Land Preservation Specialist ) and Lee Bundrick ( Senior Ecological Health and Conservation Coordinator ) in the areas of research , habitat restoration and enhancement , and land stewardship .
Charlie Smith joined our land preservation team in 2022 as a Land Stewardship Intern and worked diligently along side Collie Farah ( Land Preservation Specialist ) and Lee Bundrick ( Senior Ecological Health and Conservation Coordinator ) in the areas of habitat restoration and enhacement and land stewardship .
Duncan Williamson joined our land preservation team in 2022 as a Land Stewardship Intern , while obtaining his masters degree in Environmental and Sustainability Studies at the College of Charleston . During his internship , Duncan helped with monitoring our preserved properties , updating our geographic information systems ( GIS ), and also worked to improve our native demonstration gardens around the Island .
Sean Cannon joined our land preservation team in 2022 as a Land Stewardship Intern , while obtaining his masters degree at the College of Charleston for Environmental and Sustainability Studies . During his internship , Sean helped with monitoring our preserved properties , updating our geographic information systems ( GIS ), and also worked to improve our native demonstration gardens around the Island .
In 2022 , the Conservancy Board welcomed four new Trustees .
• Kim Anuszkiewicz
• Russel Berner
• Arthur Glenn
• Amy Wald-Guilkey
Unfortunately , we had to say goodbye , for now , to two Trustees as they left our Board in 2022 .
• Jeanne Ball
• Carey Benham
• Jane Ellis
• Rich Warner
We ’ re excited to see what our new Trustees bring to the table and hope to work with the Trustees that rolled off our Board this year in other ways .
Programs and Events The Conservancy ’ s outreach programs were in full swing throughout 2022 . We started the year with Art of Conservation featuring Erin Simon ( Head , Plastic Waste & Business , World Wildlife Fund ) and Aurora Robson ( Environmental Artist ) who led a lively discussion about plastic pollution , art , conservation , and more .
Later in the spring , we organized a variety of programs during Earth Week including litter sweeps , beach-side yoga , and nature walks . We kept the focus on nature throughout the week and wrapped it up with our annual Earth Day Celebration at the Naturally Kiawah Demonstration Garden in Night Heron Park . We had food trucks , live music , tent talks from organizations protecting natural environments through the Lowcountry , so many amazing local vendors , and even an appearance from Bob E . Cat , the Conservancy ’ s mascot .
12 10