And the wildlife is everywhere .” Kiawah isn ’ t Disney World or Six Flags — it ’ s a different kind of vacation . “ Our mission is to teach people that , as long as they are quiet and still , nature is all around you . We want people to understand how to explore Kiawah without negatively impacting the wildlife .”
King has been involved with the Kiawah Conservancy since its inception . Her children — now in their mid-twenties — appeared in a couple of early Conservancy videos when they were four and six . “ For me personally , working with the Conservancy has given me so much joy in recent years because it takes me back to my roots — outside , working with nature ,” King says . In 2023 , the Conservancy helped plant a native garden in front of the new Nature Center and art studio at Night Heron Park . “ It was just barren ground , and now it ’ s blooming with bee balm , mountain mint , and passion flowers ,” King says . “ We can walk outside and see bees and hummingbirds . It ’ s just amazing !”
This year , the Resort teamed up with the Conservancy to create Kiawah ’ s first living shoreline at Mingo Point . “ Mingo Point is where we do all our kayaking tours to get people out exploring the salt marsh . We knew one section had experienced some erosion , making it an ideal spot to create a living shoreline , especially because of its proximity — people can come and see it .” The Resort offered support through equipment and permitting from the Town of Kiawah Island .
In July , volunteers and staff from both the Resort and the Conservancy rolled up their sleeves and built 130 manufactured wire reefs ( MWRs ). MWRs are wire cages that hold recycled oyster shells , providing a substrate for oyster spat to settle on — creating new oyster reefs that support biodiversity while also preventing shoreline erosion . In early August , volunteers and South Carolina Department of Natural Resources ( SCDNR ) employees teamed up to deploy the MWRs at Mingo Point . “ It was very much a joint effort , led by the Conservancy .”
“ Living shorelines are a perfect example of working with nature to solve environmental issues ,” King told me . “ For over forty years , we ’ ve held public oyster roasts at Mingo Point . Now , the SCDNR collects oyster shells from our restaurants and recycles them . Some of those very shells may have been used to build our artificial reefs !”
Interested individuals can view the living shoreline project from shore . Paddlers touring with King ’ s naturalists will hear about the progression of the oyster reef from the water . “ We ’ ve learned so much from the Conservancy ,” King tells me . “ And the Resort has been a great partner .” The Resort supports the Conservancy financially through a voluntary fee applied to each night ’ s stay on the island . King , for one , is excited to continue the collaboration between the Conservancy and the Resort .
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