Our Sea Islands encompass salt marshes, maritime forests, hummocks, and tidal creeks that provide critical habitat for numerous plant and wildlife species. Salt marshes buffer our shorelines from storm surges, filter and cleanse the water, and provide essential nursing grounds for fish, crabs, and countless other species. Maritime forests provide sanctuary to migratory birds, while also sustaining deer, bobcats, and a host of other species that rest, nest, and feed beneath their covers. The rivers and creeks that weave through and around our islands carry tides that nourish the marshes, sustain fish and shellfish, and provide lifelines for wildlife and people alike.
Beyond their ecological richness, the Sea Islands hold centuries of cultural history, including the Cusabo, a group of American Indian tribes whose villages once stretched along these shores. Their deep knowledge of the land and waters laid the foundation for sustainable living in the Lowcountry, where every tide, season, and landscape feature carried meaning. The marshes, rivers, and forests were not only sources of food and shelter but also sacred spaces that shaped cultural traditions, stories, and community life. In their stewardship, the Cusabo recognized what we still strive to remember today: The health of people is inseparable from the health of the land and waters that sustain them.
In later centuries, the traditions of the Gullah Geechee people— language, crafts, and agricultural practices rooted in West African heritage— became an enduring part of our Sea Islands’ character. These traditions remain integral today, carried forward through generations by those who have called this place home. Their stories, artistry, and ways of life continue to shape the cultural fabric of the Lowcountry.
The sweetgrass basket, carefully sewn by hand, was created as a functional tool, like the fanner baskets used for processing rice. Today, sweetgrass baskets and other sewn pieces are treasured works of art, often requiring hours, weeks, or even months to complete. Every piece of sweetgrass art tells a story of resilience, passed from generation to generation and sustained by the land itself. The plants that keep this legacy alive— sweetgrass, bulrush, palmetto, and longleaf pine— still grow throughout the marshes and forests of our Sea Islands. Yet as development spreads and natural habitats shrink, these essential plants become harder to find. Protecting the landscapes where they thrive is vital not only for wildlife, but for ensuring this centuries-old tradition endures.
Our Sea Islands are a place where nature and culture come together to create something truly special. By protecting their marshes, forests, hummocks, and waterways, we honor those who came before us, care for the people and wildlife who depend on them today, and ensure that future generations will inherit a place of beauty, strength, and belonging.
For nearly three decades, the Kiawah
36 • KIAWAH CONSERVANCY