The Editor’s Desk
Kiawah, naturally …
C
ome along with us for a walk into Kiawah Island’s
maritime forest. This is the spine of the Island,
strong and stately, securing the land when wind
and water pummel the place. It is dark and drab,
right? Just shades of green, black, and brown. Silent. Nothing
moving. But wait. Look a bit closer. Notice the beautiful light
as the sun pokes through the heavy tree canopy. Look at the
brilliant colors of the amazing native plants. Smell the subtle
perfume of the creamy white magnolias. Listen for the calls of
the hundreds of songbirds darting about. Watch for families
of slow moving deer, stealthy, speedy bobcats, or any of the
endless variety of creatures who call the forest home.
Centuries ago Kiawah Island, beyond its beautiful beach
and dunes, was almost exclusively maritime forest, a barrier
island near Charleston whose dense stand of trees, shrubs
and ground cover were shaped by sea-spray, surviving in the
hostile sandy loam that all but defied growth. Man could not
resist the beauty of the place, and after the original Native
Americans came the Europeans followed by those thousands
of us who have been drawn to it to visit, vacation, and, if we
are lucky, live.
We have removed much of the forest, but happily, along
the way, we have learned to take care of this important green
space. We have learned the names of its magnificent trees—
Carolina pines, live oaks, red cedar, and laurel oak. True, we
have cleared much of the forest to make way for our homes
and recreation facilities, but we have taken care to preserve
and enhance as we did so.
In this issue we take a slow, deliberate stroll through our
maritime forest. D avid Whitaker from the South Carolina
Department of Natural Resources gives us a thorough
overview of what constitutes this special collection of trees,
shrubs, vegetation, and wildlife. Jane Ellis provides a colorful
introduction to some of the bright spots. Whit Gibbons (one
of our perennial favorite writers) and Jake Zadik introduce us
to some of the creatures who hide in the dense growth. Chris
WINTER/SPRING 2018 • VOLUME 39
Sudell and Jim Jordan give us more information about two
of the mammals here—raccoons and deer respectively. We
provide you with a guide to some of the resident songbirds
along with details about tiny things like lichen and ticks from
Pamela Cohen.
Enjoy this portrait of the heartbeat of Kiawah Island where
all creatures great and small reside, and as a community
we do all we can to be sure the beat remains strong and
healthy. NK
Spring 2018
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